1954 FM vs F-3 noise?

It's possible that your F-3 has horizontal motors that make a growling sound. The engines with horizontal motors were known as "growlers".

Which F-3? The horizontal motors have a lot more gears and a lot more noise, while the vertical motors are set up essentially the same as the FM.

My F-3 is the Santa Fe, but honestly, that FM is still quieter than even my MPC & LTI era dual motored locos with vertical motors & plastic gears. You don't even hear the "whu whu whu" sound that the old open frame Pulmores usually make when they start moving. It just gets up & goes.

Sounds like your AT&SF has the horizontal motors and they are loud.  Just about every TM is usually a lot quieter, even the MPC ones...

Marty

Spur gears vs. Worm drive. If you lube the F3 gears with a good grease it will quiet down a bit. 

jth877 posted:

If you lube the F3 gears with a good grease it will quiet down a bit. 

Like this:

Railroaded, you never said which f3 you have? What are the numbers on the cab? Many people do not know how to properly service either type.

Rob

MPC and LTI era Pullmor motors have plastic armature bearing in their brush plates. The tolerances are poor, and the motors can make a lot of noise as the armature "thrashes" around in an oversized plastic bearing. Sometimes you get lucky and have a smooth one. The Pullmor motors made in China are even worse sounding grinders. The Chinese sometimes substituted 3mm armature shaft in lieu of 1/8" , for another 7 mils of slop.

Postwar vertical Pullmor motors like your FM, had a brass armature bearing in the brushplate and operated considerable more smoothly on average. Your postwar F3 is probably a "growler" as noted above, and there is not much you can do to quiet it down except lubricate it. On the other hand, your MPC or LTI era pullmors can be silenced if you drill and install a new metal bearing in the brushplate.

The noise doesn't bother me & I'm not complaining. I'm just surprised that the beater FM I got for free out preforms models from that era to 50 years newer that I payed hundreds of dollars for. Whatever it is about that design, man, its' super.