I'm not much an HO guy, but I'll try my best here. I have a 70's Tyco 4015 Santa Fe F9. The problem is that it sits in one spot with the wheels turning and doesn't go anywhere, even without a load. I replaced the traction tires and it still doesn't help. The motor is also ridiculously loud, it just doesn't sound right to me. Is there any common issues with these?
Trevor
You're sure the wheels are turning? Tyco's drive unit was known for loosing and/or stripping gears. The small pancake motor was very bad about loosing the small metal gear that fit on it. Normally I would suggest you replace the traction tires but you stated you already did that. The center weight is in place? What I would do with a unit like this is to remove the Tyco trucks and the center weight and put in an Athearn or Model Power F unit drive.
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
Your locomotive is kind of old, so I doubt that anyone is still using them.
One thing that you can check for is if it has a rubber band drive. You can tell if you look at the wheels and it looks like the axles are of a large diameter and usually black. It may be that the small rubber bands that power the wheels are all gone. If you can turn the wheels by had with no power, chances are good that it either does have a rubber band drive or something is broke inside.
The next thing to do is take the shell off and start trying to see how it is supposed to work. You may be able to turn the motor some by hand and see if everything moves and is connected.
You should be using DC voltage for running this locomotive and not AC. AC will make it just sit there and buzz.
You said the wheels are turning. . . there could be something keeping the wheels up off the track. I assume that you are using HO track. It could also be worn out so much that the wheel bearings are shot and letting the loco chassis or fuel tank sit on the track stopping it.
Elmer.
The above is my opinion, from an active and experienced Model Railroader in N scale and HO since 1961.
(Modeling Freelance, Eastern US, HO scale, in 1962, with NCE DCC for locomotive control and a stand alone LocoNet for block detection and signals.) http://waynes-trains.com/ at home, and N scale at the Club.
The weight is in it, I'm using a DC transformer, and the track is Bachmann EZ Track
tjl0824 The weight is in it, I'm using a DC transformer, and the track is Bachmann EZ Track
Probably the gear problem, if the motor runs and the traction tires were repalced. They won;t move very well if at all with the traction tires are missing since there's a grove in the wheel for the tires.
I had 2 sets of these when i was a kid in the early 70's, and both of them had a growl to them, even when new. Built in sound, before sound decoders! The silver bonnet set was quieter than the blue and yellow, but both turned to more like a tortured gear shriek at high speed, despite fresh lubricant on the gears and bearings. Nature of the beast, by that time Tyco was Consolidated Foods and far removed from the Mantua quality of the 50's and early 60's.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
There's also an actual Tyco forum:
http://www.tycoforums.com/tyco/forum/default.asp
There could be answers there.
Ed