Help needed for worn main gear

Joe Foehrkolb is your guy.  He posts here.

Bob, is this guy a repair man?  I can't find any contact information on him here.

Ray

Does sound like the gear is worn.  Normally you order a new drive block.  The accessories are transferred from old to new and the old block has to be returned to MTH.

They don't stock those gears as separate item.

They do stock gears on the Tinplate.

You could remove the wheel on one side and press out the axle to get the gear.  Not sure if a PW or Modern gear would match up.  G

GGG, thanks for the information even though it is not too encouraging.  Not sure what you mean about a drive block.  The place where the gear on an axle and the worm gear come together is actually part of the frame with a cover plate over the worm and gear.  If all else fails, I guess I could remove the worm gear and use it like a dummy with a diesel pushing it from behind.  Expensive dummy though counting the upgrade I put into this thing.

Ray

MTH Calls it the drive block.  It is the whole chassis assembly but only with wheels and axles.  You have to add all the detail parts from the old.

A PW repair guy could press this off and then you may get lucky.  I can do this, if you send just the engine frame.  We may get lucky with a PW gear matching up.  I have a few.   G

GGG, I left a message for Midge in parts at MTH this morning to see if any parts are available.  Presently waiting for her to call back.  I will keep your offer in mind if I try to get it repaired by someone other than myself.

Ray

No problem.  If you need to have a service center order it for you, I can also do that.  Just get the full part number.  Not sure how MTH handles turn ins with direct customers.  G

GGG, I got a call from Midge at MTH yesterday and she said  no parts were available any  longer for this engine.

Ray

This is the one thing i don't like about this hobby. You pay big bucks for a engine only to find out you can't get parts for it when something breaks or wears out. You would think that  in this day and age this would not be possible. I hope somebody will fix this problem.

It is almost two decades old.  If we pass a law mandating that all train suppliers stock spare parts for all products within the last quarter century, how much will prices have to go up for them to continue to be profitable?

There is a solution.  Actually there are several - gear cutting is not yet a lost art.  We had a guy here cut a gear for a K-Line Berk, and it is still going (sadly, he isn't).

And NWSL has complete gearboxes - ball bearing - on the shelf.

I realize it's old but i have a few new engines that parts are not available either. Getting a gear made sounds like a good solution. Also keep your gear box's repacked on a regular bases.

I am on the lookout for possibly an O scale guy who can cut gears or might have some spares that would work.  A close friend of mine who is both scale and tinplate says I shouldn't give up on this engine.  O scale guys are used to rebuilding engines.  Not that it matters but this engine was proto 1 that I had upgraded to proto 2.  I think MTH remade this engine in Proto 2 which would not be as old and might have interchangeable parts but I'm not holding my breath.  MTH did not mention anything like that.

Ray

Ray that is possible, You may want to contact MTH again and speak to a repair person.

In the olden days it made more sense to use stock components than to cut your own.  Boston Gear was one source.  They have become very expensive, and the move to overseas production means that gears are cut for each project.

However, I am finding that gears for Diesels (we wear them out with regularity) can sometimes be interchanged.

Your first step is to remove the axle gear.  Once it is in your hands, take it to somebody who knows gears and see if you can find out what it is - they have names for gears sort of like names for screws.  Order a new one from NWSL or Boston Gear or some Korean gear manufacturer and press it on.  It might be cheaper to eBay the locomotive and get a PS-2 version, but not nearly as educational or fun.

Your next area of inquiry should be how to pull, press, and quarter.  Best of luck.  One of these days I will buy a stripped gear 1-700E or a Lionel GS-2.  I will go with NWSL.

I offered to do this.  I don't cut gears, but I can press on and off and look to use a PW gear.  G