Trains.com

Subscriber & Member Login

Login, or register today to interact in our online community, comment on articles, receive our newsletter, manage your account online and more!

Intermountain F3A - Whining Sound

2083 views
18 replies
1 rating 2 rating 3 rating 4 rating 5 rating
  • Member since
    February 2008
  • 8,877 posts
Posted by maxman on Friday, January 14, 2022 12:35 PM

Ah, hoist by your own petard.

  • Member since
    September 2004
  • From: Dearborn Station
  • 24,281 posts
Posted by richhotrain on Friday, January 14, 2022 11:07 AM

I went down to the layout this morning to take a video so everyone could hear the whine. I put the loco up on rollers so it would run in place, making it easier to shoot the video without chasing a moving train. Wouldn't you know it, no whining.

So, I removed the rollers and let the loco move forward, pulling the passenger car consist behind it. Wouldn't you know it, it whined.

Nuts, I did what I hate to do and that is to remove the shell. That is one of my most dreaded model railroading tasks. But, I got the shell off without damage. I ran the loco on the mainline without the shell. No whining.

Upon closer examination, I noticed that back when I installed the Loksound Select, I added a piece of electrical tape around the back of the speaker baffle. Why I did that, I do not recall. I removed the electrical tape, replaced the shell, and the whining went away. So, my guess is that it was vibration, not a mechanical whining.

Rich

Alton Junction

  • Member since
    November 2005
  • From: Phoenix, AZ
  • 693 posts
Posted by woodone on Friday, January 14, 2022 10:15 AM

There was some problems with a humming/wine noise with some of the early ESU selects. But the OP said it did not do this frome the start, so I would be looking for a dry bearing (bushing) some place. Might even be in the worm drive bearings.

 

  • Member since
    September 2003
  • 21,669 posts
Posted by Overmod on Friday, January 14, 2022 10:00 AM

F3s are Roots engines, not turbo; the whine is different and would be masked by the exhaust note at speed.

Check the commutator and brushes.

It occurs to me that this might be laminate noise if the decoder is using a high PCM switching frequency.  You might detect this with the motor out of mesh with the drive but connected to the decoder for test -- load the shaft with something like a fingertip if needed.

  • Member since
    November 2005
  • From: Phoenix, AZ
  • 693 posts
Posted by woodone on Friday, January 14, 2022 8:58 AM

Use a good quality oil. Look for the motor bushings to lube. Will only take a small drop. Too much oil will just attract dirt & grime.

  • Member since
    September 2004
  • From: Dearborn Station
  • 24,281 posts
Posted by richhotrain on Friday, January 14, 2022 6:02 AM

wrench567
 

It sounds like a motor or truck bearing run dry. Just a drop is all you need. Don't drench it. Might as well do the B unit too.

      Pete 

Yeah, I have been thinking that as well. 

Last evening, I was reading up on how to remove the shell which is pretty straightforward, so I will do that today. 

Rich

Alton Junction

  • Member since
    May 2020
  • 1,057 posts
Posted by wrench567 on Thursday, January 13, 2022 10:31 PM

maxman

I hear a whining sound around here sometimes.

I think it’s saying “I wanna go to Florida”.

 

  Funny. The whining I hear is "It's freezing"

   Rich.

  It sounds like a motor or truck bearing run dry. Just a drop is all you need. Don't drench it. Might as well do the B unit too.

      Pete

 

  • Member since
    February 2008
  • 8,877 posts
Posted by maxman on Thursday, January 13, 2022 9:24 PM

I hear a whining sound around here sometimes.

I think it’s saying “I wanna go to Florida”.

  • Member since
    September 2004
  • From: Dearborn Station
  • 24,281 posts
Posted by richhotrain on Thursday, January 13, 2022 7:49 PM

woodone

This winning was there right at the get go of the install?

No, it seemed to develop much later.

Rich

Alton Junction

  • Member since
    November 2005
  • From: Phoenix, AZ
  • 693 posts
Posted by woodone on Thursday, January 13, 2022 7:23 PM

This winning was there right at the get go of the install?

  • Member since
    September 2004
  • From: Dearborn Station
  • 24,281 posts
Posted by richhotrain on Thursday, January 13, 2022 4:23 PM

richhotrain
 
Mark R.

