Hi all. My Lionel HO Veranda Turbine has just started making a thud-thud-thud noise. It appears to be coming from the rear trucks. It's not crud on a wheel, so I assumed a broken tooth or a split gear-wheel. I removed the screws tried to take off the truck bottom cover plate, but it seems to be held down by something else, possibly the pick-up wires. Any help regarding dis-assembly would be appreciated. I live in the UK, so sending the loco back to the States for repair is not viable. Thanks, Barry
Barry,
Sounds like you have a cracked axle gear. I did a few search's and came up empty on info, not even a diagram, which I can usually figure out by looking at it. Have no experience with that engine. You might want to send NWSL (Northwest Short Line) an E-mail and see if they can help you out, they sell many gears, axles, wheelsets etc. Here is the contact info:
http://www.nwsl.com/Contact_Us.html
Good Luck!
Frank
Thanks for the info. I have already contacted NSWL (David there is very helpful) and they have four 'gears' listed for the Lionel Veranda Turbine, so hopefully they have what I need. I've also contacted Lionel, but they cannot help at all! I know they no longer make HO models, but I'm surprised they do not have any service diagrams or information. I will just have to try again, but I don't want to pry/force the cover off and break something. Barry
For anyone who's viewed this post: I managed to take the Turbine apart without any instructions or diagrams in the end. Although it involved a fair amount of work, the actual dis-assembly was quite simple in the end, once I could see how certain components came apart. I've now discovered it was an axle gear that had split. NSWL make all the gearwheels/idlers for the Lionel HO Veranda Turbine. Barry
Glad you got it apart...without mishap and you also know what a cracked axle gear sounds like. Sometimes they will lock up also.
Take Care!
BTW: I should add careful when you install the new gears...if they are split axles, check with gauge and make sure one axle does not go in further than the other..if they touch ever so slightly in the gear, you will have a instant short and you will be scratching your head trying to figure out what is wrong.
Yes, some more information on how the disassembly and installation of new gears ought to be done would be very much appreciated. I am seriously considering buying one of these engines and am familiar with train repairs, but would like to know from someone who's done this successfullly what to do ahead of time. Did you purchase 2469-6 and 2468-6 gears from NWSL? Did you need any others? Thank you. Glad to hear you were able to fix it. Looks like a very fun engine, but with an Achilles heal.