lionel 623 switcher buzz noise

[Anonymous]

I just recieved a Lionel 623 switcher i purchased off ebay. I have very little experience running postwar engines. I was drawn to this one because i remember running my dads 623 long ago. My question is when the engine is running in either direction there is a buzzing noise. It also buzzes when in neutral. Is this normal? if so what is it? Is there a way to make it stop, or is it just a quirky characteristic of a 50+ year old engine. Either way my son loves (Me to) running it.[:)]

[tcripe]

The buzz you hear is most likely from the mechanism that allows the motor to reverse and go forward, the "E" unit. If you do a search on this and other O gauge boards, you will find several hints on how to quiet the noise, but many don't find a little buzz that annoying.

[msacco]

The buzz is just part of the whole postwar experience. I would just leave it alone.
By the way the 623 is a phenomenal engine. Smoth running, nice heft, and extremely reliable.

Mike Sacco

[andregg1]

Hi
It is normal....but, I don't know because in all F3 the e-unit is quiet and in some gp-7 is noise. So somthing is wrong I thing. You have some ways to fix, one is mechanical, electronic or economic. I prefer the last one buy a new electronic reverse unit by QSI for $40 aprox..
Andre.

[tadowler]

I have a 623 also and the buzz you are hearing is from the e-unit. It did not bother me as a kid but when I got it out of storage last year (sat in storage for 15 years) the buzz was too much and I quieted it down by adding a bridge rectifier.

If you want to completely get rid of the buzz, add a electronic e-unit. Dallee makes a nice unit for ~$40. I plan to do this with my 623 later on this summer.

- Todd

[Frank53]

I have a 621 and encountered the same problem. I had it repaired and it still has the original E-Unit and runs nice and quiet now. To echo above, they are fantastic runners.

[SPFan]

The volume of the buzz seems to vary from unit to unit. Some can be pretty annoying. For most the sound of the engine running on the tracks drowns out the E-Unit. You don't need to replace the E-unit with an electronic one but you can add a 2 dollar diode bridge in line with the E-Unit windings to reduce the volume by about 95%. Just locate the fine enameled wires for the coil only. Then wire the plus and minus terminals of the bridge to these wires (polarity is not important) and connect the AC terminals of the bridge (sometimes mark like ~~) to the terminals that the coil wires were removed from. The train motor still receives AC, only the E-Unit gets DC. Adding a 1000 mfd 30 volt capacitor across the coil will reduce the hum even more. You will have to match plus and minus to the bridge though.

Pete

[Anonymous]

I found this to be a bit easier to do in bulk, but just get a pack of small size diodes at radio shack. Solder them inline with the begining of the coil and after the coil. One with the arrow facing towards the coil, one with it facing away...kazaam, instant rectifier. at a whole 30 cents maybe. I just buy packs of these, and do all my loco's. Its much better for it too. My nect project is to move them to the feed side for the tumbler on the e-unit so i can wire the light in DC...it'll last longer, and be brighter. I do it with christmas lights every year.

[trigtrax]

All e-units Buzz but the volume you hear can vary depending on what the e-unit is attached to and how tightly the sheet metal parts are swaged together. Good rule to follow if it's working ( foward,neutral,reverse) don't fix it.
If you really need to tighten it up look on the flat sides where you'll see small rectangular slots with the edges of the cross pieces coming through. You can tap the indented parts of these edges with a center punch to pull the unit together.
With all the upgrade electronics being sold used mechanical e-units are readily available from parts guys.

[Anonymous]

Our point was tho, rather than a pulsing current to a solenoid, it will flucktuate in its magnetic field, thus causeing some buzz sound, and if it is switched to DC, this sound is cut down dramatically,