Quiet motors For MDC steam locos?

[sparkingbolt]

This worked (!)....Taking a hint from Deschane and NTDN above, I proceeded as follows.
I used a dremel cutting/milling bit* in a drill press to mill out just under 1/16 inch out from under where the motor mounts in the 2-6-0. I clamp the frame of the loco in a drill press vise and simply hand feed the frame into the bit sliding the vise on the drill press table.** I also milled the insides of the frame (upper part of firebox) a little wider so the motor wouldn't be touching them. I run the drill press at it's top speed of 3100 rpm. And hand feed slowly and carefully. You can eyeball this process if you're careful on these soft metals.

Then I used some Scotch mounting tape, that white foam tape 1/16 thick, sticky on both sides, to mount the motor. You have to make sure the lower motor brush has an electrical pickup feed as it's not touching the frame now. This technique will isolate the motor for DCC, by the way. I don't use the motor mounting screw. Just the tape. In fact, the milling process removed the small hole for the screw.

I also put a narrow, 1/8 " strip of this tape along the top of the motor, leaving the green paper on the top surface so it won't be sticky. Now the top inside of the boiler just presses on this so the motor can't lift off the lower strip of tape. This would probably vary on an actual MDC 2-6-0, my loco is actually a 4-4-0 now, using a Mantua 4-6-0 boiler on a modified MDC 2-6-0 frame made in the mid '80s. I called it a 2-6-0 as a reference point for motors.

Anyway, the whole point was to eliminate the motor's metal to metal contact to quiet it down, and BOY DID IT! It isn't silent, but it is dramatically quieter. As usual, it's more quiet, almost silent in reverse. Any suggestions as to why, anyone?

*the head of milling bit is 7/32 around, 1/4 deep.
** feed it handling the drill press vise, HANDS NOWHERE NEAR THE LOCO FRAME OR THE CUTTING BIT. SAFETY GOGGLES OF COURSE.

I have used this tape in loco motor mounting before, as well as adding weight inside hollow freight cars, it works surprisingly well and really holds if the surfaces are clean.
Thanks, Dan

[Anonymous]

Mark, the new versions have an open body motor that is seated in a plastic mount, this reduced the amount of noise it makes dramatically.

Jay

[Anonymous]

When MDC changed these models to can motors, they used a small Sagami can motor. Now, I think they went back to an open frame motor. Email MDC to see if they have recommendations. Another posibility is NWSL, they may have a drop in motor/gear box replacement for your locomotives.

It's my opinion the noise comes from the fact that everything is mounted solid, with metal parts. If a plastic motor mount could be fabricated, I think this would help.

[sparkingbolt]

I have 2 MDC steam engines, A 2-6-0 "Old Timer" and a 0-6-0 Switcher. The open frame motors in these run smoothly enough, but are quite noisy, even to the point of being distracting. Turning the pulse on my MRC 2400 off doesn't help. I have been looking for a replacement motor, especially for the 2-6-0.

Sagami doesn't make a can that will work in the small space within. Has anyone remotored these with success? Thanks, Dan