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Hello all,

Feel pretty silly for posting this but I've spent a couple hours surfing the web and the forums here for an answer and no luck yet.  I'm sure I'm missing something obvious...

I just purchased a Lionel EM-1 and have been trying to get it to move on conventional power.  I have an MTH Z4000 for power.  When I power it up, I get sounds, and the bell and whistle function correctly.  In neutral, the lights are all on and the smoke generator works.  Actuating the direction button results in a pulsating effect in the headlight and cab light.  I can also hear a pulsating noise from the rear portion of the engine and the smoke pulses out the stack.  The lights change direction as the direction button is cycled but no movement.  Battery in the tender was installed this evening so it's fresh. 

I've been through the engine manual multiple times...I'm sure I'm missing something just can't figure out what.

Any thoughts or suggestions?

Thanks!

Kenny

Last edited by arcticrail
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He listed the item number in his title, Marty.

It sounds like you might have the problem that afflicts all 6-28051 B&O EM-1's. The "pulsating noise" you hear from the rear of the locomotive is likely the motor spinning without a firm connection to the drive shaft. All of the 6-28051 B&O EM-1's from the factory had a defect in the driveline -- the driveshaft wasn't fixed to the coupling to the motor. Lionel offers a repair service (a $20 charge) to fix it.

I hope this helps.
TRW

EM-1 Drive Shaft

 

 

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  • EM-1 Drive Shaft
Last edited by PaperTRW
PaperTRW posted:

He listed the item number in his title, Marty.

It sounds like you might have the problem that afflicts all 6-28051 B&O EM-1's. The "pulsating noise" you hear from the rear of the locomotive is likely the motor spinning without a firm connection to the drive shaft. All of the 6-28051 B&O EM-1's from the factory had a defect in the driveline -- the driveshaft wasn't fixed to the coupling to the motor. Lionel offers to a repair service (a $20 charge) to fix it.

I hope this helps.
TRW

EM-1 Drive Shaft

 

 

Last time I tried to repair mine the parts where un-available.
 I was able to purchase the Allegheny drive mechanism and modify it.

Note that the knuckles in the U joint tend to snap to... the plastic material tends to dry out.

SOLVED!!!   It was the coupling slipping on the shaft as PAPERTRW suggested.  I ended up drilling and pinning the coupling to the shaft.  Odd that the coupling already had one hole drilled but no physical means of locking the two together, go figure.

In any case, thanks for the replies and suggestions, was really glad to have this one running before Christmas!!  

Now off to figure out why the smoke unit isn't puffing.....always something.

Merry Christmas to you all!

Kenny

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