Reply to "NWSL plastic gearbox housing opinion"

swrrOGR Forum Member

bob2 posted:
Not true - housings were always plastic. The first gearboxes were just ordinary plastic, and if the solid worm bearings were not broken in ahead of time the heat would melt the plastic. Easy to break in with toothpaste.
Ball bearings took care of that problem. Then Raoul went to glass-filled plastic. Seemed stronger, but strength was never an issue.
Then the new owners went back to the non-filled plastic. Still ok, but the dimensions suffered at the axle bearing. Easy to fix with a #J drill wrapped with sandpaper. Do it by hand until the opening clamps the axle bearing symmetrically with no gap.
NWSL is my standard gearbox. I have installed dozens - I prefer the 653-6 and routinely replace Lobaugh and Max Gray boxes with this or the metric equivalent.

Bob2,

Thanks for the education on this matter. I read in O Scale News where you tested the NWSL gearbox out for something like 8 hrs/ day for 3 years before failure at the San Diego Model RR Museum?

2/12/206:22 PM

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