modelmaker51 wrote: This is not Walthers fault. The cracked gear problem turned up in LifeLike's early production runs (the first half dozen or so models including the GP-7/9 & GP-18 - same drive). If yours is from a newer production run then it is not likely the same issue. Walthers will replace the gears with new ones that don't crack or you can pay for the Athearn ones.LifeLike did fix the problem, but models from the early production runs are still turning up all the time, Walthers, to their credit has been honoring the warranty replacement of these parts since their takeover of LifeLike.Your problem sounds more like a decoder problem. If you can, try to listen closely to determine whether the noise is coming from the trucks or the motor, remove the shell if possible.
This is not Walthers fault. The cracked gear problem turned up in LifeLike's early production runs (the first half dozen or so models including the GP-7/9 & GP-18 - same drive). If yours is from a newer production run then it is not likely the same issue. Walthers will replace the gears with new ones that don't crack or you can pay for the Athearn ones.
LifeLike did fix the problem, but models from the early production runs are still turning up all the time, Walthers, to their credit has been honoring the warranty replacement of these parts since their takeover of LifeLike.
Your problem sounds more like a decoder problem. If you can, try to listen closely to determine whether the noise is coming from the trucks or the motor, remove the shell if possible.
Do you think it may be a decoder problem when I press F8 for mute? I don't think so as the noise is the same with sound on or off ( but I do have to retune some CV's, no doubt there ). I'll replace sloppy gears ( yes sloppy not cracked ) with NWSL gears made by NWSL and learn to stay away from what some of these companies call "Good Deals", of course I could keep buying NWSL gears for with their prices and the so called savings on these "Good Deals" I'd still be saving money even if I bought the locos at a discount dealer. Also both these engines are suppose to be the latest of the P2K GP7 Phase 2 locos. The looks are good, the sound sounds good but the gears..............oh well.
Wadda ya mean I'm old ? Just because I remember gasoline at 9 cents a gallon and those big coal burning steamers.
Jay
C-415 Build: https://imageshack.com/a/tShC/1
Other builds: https://imageshack.com/my/albums
Have two HO Walthers P2K GP7 Phase two locos with sound ( QSI ) running by a Zephyr and a digitrax UT4 controller. Locos must pull a 3% 18 degree S-curved grade of about 7 ft. up and 5 feet down ( one 22 degree curve on downhill grade at 3% ) with 10/15 cars both 40 and 50 ft. Both locos have CV's # 3 & 4 set to 70 for a very real slow start and stop all other cv's default ( will set volume down later when other prob fixed ). Both locos have a growl on both up and down curves but yet the coupler in between locos is always at no slack so I don't think one loco is pushing or trying to out pull the other ( could be though ? ).
Being confused by this growl I emailed "Northwest Short Line" and was told that the W/P2K GP7's used "CLONE" Athearn gears and only the axle gears required replacement- the rest of the Athearn "Clone" gears are not troublesome.
before I send for the gears I just wanted to know if any of you have had any such problem and what did you do to correct it.
Thanks in advance.