@CAPPilot posted:I have two that I run double headed, and I hope that helps reduce the strain on them so they last longer. At least there is a fix. Thanks Pat!
I can’t see double heading them preventing a failure…..the condition exists due to the way the bushing on the back side of the worm wheel rides up against the intermediate shaft bushing that is pressed into the gear box casting ( ie; the frame) …..the worm wheel’s bushing is being ground against that shaft bushing, ……both are so tiny, they can’t help but to wear one another out, and then the gear and the shaft walk to one side, and thus resulting in the worm wheel and the worm gear not making solid contact, but rather just on the edge, …..then it’s curtains….if the damage isn’t severe, the fix will restore it, but if the damage to the worm wheel is severe, then the chassis is scrap,…….for comparison, I looked at MTH’s compound gear box design used in Premier articulates, ….it’s nothing like the Lionel version,…..way more robust, with giant bushings to keep the idler centered,…..
Pat
