Niagara 6024 Gear (plastic) goes belly up!

Would nwsl have a similar gear for replacement in brass?

Thanks. We'll look into that. Didn't know of them before.

 

"NorthWest Short Line is the world's premier maker of wheelsets, gearboxes, replacement motors, tools, and other products for the advanced railroad modeler. NWSL offers the widest selection of high quality model railroad upgrade and repair products since 1959."

Whoa, Chuck keep us posted on how you make out. I have replaced the universal joint in mine with one from Stock Drive Parts (SDP). They also sell gears. The trouble is figureing out what pitch the orginals are. The guy at NWSL is pretty knowledgable and may have found gears for this engine before. He responds to emails though it may take a few days.

 

Pete

You could sell it for parts and go with the MTH Niagara being reissued in new road numbers later this year or early next year.

Who was the MAker?  Lionel,MTH, Williams they have all made Niagra's

I tried to find them, I don't have any part numbers for the individual gears. The part number for the gearbox doesn't come up and the Lionel parts list says not available. Usually if Lima has it, Lionel will say.

Do you have part numbers for the gears?

Thanks,

I did just find 6208069506 and 6208069507 which are gears large and small and have a part number that is similar to the gear box 620-8069-034

That looks promising, rather get brass ones, but this gives me hope...

OK. I ordered these two gears and we shall see if they are the ones . I do intend to pursue the brass ones too...maybe send the busted gears to NWSL and use the gears when these plastic ones quit...if they are indeed the right ones. 

You know, MTH has a lot of nice engines, but I have a hard time getting past the Lionel Legacy, etc. to order one. I do like all their 20- cars and cabooses and have a few of them. I don't think I want to run DCS and Legacy both.

I notice that there is a suggestion on the forum to put 2 RAIL at the beginning of the 2 RAIL for sale posts...I would also like an MTH or Lionel at the beginning too.

Chuck, These should be correct according to the description at Lionels site.

 

6208069506  GEARBOX GEAR / LARGE / NYC NIAGARA #6024  $5.00 Available from North Lima Trainworks

 

I would suggest using a teflon grease as its less likely to affect the nylon.

 

Pete

 

I  really like my lionel one. But they really need to remake this engine in legacy with smoking whistle !

Hey that's great! I completely missed that you could buy the gears, while not the gearbox. I did order those from Lima.

Thank you Pete and Bob Karas for pointing me in the right direction.

So Teflon better than say moly? I have both but it looks like moly was in there from the factory. Will go with the Teflon I think.

I think I would like it too...it's not my engine, a train club friend's...but it'll be good to see it with all the screws installed

The trouble with nylon is it ages and gets brittle. Petroleum products speed up that process. I am not sure teflon grease completely eliminates petroleum but I think it may have the least of the common greases. Silicone like dielectric grease may not have any but I have no idea how well it would lubricate.

 

Pete

Hello cjack..........

 

I have bought gears and wheel sets from NWSL for to do gearboxes changes on my H.O. brass steam locomotives in the 1980's and they are good.  I think you can send the worn out gears and gearbox to NWSL and I think they can make new gears for it. Try that as you have nothing to lose.

 

the woman who loves the S.F.5011,2678,2003,200

Tiffany

 Its the perfect candidate for a  legacy"rehash". It hasn't been done in 13 years, has a host of issues that could be corrected, and it looks and sounds fantastic.

 

Instead we get alternating choices of berkshires and mohawks every couple years

 

I get so close to buying one of these, then a thread like this reminds me not to.

Can you post a picture of this engine? Thanks.

What????? You mean you have never seen photos of New York Central Niagaras?

http://train-station.com/cgi-b...694.html/SID=9978703

 

Thank you for that link. I have seen pictures and always wanted one. I got so many other engines I forgot about it. I just ordered an older 2 rail Niagara now. I don't think it has the smoke deflectors? I may have to get some.

 I wanted to compare Lionel's version to 3rd rail's.

