I foolishly bought a basket-case Alco RS-2 in HO last year at a train show (been out of HO for thirty-five years but have picked up the occasional piece again when the price tempted and money was burning a hole in my pocket); the seller claimed it was a problem with the motor. Turned out the motor was fine--it was a couple of tower spur gears and a couple of axle gears that had split. Nasty white nylon that has a short shelf-life. Expensive fix: the replacement gears from NWSL cost me about as much as I paid for the entire locomotive, and being old brass it still is not a great runner. And I discovered the plow and steps had disappeared from one of the pilots... Perhaps your S scale RS-2 had/has the same nasty white nylon gearing?
Jace Kahn General Manager Ceres & Canisteo RR Co./Champlain County Traction Co. > To: [email protected] > From: [email protected] > Date: Wed, 27 Oct 2010 17:45:01 +0000 > Subject: Re: {S-Scale List} Replacement Wheelsets for AM Locomotives > > Good suggestion, Jace! I'll check, but the locomotive has done this since it > was new, thus it gets used in consist with other locomotives most of the time. > > My ALCO MODELS RS-2 did split an axle gear as you describe, and had the same > symptoms. Until I could get some spare gearboxes for parts, I simply removed > a tooth on each side of the split to eliminate the lurching (another way > would have been to remove the idler gears to the offending axle and let it > roll free, just like cutting out a traction motor on the real McCoy). > > However, the gears on the GP-9 seem to be in good shape, and I replaced the > original motor years ago in an attempt to cure it. I have more or less > narrowed the problem down to the wobbly wheels binding on the truck sides on > one truck. > > At any rate, I have purchased some gearboxes from one of the list members, > and if nothing else, should be able to cobble up something. > > Locomotive Workshop SW-1 #22 is still sidelined for heavy repairs, the result > of trying to add a flywheel and causing more damage than I was trying to fix! > > Always something . . . > > "S"tring Bob __________________________________________ > > > > --- In [email protected], JGG KahnSr <jacek...@...> wrote: > > > > > > While I cannot discount the wheels themselves, the symptom often comes from > > split gears. Is it possible that as the plastic has aged > > and shrunk it may also have split? > > > > Jace Kahn > > > > General Manager > > Ceres & Canisteo RR Co./Champlain County Traction Co. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > I have had an American Models GP-9 for about twenty years. It has the > > > older AM power trucks and the wheelsets have the bronze bearings. > > > > > > Ever since I have had this locomotive, it has had a bind that manifests > > > itself each time the wheels make one revolution and causes the locomotive > > > to lurch as it moves down the track. > > > > > > Last night, I decided to take it apart and see if I could find the > > > problem, and found a couple of wheelsets with considerable "wobble" in > > > them. > > > > > > Checking NWSL's web sites, I see they offer replacement wheelsets for > > > these locomotives, Item #2535-6, however, I cannot tell from the product > > > photo if the replacement wheelsets have the bronze bearings. > > > > > > Has anybody had any experience with these replacement wheelsets? If so, > > > what can you tell me? If I send my wheelsets to NWSL, would they install > > > new wheels on them for me? > > > > > > Alternately, does anybody have any old AM power trucks I could use for > > > parts that they would be willing to sell? > > > > > > Bob Nicholson ________________________________________ > > > > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > > > > > > ------------------------------------ > > Yahoo! Groups Links > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/S-Scale/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/S-Scale/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: [email protected] [email protected] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [email protected] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
