It takes longer to compose this response than to do the actual repair. The shell does not even need to be removed. Just remove the bottom covers off the trucks and R&R the wheel sets. Replace the bottom covers and your done.
Jim
Dr. Frankendiesel aka Scott Running BearSpace Mouse for president!15 year veteran fire fighterCollector of Apple //e'sRunning Bear EnterprisesHistory Channel Club life member.beatus homo qui invenit sapientiam
Hi,
Mark's quote from Walthers agrees with what I was told by them earlier today. By the way, I pulled all 9 of my GPs (from display or box) and found that the 4 GP9s had the problem, but the 5 GP7s did not show it.
I have a set of the Aristo Craft track rollers and put each loco on them for a test. Those with a problem were obvious, and it sounded like they had a flattened wheel (like a Walmart shopping cart), and there was a vibration too.
I wonder how difficult this will be to replace?
Thanks,
Mobilman44
ENJOY !
Living in southeast Texas, formerly modeling the "postwar" Santa Fe and Illinois Central
This is right from Walthers themselves ....
Only Proto locomotives that were equipped with the "584408" geared axle are prone to splitting. These axles would split whether the locomotive was ever run or not, usually right out of the box; however, axles that did not split will not split in the future. This is primarily a problem with the earlier issued locomotives using this axle; the axle has been re-engineered and newer issued locomotives using this axle do not have the problem. The following locomotives are the "only" locomotives afflicted with this problem: BL's, E8's, F3's, FA1 & FA2, GP's - 7, 9-II, 9-III, 18, 20, 30 and 60. Only the axles that have split, 584408, for these locomotives are being replaced for free as a courtesy replacement. No other Proto locomotive is afflicted with this problem.
Mark.
¡ uʍop ǝpısdn sı ǝɹnʇɐuƃıs ʎɯ 'dlǝɥ
SCL1923 wrote: I have a brand new HO Proto 2000 PA and have hardly used it yet. It seems to run fine. What are the tale tell signs of a cracked axle gear?
I have a brand new HO Proto 2000 PA and have hardly used it yet.
It seems to run fine.
What are the tale tell signs of a cracked axle gear?
My experience with the P2K models that failed were the first and second run Geeps, but not the PA's. The basic problem was the axles were too tight in the gear assembly and normal heat expansion would cause them to fail.
If it runs good, the gears are OK.
Cheers
Folks,
I just got off the phone with a gentleman from Walther's warantee unit and he validated the the problem is almost universal with the older GP and other 2 axle P2K units. After telling him I had 9 of them, but they are all in a display case and as not as yet been run, he said he would send enough to fix all of them should they need it.
Frankly, it doesn't get any better than that!!!
Modeling B&O- Chessie Bob K. www.ssmrc.org
The Athearn gears that are direct replacements for the Proto 2000 locomotives are Athearn Part Number 60024, which can be purchased at some local hobby shops or ordered directly from Athearn.
The Athearn gears are allegedly better than the original Proto 2000 gears, but you have to buy them and Walthers will reportedly send free replacements for theirs.
Someone pointed out here the last time this came up that Athearn gears will work as a replacement, I can't remember the Athearn stock no. though but maybe someone here does??
msowsun wrote: Why does Walthers send a complete wheelsets with bearings and gears as replacements? It is quite easy to just replace the cracked gear and use the old wheels and bearings.
Why does Walthers send a complete wheelsets with bearings and gears as replacements?
It is quite easy to just replace the cracked gear and use the old wheels and bearings.
I'd imagine that the complete geared wheelsets come to Walthers that way from the manufacturers. From their point of view, that is the "part" which you can buy. If you have to remove the wheels, remove the gear from the old axle, replace the gear and then replace the wheels, you run some additional risk of breaking parts or ending up with the wheels out of gauge.
Besides, this way you've got some axles and wheels for your parts box.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
This problem occurs only with a specific axle type produced by the old Life-Like company prior to their purchase by Walthers. Larry from Walthers, in an e-mail from last April, explained the whole thing to me:
"The only locomotives that we have seen afflicted with spilt geared axles are those that use the 584408 axle, i.e.: BL, E8, FA1 & FA2, and the following GP series; 7, 9-II, 9-III, 18, 20 30 and 60."
I have a couple of GP-9's, and one of them showed this problem right out of the box. Walthers sent me enough for both GP-9's, free of charge. Send them an e-mail if you have a problem with one of those engines, and I'm sure they'll take care of it.
Walthers is a great company to deal with, in my book.
My observation about the cracked gears is it happens more often when they are stored in non heated or air conditioned places. Hot weather storage in a garage seems to induce the problem sooner than normal storage in the house. The problem is the gears fit too tight on the shaft and they simply break even without use.
I do not have any of those indications.
I just wanted to check because there seems to a lot of talk on this lately.
Both of my P2K GP-30s had this problem. When mine failed I could hear a rhythmic tap, tap, tap. Not unlike a metal wheel being raised and lowered on a rail at slow speeds.
A visual inspection will show a crack running lengthwise on one side of the gear where the axle enters the gear.
You can also turn one wheel easily when the gear is cracked as the gear to axle tension is reduced due to the crack.
The loco will begin to make a clicking, clunking, or thumping sound as it goes down the track -- depending on how many gears are cracked.
Out of over 20 P2K locos I own, the only one that has ever had a cracked gear problem is one of their original BL2 models, so it is not normally something that you're going to need to worry about.