Boy Scout 2010 ES44AC does not want to move, why not?

Pull the trucks off and oil the center bearings where the worm gear is there locked up.. Common issiue with the diecast es44s when there not ran.. Cause the wheels are not rolling freely it can break the little  Ts off the shafts off the motors some people lock tight then back on with great sucess..

Thanks, I'll check that! 

This is my 1st experience with this style of truck.  The wheels did turn freely when I spun the flywheels (of course no weight on the truck) and it did run in reverse in conventional mode with full weight on the trucks.  The motor board is over $100 so I sure hope it is not that...

Thanks again, S/F Mike

I played with it some more and what I found is that it will initially run fine in reverse in either conventional or TMCC cmd mode.  After I try to go forward (which it will not do) it seems to become confused and will no longer move backwards until it shuts down completely and I bring it back up.  Any one know what could cause these symptoms short of the motor driver board?

Thank again as always,

Mike

Mike,

    Since you received this engine as a club donation even if you need to replace a board at a cost of $100........DO IT!!!!!

    Take a look at the Buy/Sell board and do a search for this engine. You we see they sell for plus $1000. It would be well worth the expense to fix. If not you can donate to my train club (The Black Diamond Society of Model Engineers, Bethlehem Pa).

   You can also do a search on a Alex M post detailing how he repaired one of these engines.

  Good Luck with the engine.

johnB

Now you know why the Loco was donated..!!!!  But it's worth fixing..!!

HI,

Never thought of it that way!

By all means we do intend on fixing it.  To preserve club $$, would like to make the right repair the 1st time...

Thanks again,

Mike

Mike Summerville posted:

I played with it some more and what I found is that it will initially run fine in reverse in either conventional or TMCC cmd mode.  After I try to go forward (which it will not do) it seems to become confused and will no longer move backwards until it shuts down completely and I bring it back up.  Any one know what could cause these symptoms short of the motor driver board?

Thank again as always,

Mike

It's not a board it's the trucks pull them off you see there siezed up .They might move some but there not free there suppose to roll freely  Stop trying to run it your gonna mess the motors up if you haven't aready. I have repaired  so many of these .. The bearings in the trucks are locked up . Even if they where freed up from running it you probley broke the T off the bottom of the front motor witch would confuse the engine cause the back motor is not broken and the front motor has the sensor for the flywheel on it. The trucks need freed up the T needs to be JB welded back on or the motor needs replaced ..

Boy Scout?  Offer it a Merit Badge or some special, limited issue patch:  THAT will get it moving . . . .

No worries, it is deadlined in our display case right now.  I'll pull the trucks as you suggest before trying anything else (likely after the holidays).   The first thing I did do (suspecting the trucks) was to remove the shell and check for free movement in both directions on both ends by turning the motors by the fly wheels and they both were free & fine at that point, but then again I really don't know what had occurred before we recv'd the engine...

Thanks again for the insights!

S/F Mike

Hi,

from my point of view it looks like the receiver does not operate correctly. I had the same problem. Out of the box the engine was able to be operated only  conventionally, not with Legacy/TMCC. I exchanged the receiver, problem was solved. I recommend , have a look at the replacement parts site of Lionel for this engine or talk directly to Lionel Service for a repair advise.

Regards

Albrecht

From my own experience these otherwise fine engines do have a problem with the trucks seizing up due to the lubricant going solid inside the trucks where the gear on the motor engages with the gear driving the wheels. JoJoFry helped me fix my Vision Line model which had exactly the issue he explains. If the wheels won't roll freely by being pushed along the rails the lubricant is likely to be the problem. To avoid doing further damage don't try pushing it more than an inch or so; a lockup of the kind I mention should be evident within that distance.

I've always understood this particular model to be so scarce that it must be worth having it fixed! A radio board issue sounds a little unlikely as the engine would run correctly in conventional IF you put it on a track with no command signal nearby.

These are really nice engines and there are folks on this OGR FORUM that can do a great job repairing these Best in Class DieCast Diesels. They are heavy, they must be Packed right, they Must be triple Packed, or damage can occur.  

Larry,

I will cosign on that response. And yes it's Heavy…..make sure you hold it with both hands and both feet…!!!!

Yes Toyspecialist, it's so Heavy, so Nice, so Easy to Break.....Happy Holidays...

Cheers to All......

leapinlarry posted:

These are really nice engines and there are folks on this OGR FORUM that can do a great job repairing these Best in Class DieCast Diesels. They are heavy, they must be Packed right, they Must be triple Packed, or damage can occur.  

I know that engine! For the record that engine was doing the same thing your bs is doing .

I would be interested in buying the engine if you don't want the expense or taking the time to try and fix it.  I have been looking for one with no luck so far.

TNT lines posted:

I would be interested in buying the engine if you don't want the expense or taking the time to try and fix it.  I have been looking for one with no luck so far.

You missed out I sold 3 of them in the last 2 years 

Unfortunately that seems to be the way it goes. I'm sure there are some out there but as usual its finding them that is the challenge. That is impressive you had three of them!!!

TNT lines posted:

Unfortunately that seems to be the way it goes. I'm sure there are some out there but as usual its finding them that is the challenge. That is impressive you had three of them!!!

Or the 19 cp rails or the 14 evos .. I repair them there my speciality. You should see my diecast shell graveyard! Here's a video of the last one I had .  https://youtu.be/xHkaojO9yTc

I bet that's a good looking grave yard. If you happen to come across another please keep me in mind.

TNT lines posted:

I would be interested in buying the engine if you don't want the expense or taking the time to try and fix it.  I have been looking for one with no luck so far.

There is one on Ebay but just make sure your black amex card is current..!!!

I didn't know they had a solid gold model! I guess that is what they use for the 100th anniversary.