Pre-V5 ESU decoders would have a noise associated with the BEMF that was annoying with some motors. Try turning the BEMF off completely and see if the noise goes away. Set CV49 to 18 to turn it off and CV49 to 19 to turn it back on.

That will either answer that aspect or not.

Mark.  

Thanks, Mark, I will try that. 

Rich 

CV49 was set to a value of 19, the default value. I changed the value to 18, but that made no difference. I am going to have to remove the shell and see what I can see.

Rich

Alton Junction

  • Member since
    September 2004
  • From: Dearborn Station
  • 24,281 posts
Posted by richhotrain on Thursday, January 13, 2022 3:33 PM

Mark R.

Pre-V5 ESU decoders would have a noise associated with the BEMF that was annoying with some motors. Try turning the BEMF off completely and see if the noise goes away. Set CV49 to 18 to turn it off and CV49 to 19 to turn it back on.

That will either answer that aspect or not.

Mark. 

Thanks, Mark, I will try that.

Rich

Alton Junction

  • Member since
    September 2004
  • From: Dearborn Station
  • 24,281 posts
Posted by richhotrain on Thursday, January 13, 2022 3:32 PM

BigDaddy
 
richhotrain
I wonder if I could post the sound? 

Make a youtube vid with your phone 

OK, I will ask my tech savvy wife for assistance. If that fails, I will turn to my 12-year old grandson.

Rich

Alton Junction

  • Member since
    December 2015
  • From: Shenandoah Valley
  • 9,094 posts
Posted by BigDaddy on Thursday, January 13, 2022 3:22 PM

richhotrain
I wonder if I could post the sound?

Make a youtube vid with your phone

Henry

COB Potomac & Northern

Shenandoah Valley

  • Member since
    April 2004
  • From: Ontario Canada
  • 3,574 posts
Posted by Mark R. on Thursday, January 13, 2022 3:13 PM

Pre-V5 ESU decoders would have a noise associated with the BEMF that was annoying with some motors. Try turning the BEMF off completely and see if the noise goes away. Set CV49 to 18 to turn it off and CV49 to 19 to turn it back on.

That will either answer that aspect or not.

Mark.

¡ uʍop ǝpısdn sı ǝɹnʇɐuƃıs ʎɯ 'dlǝɥ

  • Member since
    September 2004
  • From: Dearborn Station
  • 24,281 posts
Posted by richhotrain on Thursday, January 13, 2022 2:28 PM

tstage

Rich,

Is turbo somehow engaged on the Select decoder?  Does it get louder the faster you go?  Or does it sound more like a mechanical whine?  Maybe the motor bearings?

Tom 

I'm not sure if the loco whine get louder as the loco goes faster. I will check that. It does sound like a mechanical whine. I wonder if I could post the sound? Not sure how to do that.

Rich

 

Alton Junction

Moderator
  • Member since
    June 2003
  • From: Northeast OH
  • 17,249 posts
Posted by tstage on Thursday, January 13, 2022 1:10 PM

Rich,

Is turbo somehow engaged on the Select decoder?  Does it get louder the faster you go?  Or does it sound more like a mechanical whine?  Maybe the motor bearings?

Tom

https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling

Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.

  • Member since
    September 2004
  • From: Dearborn Station
  • 24,281 posts
Intermountain F3A - Whining Sound
Posted by richhotrain on Thursday, January 13, 2022 11:09 AM

I have an Intermountain F3AB consist - HO scale. When I first bought it new a few years back, I installed a Loksound Select Decoder (sound) in the F3A and a Digitrax DZ143PS non-sound decoder in the F3B. Recently, I notice that the F3A makes a "whining" sound - - not a screech or whatever, but a whining sound when in motion.

Any ideas, thoughts, comments?

Rich

 

LokSound Select
Digitrax DZ143PS

Alton Junction

Subscriber & Member Login

Login, or register today to interact in our online community, comment on articles, receive our newsletter, manage your account online and more!

Users Online

There are no community member online

Search the Community

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Model Railroader Newsletter See all
Sign up for our FREE e-newsletter and get model railroad news in your inbox!