6-28069

The bad new is the gears do stink.  The good news is I believe Lionel has replacement gears now in stock.

Lionel does have the brass replacement gears and they are dirt cheap. Replacing them is a chore though and paying someone else to replace them can get expensive. Ask if the gears have been replaced and if not try and get a discount.

Pete

Good locomotive if you weed through all the problems,….many threads dedicated to this model,…search Century Club II Niagara and that should yield you a plethora of information,….if planning on a DIY project, be prepared to gut a tool box like a fish …lots of stuff to take apart…..she’s a good runner when all tuned in and fixed up,…just a wee bit fidgety to get there,…

Pat

thanks to all who replied.you all scaring me.i do not have the knowledge of engine repair

@kranky posted:

thanks to all who replied.you all scaring me.i do not have the knowledge of engine repair

That Niagara is a tinker’s delight. For some of us, the rebuild is part of the enjoyment of the hobby,…..if fixing up or repairing isn’t your cup of tea ( no harm, no foul )  I’d suggest either the VL Niagara, or the MTH Premier Niagara,….both are good runners usually straight out the box,..

Pat

thank you.visionline is out of  my paygrade and since I don't have DCS I kinda stay away from MTH engines.not meant as criticism.the one mth proto engine I have is a beautiful beast.some day the whole MTH situation will settle.seems to be a soap opera to me.and I saw certain DCS items aren't compatible.

If can you find a CC Niagara for under 500 bucks it would likely take another 200-250 to fix its flaws and you would end up with a fine engine. Besides the gears the driveshaft should be replaced. Some of us use at least three different solutions but all are bulletproof. Then there is the fragile cab apron. Again there are fixes but the best require fabricating a new one. The one on the Vision Niagara is stronger but they apparently never made extras to repair the old engines. Finally paint flaking off the drivers. Merely cosmetic and easily fixed. And two chuffs with continous smoke. This also can be addressed in multiple ways.

Pete

Most of the ones on eBay are around $900 which they shouldn't be. If they have been fixed and upgraded I could understand, but most are used and a few new. Maybe a dealer or two has some, but expect the price to be above $600 or better. I think that is what I have seen them around.

Pretty much all prices are high these days. I was able to get one for less than 500 bucks including shipping and sales tax just 6 months ago. Might just have to wait for the train shows to start up again.

Pete

@harmonyards posted:

Good locomotive if you weed through all the problems,….many threads dedicated to this model,…search Century Club II Niagara and that should yield you a plethora of information,….if planning on a DIY project, be prepared to gut a tool box like a fish …lots of stuff to take apart…..she’s a good runner when all tuned in and fixed up,…just a wee bit fidgety to get there,…

Pat

Ain't that the truth? If you're going to take one of these apart to fix the mechanical issues I hope you have good spatial awareness and can remember where all the screws go........

Not to beat this poor CCII Niagara to death, but as many of us know, this thing is a p*** poorly engineered toilet from a service stand point,…hence why Pete mentioned it can be expensive to have some one replace the gears alone,….However, with that being said, some of us have run the gauntlet making these things better,….if you have your heart set on one, try and nab a good deal, don’t even open the box, and ship it off to Alex M,….he’s mastered those buckets of bolts into a fine machine,….as stated, once the mods are complete, she’s as fine as anything on 3 rails,….don’t let my misgivings deter you,…I fought mine all the way to a complete re-engineer,…🤣🤣🤣

Pat

Yeah, Alex turned mine around in good time and it is basically a Legacy engine.

thank you all, for your kind replies.