Hello, i have a S4 ALCO swither in CN paint scheme manufactured by Lifelike. I was working on it this PM, and during that time, one of the wormgears fell on the floor in my garage and bounced right out of sight. I have looked high an low and cannto find it back. My question is if anybody would have such a part availalbe for me or if they know where i could get one. Your help will be much appreciated,
If it's a life like proto 1000 is a copy of athearns drive so it will work but if it's a 2000 I think it would work an athearn gear should work too. You can buy the gears from athearn, ebay or find a parts locomotive.
Posted from ipad.
This may seem frivolous but I'm serious. Being an inveterate Dropper Of Tiny Things, I have developed this method of search: turn out all the lights so the room is as dark as possible, then turn on a bright flashlight and set it on the floor so that the beam shines parallel to the floor. Turning it the same way you'd "spin the bottle", only very slowly, will bring into brilliant relief every marker light, every 2-56 screw, and every tie spike you every dropped, along with every dead bee and dustspeck that has accumulated under benches and cabinets. Your gear is down there somewhere. It has to be. I would give this a try. Good luck.
-Matt
Returning to model railroading after 40 years and taking unconscionable liberties with the SP&S, Northern Pacific and Great Northern roads in the '40s and '50s.
Matt - your method works and I purchased from Micro Mark (but now have learned it is available from other sources perhaps cheaper) a mirror plus LED light that is on the end of a telescoping rod (almost like the very old fashioned radio antenna on cars). I don't always find what I am looking for but I always seem to find something
Dave Nelson
Had a worm gear roll off the bench once. Found the gear right away but the bronze bearing was nowhere to be seen. Did the flashlight thing. No good. After about an hour of sweeping the floor and going through stuff under the bench, still nothing. Disgusted. I shut the lights off and retired upstairs. While taking my shoes off something hit the floor. Yay!!!! Found it!!!! Must have been stuck in the top of my shoe.
Pete.
wrench567Did the flashlight thing. No good. After about an hour of sweeping the floor and going through stuff under the bench, still nothing. Disgusted. I shut the lights off and retired upstairs. While taking my shoes off something hit the floor. Yay!!!! Found it!!!! Must have been stuck in the top of my shoe.
I've got some spares that came out of the Life-Like P2k FA-2. I don't know for sure if it is the same assembly that is used for the S-4.
Proto_gear-6 by Edmund, on Flickr
Maybe I'll check later. I suppose it is time to open up my S4s to relube them anyway.
Send me an email with your address if you want a couple.
My go-to when searching the floor is to suck up everything into a cordless hand-vac (Hoover for you Brits). I can empty the dustbin and sort through the rubble and most times I'm successful.
Vacuum_DC by Edmund, on Flickr
Regards, Ed
Thanks Mat, i wll try this. I knwo irt ahs to be there, but so does the sock in teh dryer :)
Hey Ed l compared the photo with the other one in the engine, and they are close but not the same. Thanks though, much appreciated.
Keep searching dont give up please keep trying