Looking For Advice BLI N&W Class A Cracked Gear

[FlyingScotaman]

Can anyone advise me of whether or not it's going to be feasable to replace this cracked gear, please? Unfortunately it's one of BLI's early designs where the axles are held captive in the frame so I can forcast this being quite the job! Also I've sent a parts request to BLI but I haven't had a response yet but I am thinking that these gears will be of a standard size - maybe?

 

Any thoughts would be apppreciated.

 

[gmpullman]

In my situation I had cracked gears on two, Pennsylvania I1s. BLI offered to replace the gears if I sent them the wheelsets, which I did and they returned them in about three weeks with new gears pressed on to the axles.

FlyingScotaman

Unfortunately it's one of BLI's early designs where the axles are held captive in the frame

All I had to do was remove the brake rigging, then the bottom cover. Once the crank-pin screws were removed (carefully keeping the spacers and eccentric crank in line) the driver lifted right out.

I see, after looking at your second photo, that yours is a little more involved to remove 

If BLI does not respond or can not help, NWSL would be the next choice for trying to locate the proper gear.

https://nwsl.com/pages/contact-us

Of course, under the present constraints, any responses from these vendors are subject to backlogs and delays.

Good Luck, Ed

[selector]

If it's a BlueLine or Paragon version, you may be out of luck.  I contacted them two weeks ago about my Paragon Niagara's headlight.  It failed.  Other lights work.  They replied that they no longer have such parts for dated models.  

You might hope that the axles and drives haven't changed much and that they'll be able to help you.  It's such a great model with tons of pulling power.

[FlyingScotaman]

Agreed it's a great model. I had one of the originals in the very early 2000's but sold it when I broke up my layout. When I saw this one with the roller bearing cranks I couldn't resist. I could tell it was quite an age as it is indeed a Blueline but that doesn't normally affect me as if my models ever run I still use straight DC. In fact I am sure most people hereabouts will be amazed to hear that my first job was to disconnect the speaker and use the supplied DC jumper plug! As you say they are great pullers so it can - I don't doubt - do enough for me using only the rear engine as it has traction tires. There's just something that bugs me about having 6 powered axles and only 3 of them working in reality and of course the notion that such a weak link should be so obnoxiously hard to get at. Still, I only paid $250 for it and outwardly it looks as though it's never been out of the box. Although judging by the gearboxes this isn't the case as the previous owner seemed to think a gallon or 2 of the cheapest oil would do the job! Thanks for your reply.

[FlyingScotaman]

Thanks for your reply. Yes I had thought about NWSL although I thought there had been some big changes over there recently. Or am I just imagining that? Their website is down to a degree at the moment, but possibly that's as much to do with the current situation as anything. TBH I'm not holding my breath with BLI, I've never had the greatest of times getting a response from them in the past and I mean going back 15 or so years. Not that I am slating them at all, 90% of the stuff I have had from them has been spot on and let's face it they've changed the face of the hobby much for the better over the years with the models they've produced.

[FlyingScotaman]

Thanks for your replys. I did post individual responses but they haven't been passed by the moderator. Maybe it was because I used the quick reply function. But thanks again.

[Mheetu]

I had thr same issue with crack gears last year with an ATSF 3751 that from the Paragon series.  The cracked gear on my model was at the tower shaft.  I contacted bli and they told me the same. But i went and looked at there online manual for the paragon 3 atsf 3751 and notice the tower shaft gear and design look the same. I put an order in for the gears and install it on my paragon 1 locomotive and it worked.  You might want to try that. 

[FlyingScotaman]

You're did better than me to even get a reply :)

I had thought of that actually. In fact I imagine that the gears are the same on quite a few of their drives going from memory when I have been digging around in there.

Thanks for your thoughts.