Proto 2000 Loco – Clicking & Split Gear Problem - DCC Short Circuit

[Bre2tSco2t]

Our Proto 2000 GP30 Loco is causing a short circuit on our DCC layout. More details -> http://www.nmra.org.au/Hints/P2K/P2K.html
Can anyone help me locate replacement parts? What other solutions have you tried? Any help would be great here. This loco has less than 2 hours on it. We would really like to get it running.

Thank you in advance, [8D]

Bre2tScott
Where Life is nothing but FUN!

[rolleiman]

You Might try Walthers, they own lifelike now... -OR-, see if you can put your hands on a junker athearn f-7... Your repair suggestion says they are about the same wheelsets. I know one thing, if this is a 'common' problem, I won't soon be buying anymore P2K diesels... [censored] Made in China quality shining through again...

Jeff
[soapbox]

[michealfarley]

I've replaced most of my P1K & P2K axle gears with Athearn parts. The Life-Like ones just seem to crack and lose their grip after a short time.

The short-circuit may be the axle halves touching each other inside the cracked gear. Disconnect each truck and set it on the rail by itself. If that causes a short in your system, then you know it is limited to that truck. If not, then it's in the motor/frame assembly. Check to make sure that the wire running from the bottom of the motor to the decoder isn't grounding out on the frame. Also make sure that none of the wires or motor clips is in contact with the weight.

[Bre2tSco2t]

From what I have been able to find on other forums, Proto (Life Like) has fixed this problem. No newer Loco's have this same problem, at least that is my understanding. Does anyone know different?

My problem is getting replacement trucks or some old Athern to get some off of. The nearst LHS is 100 miles and he doesn't like my money. So mail order is my only hope of finding some parts.

Bre2tSco2t
MGB - Where Life is nothing but FUN!

[Anonymous]

After having either the gears split or the circuit board crap out (or both) on every P2Krap loco I've ever owned, I'd say yes, it's a very common problem[:(!]

I'm dubious of claims that the problem has been "fixed" - seeing how the locos I bought were different models purchased over a five year period, and people even today are still reporting the same problems...they can't all be "old stock" as some of Lifeless-like's cheerleaders around here would like to have you believe.[banghead]

[Anonymous]

We had the same problem. Called LL and they sent out replacement parts for free, no questions asked... Probably because it is such a common problem.

[michealfarley]

I have had problems with locomotives as recent as the RS-11 release about a year and a half ago.

[grandeman]

QUOTE: Originally posted by rolleiman

You Might try Walthers, they own lifelike now... -OR-, see if you can put your hands on a junker athearn f-7... Your repair suggestion says they are about the same wheelsets. I know one thing, if this is a 'common' problem, I won't soon be buying anymore P2K diesels... [censored] Made in China quality shining through again...

Jeff
[soapbox]

Jeff, I gotta disagree. The P2K diesels are fine running, nicely detailed models. The gear can be changed in about 2 minutes. As for the short, make sure none of the axles are touching and remove the shell to check for a pinched wire. Could you possible have a bad decoder? We've had that happen before.

[Anonymous]

The clicking or thump-thump- thump sound as the engine is running especially around curves stems from the plastic axle on the wheelset being cracked. The crack will be hairline but all the way through the axle. If you can twist the wheels with very little force you have a cracked axle. Also if you have trouble keeping the wheels in guage this is probably the case The axle/wheelset is a common item available from athearn and are inexpensive. You might want to use the athearn axle center with the proto wheels since they are of better quality. One thing 4 sure: you paid too much for the engine for it not to run right. If the hobby shop is close take it back for an exchange .

[rolleiman]

QUOTE: Originally posted by grande man

QUOTE: Originally posted by rolleiman

You Might try Walthers, they own lifelike now... -OR-, see if you can put your hands on a junker athearn f-7... Your repair suggestion says they are about the same wheelsets. I know one thing, if this is a 'common' problem, I won't soon be buying anymore P2K diesels... [censored] Made in China quality shining through again...

Jeff
[soapbox]

Jeff, I gotta disagree. The P2K diesels are fine running, nicely detailed models. The gear can be changed in about 2 minutes. As for the short, make sure none of the axles are touching and remove the shell to check for a pinched wire. Could you possible have a bad decoder? We've had that happen before.

WIth the exception of the PAs I didn't say they didn't run well. I own several, every Waba***hey've made (GP7, SW, E7, E9, PA), MANY other E-8/9s, I won't part with my Rock Island Rockets and my CB&Q black zephyr scheme SD7/9 is here to stay as well.. I even have a pair of the original GP18 in N&W scheme.. I know somewhere around here I have one of the original release Santa Fe E9s.. However, None of them have more than an hour of run time and if they are commonly failing after a couple or few hours, it doesn't speak very highly to me of overall mechanical quality. I've not yet experienced the OPs problem..... yet... Yes, I'll agree, for the money, the detail and paint are fantastic. Certainly not what I would have expected from the lifelike of the old days. But mechanically, they can't touch the Katos or the Kato driven Atlas (yellow box). The only real problem with that statement is that Kato has never offered the diesels I want..

The P2K rolling stock is great too although putting one of the tank cars together is like [censored][censored][censored][banghead]....

People can say what they like about the Athearn BB RTR engines but I've dropped one or two on the cement floor, picked them up, put them on the track and they've run fine. Albeit sometimes a little cracked looking..

Once while trying to retrieve one of my Atlas GP units from a dead (hidden) track, it took a nose dive off of the table onto the concrete floor.. Not a test I'd care to repeat but it too, still runs fine.. Broken coupler is all that happened to that one..

Now that Walthers has taken over the line, will they still be made in the same factories?? Will replacement parts for such failures still be available? Or how about suitable replacement parts from Athearn?? Regardless of how fine they look, if they don't run they aren't worth much... to me anyway..

Trains are far from my only gripe regarding made in china quality but trains are what these forums are about..

Jeff
[:D]

[Bre2tSco2t]

I have put in drive wheels from an Athern Loco and it has fixed the problem. However, this is a temporary fix, because I want my Athern back on the tracks soon as well. I have found a place to order the Athern Drive wheels, but I would rather try first to get Life Like to replace them for free. I have be unable to pull up their website for weeks. Does anybody have a Phone number for Life-Like to get replacement wheels?

Thanks in advance,
Bre2tSco2t
MGB - Where Life is nothing but FUN!

[grandeman]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Bre2tSco2t

I have put in drive wheels from an Athern Loco and it has fixed the problem. However, this is a temporary fix, because I want my Athern back on the tracks soon as well. I have found a place to order the Athern Drive wheels, but I would rather try first to get Life Like to replace them for free. I have be unable to pull up their website for weeks. Does anybody have a Phone number for Life-Like to get replacement wheels?

Thanks in advance,
Bre2tSco2t
MGB - Where Life is nothing but FUN!

You'll have to call Walther's.

[Anonymous]

NWSL has replacement parts. And they are much better then the stock ones.

A friend of mine had the EXACT same thing happen.

[kansaspacific1]

QUOTE: Originally posted by samart

NWSL has replacement parts. And they are much better then the stock ones.

A friend of mine had the EXACT same thing happen.

Don't know the part number, do you? Thanks!

[Bre2tSco2t]

I sent email to Walthers. They are trying to get all the Life-Like stuff in now and hope to have all their stock by middle of October. I have to contact again to see about the new drive wheeles. I am going to hold out for free replacments. No since buying new ones when the orignals didn't last.

Bre2tSco2t
MGB Where Life is nothing but FUN!