Good Morning, Crew! I spent some time at the bench yesterday and put my older Proto GP7 with an 8-pin DCC module on a test track hooked up to my NCE Powercab v3. Right now I have a loco number assigned, default values set, and next up is to do some other programming. The problem that I'm having is the loco making a high-pitched sound when connected and I can't figure out what it is. The module isn't equipped for sound, so I'm at a complete loss as to what's causing it. Any ideas?
Russ
Modeling the early '50s Erie in Paterson, NJ. Here's the link to my railroad postcard collection: https://railroadpostcards.blogspot.com/
Hi, Erie
I've torn down and reworked dozens of L-L/Walthers Proto engines of all kinds over the years. When I'm done, I am certain that every bearing in the motor and drive line has been cleaned and lightly lubed with the best lubricants I have available. This is usually associated with a gear replacement and decoder install/upgrade. Some of my L-L engines are over twenty years old.
I have had some instances of the whine you are refering to. It seems especially prevalent when the engine is drifting or actually being pushed down grade by the inertia of its train.
The only thing I can narrow the sound down to is the motor brushes. I had one particular loco that seemed to have this problem more than others and I carefully removed the brushes, blow some canned air into the housing, lightly cleaned the commutator with some contact cleaner on a microbrush wrapped in lint free cloth poked into the brush holder, very lightly sanded the brush faces with crocus cloth wrapped around a small dowel, then reassembled after checking the brush springs. I don't remember but I might have taken a little of the spring tension out.
That seems to have cured the whining geep. Hope that helps,
Regards, Ed
Is the sound when it's running, or just sitting still on the rails?
If it's when running - Ed is right, it's the bearings, probably the ones in the motor more so than any of the others, the high pitch indicates a high speed, and if it was bearings further downt eh drive line, they get slower witht he gear reduction and you get more of a squeek squeek sound as the loco rolls down the track.
If it's when still at step 0 and not moving, that is likely a decoder setting. Or if it whines on step 1 but isn't moving yet - that's the motor control TRYING to make the motor turn.
Then there's the high pitched buzzing you get putting a loco that has the motor connected directly to the pickups on DCC powered track - but if that were the case, the loco wouldn;t run at all on NCE. Some systems can run a loco like that using address 00. But it still buzzes, badly depending on the motor - Athearn BB locos with their loosely assembled motors and the magnets not glued in can be really bad.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
Couple things...first we generally say "decoder", not "module".
If the engine is old - like Life-Like Proto vs. more recent Walthers Proto - it may be it has an older decoder in it. Early DCC decoders emitted a high-pitched whine all the time. Most of those decoders quit being made 10-12 years ago, I think most all recent decoders (might be an exception or two) are 'silent'.
If you're not sure what decoder model in in there, I'd open it up and check. If you have another, more recent, decoder, I'd maybe plug that in and see how that works. If that works silently, it's most likely it was an older noisy decoder causing the sound you heard.
Thanks, Guys! Yes, the loco is making that sound when just sitting on my foot-long test track. And I do believe it's the decoder. (my error, sorry, not "module") I'll be checking it out later on today to make certain it's not the motor. BTW, it is a 10-12 year old model.
wjstixCouple things...first we generally say "decoder", not "module".
In Europe and UK they like to say that the locomotive has been "chipped". Took me a while to sort that one out.
rrinkerIf it's when still at step 0 and not moving, that is likely a decoder setting. Or if it whines on step 1 but isn't moving yet - that's the motor control TRYING to make the motor turn. Then there's the high pitched buzzing you get putting a loco that has the motor connected directly to the pickups on DCC powered track - but if that were the case, the loco wouldn't run at all on NCE.
I programmed (or tried to) the decoder using the NCE default settings and it doesn't run on step 1. This is okay because it will get a new decoder later on down the road. What I'll do is remove the existing decoder, bench test the motor, give it a lube job, and run it for a few hours to see if any problems come up. Thanks, Randy!
I spent some time at the bench this afternoon working on the Proto GP7. First, I removed the old decoder. Then I hooked up straight DC power to the unit and it wouldn't run. After removing the trucks and drive, I ran a test on the motor and it runs smoothly and quietly. I opened up one of the trucks to check out the gears and they are packed with a heavy grease. When I just roll the truck on my bench top, the wheels and gears turn, but there seems to be a point where the gears bind up. I'll degrease the gear housing and follow the advice of modelers here by getting a set of the A-Line gears.
Erie1951When I just roll the truck on my bench top, the wheels and gears turn, but there seems to be a point where the gears bind up.
Sometimes the crack opens wide enough to jam the mesh of the other mating gear. Routine replacement is part of any old Proto tune-up.
The Athearn 60024 gears will also work fine if you can't find the A-Line ones.
http://www.athearn.com/Products/Default.aspx?ProdID=ATH60024
gmpullman Sometimes the crack opens wide enough to jam the mesh of the other mating gear. Routine replacement is part of any old Proto tune-up. The Athearn 60024 gears will also work fine if you can't find the A-Line ones. http://www.athearn.com/Products/Default.aspx?ProdID=ATH60024 Regards, Ed
Sometimes the crack opens wide enough to jam the mesh of the other mating gear. Routine replacement is part of any old Proto tune-up. The Athearn 60024 gears will also work fine if you can't find the A-Line ones.
Thanks, Ed! When I'm at the bench again, I'll pull the gears and check them out closely. A-Line has the gears in stock, so I'll be ordering them after Christmas.
Even if they aren't currently cracked, if you are taking it apart to clean out old grease and lube it properly, repalce the gears. if they aren't yet cracked, they eventually will be as you use the loco, so might as well fix it before a problem happens. Of the two I have witht he most run time (many hours at the club), one had a cracked gear when I got it, the other was fine. I repalced the gears in both, and even with hours and hours of running, an hour or more continuously each time, I have not had any reoccurence of the issue.
Do get an NMRA standards gauge if you don;t have one - you'll never get the wheels and axle stubs in the gears proeprly without one.
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rrinker Do get an NMRA standards gauge if you don't have one - you'll never get the wheels and axle stubs in the gears proeprly without one. --Randy
I'll have to get another one now that I'm back into HO. Thanks, Randy!
Erie1951 I spent some time at the bench this afternoon working on the Proto GP7. First, I removed the old decoder. Then I hooked up straight DC power to the unit and it wouldn't run.
I spent some time at the bench this afternoon working on the Proto GP7. First, I removed the old decoder. Then I hooked up straight DC power to the unit and it wouldn't run.
If your engine has a green light board with an eight-pin receptacle with a decoder plugged into it, and you removed / unplugged the decoder, the engine won't run. You need to replace the decoder with a 'dummy' plug, plugged into the eight pin receptacle. Without it, the power being picked up from the wheels has no way to reach the motor or lights.