Does a little engine growl bother you???

[RedLeader]

I have a trio of bachmann gp-40s,and when they run is like being inside a Trent-800 jet engine!!! Everyone in my house knows I'm running my trains! The growl my athearns doesn't bother me at all, in fact they sound very diesel to me.

[orsonroy]

I don't mind growl on model diesels. It's sort of like a poor man's sound system. Diesels DO sorta sound like an unoiled Athearn from time to time.

With my steam, I want as quiet a drive as possible, because steam DOESN'T growl! I'd rather have no noise come from my steam than incorrect sound! Besides, now that BLI has hooked me on onboard sound, I want quiet steam drives so I can add sound later.

[Anonymous]

Oh my god their is a train coming.....no it's my friends set of U.P. SD40-2's trying to pull up sherman hill on his layout.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by AggroJones

Recent BLI locomotives don't growl. The A class and J1e have a low whirly sound. All steam after them ran a little smoother and quiter (mabey a different motor). Their Es run just like every other high end plastic deisel.

Thanks for the info Aggro. BLI's new Santa Fe 3751 4-8-4 is the one I'm drooling over. [:D]

[cisco1]

METRO-sounds like the same things I'm experiencing with Athearn and P2K. Have got one GP30 in particular that makes an odd popping noise at low speeds. Its been apart twice now and no sign of flash or binding. Think I'll give AntonioFP45's advice a try. Will let you guys know how things go. Thanks for posting!
Chris (cisco1) Lee[:D]

[METRO]

I like to hear my engine's voice. Be it the low growl of my Athearns or the nearly silent whirr of my Katos. If the engine's got something to say I wanna hear it. This is probably why I haven't installed sound into any of my units yet, the growl has always been part of the hobby for me and I've grown a bit attached.

My P2Ks and P1Ks make some of the oddest sounds sometimes. On more than one occasion I pull them to a hasty stop and pop their tops and run tests only to find that there is nothing at all wrong. go figure

~Urban

[AggroJones]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Snake

My layout isn't finished yet so haven't run any locos since the mid-'80s and don't remember whether they "growled" or not. However, I agree with John Busby and AntonioFP45, a properly lubed, correctly adjusted loco, I would think, shouldn't growl.
For those that have engines that growl, have they growled since you first ran them?
I would like to buy a BLI engine. Does anyone know if they "growl" when running?

Some un-repowered Athearn units still have a low growl even when properly lubricated. The noise quiets down to about half after lots of run time (about an hour). Most of the Athearn growl comes from the open frame motor.

Recent BLI locomotives don't growl. The A class and J1e have a low whirly sound. All steam after them ran a little smoother and quiter (mabey a different motor). Their Es run just like every other high end plastic deisel.

[Anonymous]

The normal Athearn growl is a bit much, especially once you get a few Stewart, Atlas or Kato units running. Just makes the Athearn sound worse![:0]
In addition to Antonio's recipe for noise reduction, getting rid of the stock Athearn sintered metallic wheels and replacing them with nickel silver wheels from Jay-bee and others will also cut the noise.[:D] The noise is from the rough wheel material rolling on the rails, the n-s wheels roll much quieter. Plus they don't seem to collect dirt as easily, so you can go farther between engine wheel cleanings![;)]

[Budliner]

QUOTE: Originally posted by John Busby

Hi all
Yes the growel does bother me it usualy means something is wrong or hasn't been properly lubed or worse the loco is worn out and due for a refit.
They should run just about silent for a good quality loco and even some of the El cheapo's manage to be rigged for silent running.

same

[easyaces]

QUOTE: Originally posted by easyaces

It does'nt bother me at all, and i think a little growl from a lashup of 2 or 3 loco's sounds pretty good. The majority of my fleet are Athern loco's and they all have a bit of a growl to them. Sounds pretty awesome when they are pulling 60 or 70 cars up a slight grade![:D]With the exception of a Kato SD-40 and a Bachman F40PH are the only 2 locos I have that don't.

[Jetrock]

Real diesels make lots of noise--so I don't mind if my diesels make noise. On steam engines or electrics it might be a little distracting.

[Anonymous]

A little or some does not bother me.

A lot of harsh noises, you betcha.

---jps

[AntonioFP45]

Hey Amigos,[:)][8D]

Part of the reason that many of us don't like the "Athearn Growl" is that it's a symptom of the locomotive's performance being affected, due to poorly meshing gears and/or vibrating drive train components.

Some of you may be already aware, but a helpful "treatment" for the Athearn growl is the Pearl Drops toothpaste method. I learned it from Cmarchand. Take your time when performing this. [:D][8D][^]

[1] Disassemble the trucks, carefully clean the gears of any burs or flashing. With a moist toothbrush, apply the Pearl Drops generously into the truck gears sides and teeth.

