Lionel 197 Radar Tower Issues

Not much goes wrong with the vibrating motors except for worn/aged washers which are inexpensive and easy to replace. The replacement part number is 3530-48 and available from many of the reputable parts suppliers.

But would a worn out washer make it so darn loud? I understand if it would not turn. Just double checking before I tear it apart.

Vibrator motors run an AC current and will have a 50/60 cycle hum to them. Having a washer that has aged and hardened may amplify this, but on the other hand, you shouldn't expect complete silence.

To set your expectations, here are some videos:

Yeah, mine doesn't turn near that fast or that quiet, I will order a new washer and replace that and see if that fixes it. I will let you guys know what happens!

Thanks

Your voltage may be set too high.  Sometimes "less is more"..

The hole in the center of the electromagnet, where the pin on the radar head goes, could be gunked up.

People like to put oil or grease in there. Dirt collects, the lubricant gets gummy, and poor or no performance results.

When I get a 197 or anything similar on my bench, I use a close fitting drill bit to clean out the hole. Sometimes with a little mineral spirits to help.
Do not put the bit in a drill or motor tool. You do not want to enlarge the hole.
I use my fingers or a pin vise to turn the drill in the hole, and slide it in and out without twisting.

Also clean off the pin.  (Hopefully it is nice and straight).

By the way, this is a place where I would almost certainly be using a wire gauge (number) drill.
I purchased a decent set of number drills (1 to 60) a long time ago. I use them quite frequently.

I have a several vintage rotary 494 beacons; to get a nice slow turn of the beacon, I run them as close to 8+ volts as possible; at startup, they do not rotate, but after a few minutes they do.  Replacement bulbs, beacons, and washers are plentiful on the Bay.  I have replaced all the washers on them.  The nubs on the ones I got from Lionel are smaller than the nubs on some aftermarket ones but both types work.  The ones with the longer nubs take more voltage to turn the beacon.

That 494 above wiqqles like a 394...I think most of the noise is due to the plastic structure vibrating.. My re-issue of the control tower is loud,  I used to have a micro wave tower.  I would add a weight to the front of it to help balance the screen.  I found that the screen tended to lean back when on the tower, a sure sign it was out of balance...

Marty