Lionel TMCC EM-1 Drive Shaft Repair

Ron, Ideally someone with both engines could tell you for sure. I was able to find replacements for the Lionel Niagara from a few other sources though so if the Lionel part won't work I am sure you will be able to find a substitute.

The EM1 driveshaft is a telescoping one while the Niagara has a simple non telescoping one. Both can be had from Stock Drive Parts. I ended up using ones I found on ebay for a few bucks. Telescoping ones are there as well. They are used in many RC vehicles. 

Pittman motors have 4mm diameter shafts. I suspect the shaft diameter on the worm shaft is also 4 mm. It just a matter of finding one with the right length.

With luck someone can answer your question for sure and provide a simple solution.

Pete

I believe it was Trainworx Mike Reagan who implemented the em1 drive shaft fix when he was at his" old job".

He was even repairing them for a resonable fee.

You may want to get in touch with Mike and he can assist you with the necessary parts and /or repair.

Here's a recent thread containing contact info for Mike:

https://ogrforum.com/...-of-a-product-repair

Looking at Lionel's website, the worm gear on the drive shaft appears to be different.

Here's the drive shaft for the Legacy EM-1:

 

DRIVE SHAFT W/ WORM GEAR / REAR / EM-1 / LEGACY

By the way, a simple way to fix the coupling if it comes loose is to knurl the end of the shaft and press the coupling back on using an appropriate tool. I think it was after about six years of heavy use that the coupling on my TMCC EM-1 came loose; after the coupling was fixed this way (by the late Mike Moore of Trains and Toys of Yesterday in Morton Grove, IL), I've continued to run the engine heavily for another 11 years and counting.

The TMCC EM-1 has terrific detailing, fantastic sounds, and runs great. It could pull out tree stumps. I've been running mine heavily for 17 years, and it still looks, sounds, and runs like a champ. It remains my favorite engine in my fleet.

Cheers!

Keith

Lionel is currently no longer taking non warranty repairs.

That $20 repair note was the work of Mike Reagan as I stated above.

Its a really super simple fix fellas. Take a small drill bit (size the bit to the size of a small screw you having in your miscellaneous screw draw). Drill a hole through the coupling and partially into the steel drive shaft (that the worm gear is mounted to). Then put the screw into the hole, so it goes completely through the coupling and partially into the drive shaft. Problem solved forever. This is what the $20.00 covered! 

Easy Peezy!
Mike

Actually, I have run the wheels off mine and for some preventative maintenance used some super glue for a quick fix as well.

The issue I had was not the axel slipping in the universal... the weak link of the drive is the U joint yoke. It likes to crack and once it does the engine will run erratically at slow speeds.

There is no replacement for this part, but I was able to use the U joint from the 1999 Allegheny as a fix. Its a tad shorter at the motor end, but I was able to move the motor mount closer and all was good.

J Daddy posted:

Actually, I have run the wheels off mine and for some preventative maintenance used some super glue for a quick fix as well.

The issue I had was not the axel slipping in the universal... the weak link of the drive is the U joint yoke. It likes to crack and once it does the engine will run erratically at slow speeds.

There is no replacement for this part, but I was able to use the U joint from the 1999 Allegheny as a fix. Its a tad shorter at the motor end, but I was able to move the motor mount closer and all was good.

 

This is the issue with the Lionel Niagara U joint. It breaks at the yoke. If someone has one these early EM1s and is willing to measure the U Joint I can see if there is a commercial one available. Otherwise one could be fabricated with standard U joints and some square brass tubing.

Dimensions needed are the shaft diameters and end to end length with the engine on straight track. For length include total length including the piece the section mounted to the worm fits into.

Pete

I did the drive shaft repair on my circa 2000 EM-1.  The shaft was in pieces when I received the engine from an online auction so definitely needed the fix.  I drilled a hole and was able to thread in a small screw without tapping the hole.  Took a bit of time but worked fine.  Please email me off list for more details if you like.