[2] Reassemble and run the locomotive for 1/2 hr. at a medium speed, non stop. Disassemble the trucks and flu***he Pearl Drops off of the gears. Use warm water and a clean, soft toothbrush. Lightly lubricate the gears with an oil specifically made for model locomotives and reassemble. The unit should be much quieter.

[3] Worm Gear: Shim the end with KaDee #209 washers. Check and make sure that after shimming it's not "too tight".

[4] Driveshafts: Remove and "CAREFULLY" apply a small dab of a thick grease at the end point where each driveshaft connects to the yoke on the truck tower. This will help with the "freeplay" that some shafts exhibit as they turn when you "throttle up".

At first, I was a little skeptical until a few months ago when I visited Cmarchand and he demonstrated an Athearn GP9 and a U33B on his track. Both of these units were over 25 years old and were classic LOUD "Growlers". I was floored at how much quieter they ran! Noise levels were quieter than P2K units. [swg]

I'm going to do this to every single one of my Athearns, older Atlas units and my two Model Power E7s when I go on summer vacation. Hopefully some of you will find time to try this method sooner. Please write back with your results. If they're good, other Athearn owners may be encouraged to do this. [4:-)][tup]

[Anonymous]

A little growl doesn't bother me, as long as it is not so loud that it is completely unrealistic.

I just wi***hey would make a little more noise while they idled. [:)]

[Anonymous]

My layout isn't finished yet so haven't run any locos since the mid-'80s and don't remember whether they "growled" or not. However, I agree with John Busby and AntonioFP45, a properly lubed, correctly adjusted loco, I would think, shouldn't growl.

For those that have engines that growl, have they growled since you first ran them?

If the transmission or rear-end assembly on my car was growling, I'd check it out to see what was the matter. As an x auto mechanic and quarter mile racer I would be concerned if a loco didn't run smooth and quiet. Properly aligned, adjusted and lubed gears shouldn't growl. The only noise I would expect to hear is a little hum from the electric motor.

I would like to buy a BLI engine. Does anyone know if they "growl" when running?

[Anonymous]

Hi all
Yes the growel does bother me it usualy means something is wrong or hasn't been properly lubed or worse the loco is worn out and due for a refit.
They should run just about silent for a good quality loco and even some of the El cheapo's manage to be rigged for silent running.
the only sound that should be heard is an allmost unhearable whir of the motor
or the sound system.
regards John

[CP5415]

Not at all. I love the fact you can hear them work without an expensive sound system.
I like the quiet locomotives I have as well, My Athearn RTR P42 is extremely quiet compared to my BlueBox ones.
But hey, that's only my opinion.

Gordon

[AntonioFP45]

My newer generation Atlas units as well as my Stewart Hobbies F7 are incredibly quiet and and can creep as slowly as the prototypes. Apparently, tight meshing precision gears do make the difference.

I used to like the "growls" to a degree, but now with the availability of quality, accurate sound with Soundtraxx decoders, I would rather have the locomotives not growl as it would detract from the prototype sounds.

[Anonymous]

I've got a GP38-2 that growls like a mean bull dog.

[AggroJones]

The few Athearn units I run are the only deisels with a growl. P2K, P1K, and Genesis run darn near silent. The signature Athearn blue-box noise is fine. I don't mind the sound. Its like a sound system you can't turn off. Gives them more character.

[mondotrains]

Hey Jeremy,
I own several Kato, Atlas, Proto 2000 engines that run very quiet. In fact one of my Proto 2000 engines is so quiet my friend dubbed it "the nuclear powered" engine. I also, as some of the other guys have responded, like some growel however, sometimes that great sound is due to flash on the gears which while it sounds good, will cause the engine problems at slow speed, such as stalling. I guess it's like everything else in life....there is compromise.

Happy training!
Mondo

QUOTE: Originally posted by JeremyB

I agree with you 100%, I have a question though? I don't own a Kato or a really expensive loco but do they have a growl to them also or are they dead quiet?
Thanks.

[tomwatkins]

For what it's worth, my Stewart FT's and P2K GP-7's are much quieter than my Athearn Genesis F-3's. The F-3's have a growl that is very noticeable. It's not loud enough to be objectionable but it's definitely there.
Have Fun,
Tom Watkins

[JeremyB]

I agree with you 100%, I have a question though? I don't own a Kato or a really expensive loco but do they have a growl to them also or are they dead quiet?
Thanks.

[easyaces]

It does'nt bother me at all, and i think a little growl from a lashup of 2 or 3 loco's sounds pretty good. The majority of my fleet are Athern loco's and they all have a bit of a growl to them. Sounds pretty awesome when they are pulling 60 or 70 cars up a slight grade![:D]

[pmsteamman]

Nope, not one bit. My father has some of the old Hobbytown of Boston Alco FAs, now talk about growl, they make a mama bear sound like a kitten.

[JeremyB]

Hi guys

when you guys run your trains does it really bother you If the engine has a little bit of a growl to it? For me It doesn't I mean the real thing makes a bunch of different nosies.

hope to hear some feedback

Jeremy