Help...locomotive not working right

[SchemerBob]

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.

[laz 57]

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

[1688torpedo]

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.

[SchemerBob]

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!