Lionel Long Island RS-3 wobble

Check to see if you have your traction tires intact and they are seated correctly

Must be a K-line or Lionel, LOL!

Its likely the traction tires, they typically get "flat spotted" while the loco is sitting in the box for weeks on its way over here from china. The problem will usually diminish with some run time, I've had badly wobbling diesels spend some time on a shelf resting on the flanges (off the tires) and returned to the track weeks later without the wobble. I'm not sure what type of layout you have but if you can put the top of the track at eye level and slowly run the loco by you may be able to watch were the wheels meet the rail and see it rise and fall with the varying thickness of the tire.

I have the set and noticed the wobble as well. It doesn't seem to be from a traction tire, just that the way the frame is attached to the trucks allows for it to wobble from side to side over the slightest bumps. It is worse coming off of curves, and seems to settle down along straight runs. I think someone had mentioned putting some sort of material in between the trucks and frame to minimize the wobble, but I haven't tried it yet.

this is to bad.i was ready to buy the whole set.a wobbling loco bothers me also.think i'll hold off for a while to see if bayshore finds a remedy for this.

i have quite a few of similiar locos and all are wobble free.i wonder if the LI rs3 has the horizontal motor/motors in the truck?

if so, you might try another motor truck(if you have one) to see if that might help.maybe the truck is defective.

terry.........

I think that the wobble is partly the way the frame is attached to the trucks (too much play there) and partly a problem with the traction tires.  I looked at the traction tires and not only do they look flattened in a couple of spots, they also look deformed in a couple of other spots, kind of lumpy.

I'm going to see if I've got spare traction tires that will fit this loco and swap those in.

I have a hunch that will eliminate a significant amount of the wobble, maybe enough to satisfy me.  

I'll let everyone know how much of an improvement I see (if I can find spare traction tires from another loco that will fit).

Most of these locos with the motors in the trucks do this. I glue a piece of foam rubber on each side of the bottom of the frame above the truck. If you experiment you can find the right place and thickness where it does not impede the truck. If you have the trucks with two little bumps,one on top of each side, glue the foam rubber right above them. I usually use a piece about a half an inch square. Do this to all trucks, even  unpowred. The wobble will go away. The foam can come off but is easily replaced and will not harm anything.

   Ed

I took a closer look at the traction tires on the Long Island RS-3 this morning and as I turned the wheels I realized the reason they looked lumpy was that the traction tires were not put on properly--the lumps were actually just spots where the traction tire was too close to the flange and was riding up, causing what looked like a bump. I straightened out the traction tires and it helped, but the wobble didn't go away, it just wasn't as bad.

I noticed that the locomotive wobbled less while it pulled several cars than it did when running light (not pulling any cars).  I also noticed (and this is counter-intuitive) that when I ran the locomotive at postwar speeds (you know, fast, faster, fastest) there was actually a lot less wobble than when it was running at low speeds, so if I buy the Long Island passenger cars that go with this loco I'll be running it pretty fast when it's not pulling into or out of a station.

If I find that the wobble still bugs me, I'll try to the foam rubber trick that Ed mentioned.

I rec'd this set in mid August. The engine wobbled and I re-seated the traction tires with no success. I was convinced the recess for the traction tires was not machined properly. I got an RGA and sent it back to Lionel. It was returned to me last week with fresh new traction tires. The slip of paper in with the returned engine stated: "replaced lumpy traction tires." The wobble is gone. Apparently there is a batch of lumpy tires associated with these engines.

It has one small horizontal can style motor in the truck. It pulls all 5 cars well.

Many of this type of loco will have a wheel(s) pressed off center on the axle. But you have to run the engine slow and at eye level to find which one it is.