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Help...locomotive not working right

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  • Member since
    July 2005
  • From: Northeast Missouri
  • 869 posts
Help...locomotive not working right
Posted by SchemerBob on Thursday, November 17, 2005 9:35 AM
I have a Lionel Santa Fe FT locomotive with RailSounds. Recently, the locomotive has been straining. It works fine in reverse, but when you put it in forward the locomotive jerks back and forth while it moves and then really strains around curves. When you take the engine off the track and move the wheels, the back truck wheels are locked, but the front ones roll almost freely (which I don't think they're supposed to do). I took the wheels off the base and on the front truck, the gear which runs from the motor to the wheels is worn. The one on the back truck is fine. So I think I may have a stripped gear. I think it might be because the back pickup shoe which runs along the third rail hasn't been bouncing back into its usual position when I take it off the track, therefore making the front truck work more and wear out the gear.

Have any ideas? Can it be something I can fix, or do you have to take it to be repaired? I have never had any problems with a Lionel engine until now.
Long live the BNSF .... AND its paint scheme. SchemerBob
  • Member since
    October 2004
  • From: Millersburg, Pa.
  • 7,607 posts
Posted by laz 57 on Thursday, November 17, 2005 9:45 AM
BOB,
I have a ROCK Island GP9 that has a Pullmore motor in it. Those motors need to be lubed with a few drops of oil every now and then. It sounds like the same problems I had. If you have the Pullmore motor then just add 2-3 drops of oil on top where it is marked oil here.Hope this helps
laz57
  There's a race of men that don't fit in, A race that can't stay still; Robert Service. TCA 03-55991
  • Member since
    October 2004
  • From: 15 mi east of Cleveland
  • 2,072 posts
Posted by 1688torpedo on Thursday, November 17, 2005 9:51 AM
Hello Bob! Sounds like you will need to call or e-mail Lionel on this one. The front motor is doing all of the work while the rear motor is doing nothing which, resulted in a stripped gear. Your best bet would be to send it back to Lionel.
Keith Woodworth........Seat Belts save lives,Please drive safely.
  • Member since
    July 2005
  • From: Northeast Missouri
  • 869 posts
Posted by SchemerBob on Thursday, November 17, 2005 10:46 AM
Thanks for the help!! I called a Lionel service center and they said they could repair it, so I'm going to send it down. Thanks again!
Long live the BNSF .... AND its paint scheme. SchemerBob

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