"Most folks don't even know this extra shaft exists and it needs a drop of lube just like the axles. It's hidden behind the spokes of the powered axle. This gearbox design is used in many legacy locos and the reason I'm reconsidering some tmcc versions of legacy models I have....before it's too late."
Anyone know if the gear box needs to be disassembled on the K4 in order to lube the extra-shaft, or how to lube it?
Its interesting how this all developed. K-Line's scale K4 was a marked improvement in a scale K4...at least visually speaking. I recall vaguely back in those days we were at the cusp of the "Slow Speed Wars" - and while MTH developed PS2.0 and Lionel developed Odyssey, K-Line and 3rd Rail were left developing their own system...TAS came out with EOB and K-Line started with reduction gearing and I think then developed their own electronic speed control system...although I am not sure about that. I remember buying one of those early K-Line K4s with elephant ears...a real nice model but the sound system was a bit off. Then, they came out with a real nice scale Hudson.