 

 

 

Joe, the 3rd Rail version has the best detail. MTH would be second in the detail department. Lionel's would come in 3rd. They all run well but the Lionel is weak in the gearbox and U Joint, both being plastic and subject to failure.

If you have a 3rd Rail model odds are 3rd Rail will not have smoke deflectors but Lionel shows them in stock. Being diecast they are a bit thicker than the brass ones but you should be able to fabricate mounts for them.

 

Top Lionel, Bottom 3rd Rail

Pete

Marty, do you have both of the gears in stock? 6 months ago Lima only had one of them. NLA at Lionel.

 

Pete

None.  This is a Lionel photo and is stocked by North Lima as mentioned earlier in this post.  I was always a fan of that engine and could never step up with the 2 chuffs.  I would not want to modify a classic as this engine is.  I currently have the MTH and hopefully we will see this engine in Legacy.  I know many people who will buy one.  

https://www.lionelsupport.com/...55-8273-459eba514c2a

and this one?

I see they list the deflectors as well. I book marked the page for when it arrives. Thanks!

Chuck,  I have 2 Lionel Niagaras, and although I have had no gear problems yet, I have had to rebuild 1 driveshaft. I too would like to see NWSL make a replacement gearset for this locomotive. I would buy a couple of sets just in case rather than have to relegate these locomotives to permanant shelfqueen status.   Earl G.

I noticed that I didn't follow up on this repair. I did get the gears from Lima, put the engine back together, and it runs well. I did use synth Teflon grease. So we shall see how that does.

About the same time Chuck posted this another friend was doing a repair on his Niagara gearbox. I didn't act right away but a few months later I tried to order a pair of gears from Lima. Their website said both gears were in stock but after ordering I got a message on my answering machine that only one remained. Anyone who has tried to contact Lima knows this is a hopeless task. The message on their answering machine says they don't pick up the phone. There is no real email address, only a comment box on the ordering page.

My intent was to send the gears to NWSL and have them try and match them.

My friend says its a real PITA to get to the gears so I haven't taken mine apart to get to them. Right now it runs so I will wait until they break. 

Who knows, maybe Lionel will make a Legacy version and use metal gears in the same gearbox.

 

Pete

Chuck,  When you had the gearbox apart, do you remember the material used for the worm and for the gear mounted on the driver axle and was there any wear on this gear?     Earl G. 

They were both brass and I remember there was no wear. The only gears to change were the plastic gears which had some chunks out of them.

Here are some pics I took...I don't see the worm, but this is what I found...

 

and I took a few pics to document where stuff went...wiring, etc. When I was done, I had a bracket that went nowhere until I looked at the pic of the motor under the circuit board. So the pics helped.

The gears and worm gear had brass washers or shims on both ends of the shafts. I noted those and put them back where they came from.

Great work Chuck! Sure glad you put that mess back together! 👍

he guy at NWSL is pretty knowledgable and may have found gears for this engine before. He responds to emails though it may take a few days.

 

Really, I have been waiting for a response for over a month about my Lionel Class A. No response, nothing at all.

Scott Smith

Glad I found this thread.  I, too, have replaced the plastic u-joints after they failed, as I found on another thread.  The information concerning the gears in the drive box is very helpful... another reason for this forum, helps out so many.  Many thanks to all of our fellow O Guage members.

I failed to state how well the engine does run....hmmmmmmm...  and it really looks great pulling all the milk cars I have for it, 18 in total, with the NYC CCII caboose in the rear.  Yes, I have both Lionel, MTH along with other makes, but changing, have changed, a lot over to ERR TMCC and RS.

I had good luck contacting them to get replacement 2 rails wheels for my Lionel cars w/ spinners. That was a few years ago already.

 I think it's time for you to call them to check up on whether or not they have something for you. Once you make contact, the emails could follow up.

Maybe he doesn't know what a "Lionel Class A" is?

You can buy precision metal gears from Stock Drive, both metric and American.  I would suggest you replace the plastic stuff with metal.