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My Lionel 2005 6-14588 Santa Fe F3's frame is falling apart from zinc pests. I though this was a thing of the past that was resolved in the 1940's. What's bad is Lionel does not have the part, North Lima has the part but I cannot get them to ship me one and they do not answer the phone. I do think Lionel should take responsibility for this problem as it should not happen in todays world. Now it make me wonder how many other time bombs I have from them just waiting to fall apart. The frame warped so bad it broke the inside posts that hold the cab in plus broke the plastic.

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Argh! That is a real bummer. You may want to contact Mike Reagan at Trainworx. He has friends that can help find these modern era parts.

I have had little to NO help from North Lima.

What is really disturbing is I have over 11 different A-B-B-A sets with different road names from this era.

And yes one day its fine and the next day its garbage...

Why can't Lionel stock these parts?

 

RJT posted:

I tried calling North Lima and also got no answer. It is as if they don't want to sell parts or don't care. I have the 6-1171-1 Set from around 1990 Era and guess I need to inspect it when it gets unpacked. This set has not been run in close to15 years.

The only way I have ever gotten anything is to simply place the order online and hope its in stock. Never had them pick up the phone and if you get the answering machine the first thing it says is we don't call back. Same for emails. The reply button is broken. Most bizarre outfit I have ever dealt with.

As for your engine, it has a totally different frame. Likely not affected.

Norton posted:
RJT posted:

I tried calling North Lima and also got no answer. It is as if they don't want to sell parts or don't care. I have the 6-1171-1 Set from around 1990 Era and guess I need to inspect it when it gets unpacked. This set has not been run in close to15 years.

The only way I have ever gotten anything is to simply place the order online and hope its in stock. Never had them pick up the phone and if you get the answering machine the first thing it says is we don't call back. Same for emails. The reply button is broken. Most bizarre outfit I have ever dealt with.

As for your engine, it has a totally different frame. Likely not affected.

I filed a complaint with PayPal to get my money back. Why did Lionel sell there old parts to a company like this? It really does not make them look good.

RJT posted:

I tried calling North Lima and also got no answer. It is as if they don't want to sell parts or don't care. I have the 6-1171-1 Set from around 1990 Era and guess I need to inspect it when it gets unpacked. This set has not been run in close to15 years.

WOW.  The Lionel 11711 was issued in 1991.  It was featured on the cover of the December CTT magazine and contained a detailed 3-page review.  I remember that set well because after buying that magazine and reading the review my first O-gauge purchase was that very set.  I got the set in January of 1992 and could not set it up until after Thanksgiving as the only place to run it was under our Christmas tree.

You could purchase just the engines (msrp $640) or the A-B-A set with five Santa Fe passenger cars.  MSRP: $1,600.

 

Lionel 6-11711 Santa Fe F-3 ABA Diesel Engine Set

Last edited by SantaFeJim
MDuppy posted:

My Lionel 2005 6-14588 Santa Fe F3's frame is falling apart from zinc pests. I though this was a thing of the past that was resolved in the 1940's......

 

The so-called zinc pest was not just in the distant past, but in recent decades it has arisen in a few cases after companies move production to China. In the the instances where it has been reported, it has been due primarily to improper metallurgy mixes in producing diecast metal by contractors in China. There have been some cases of that happening with MTH and K-Line and Atlas O, but not that many cases reported with Lionel, to my knowledge. 

RJT posted:

I have the 6-1171-1 Set from around 1990 Era and guess I need to inspect it when it gets unpacked. This set has not been run in close to15 years.

Those engines are completely different, and share nothing in common with those referenced by the original poster. Also, they were made in the U.S., not China. There's never been a zinc pest problem reported with these engines that I've ever heard of.  I don't recall problems being reported with any modern era American-made Lionel F-3s, for that matter.

(Norton - just saw your post. I understand now what you were saying, and of course, you're right.)

Last edited by breezinup

I just checked mine, they are same as the OP, 14588, and they appear to be OK. I guess time will tell.

Rick there are many versions of F3s, the frames on the Legacy engines are different from the ones above. I haven't checked them all but suspect there may be two or three more that are different, maybe more.

Pete

Last edited by Norton
MDuppy posted:

My Lionel 2005 6-14588 Santa Fe F3's frame is falling apart from zinc pests. I though this was a thing of the past that was resolved in the 1940's. What's bad is Lionel does not have the part, North Lima has the part but I cannot get them to ship me one and they do not answer the phone. I do think Lionel should take responsibility for this problem as it should not happen in todays world. Now it make me wonder how many other time bombs I have from them just waiting to fall apart. The frame warped so bad it broke the inside posts that hold the cab in plus broke the plastic.

IMG_1194IMG_1195IMG_1196IMG_1197

The frame is plastic! How can it be zinc rot. It looks as though someone tightened the body screws and the body post were not aligned with the black base post...I just repaired one of these...replacing the motor driver board for a err motor driver to get rid of the magnet rings on the flywheel. If you order the part from north lima ..it will show up! Communications is not one of their positives..

 

also, on the version I just repaired. The frame for the dummy had to be ordered from north lima...the powered frame lionel had in stock.

They are different - s0, I would double check what you are looking at..

 

shawn

Last edited by shawn
Mike W. posted:

Not aware of any plastic frame premium Lionel locos??

They are plastic!  on these scale locos. Metal inserts are used around the trucks to stiffen  the frame..At least as far as I remember. Maybe, I'm wrong. But, for some reason I remember working on one of the scale units and thinking geez...

Last edited by shawn
shawn posted:
MDuppy posted:

My Lionel 2005 6-14588 Santa Fe F3's frame is falling apart from zinc pests. I though this was a thing of the past that was resolved in the 1940's. What's bad is Lionel does not have the part, North Lima has the part but I cannot get them to ship me one and they do not answer the phone. I do think Lionel should take responsibility for this problem as it should not happen in todays world. Now it make me wonder how many other time bombs I have from them just waiting to fall apart. The frame warped so bad it broke the inside posts that hold the cab in plus broke the plastic.

IMG_1194IMG_1195IMG_1196IMG_1197

The frame is plastic! How can it be zinc rot. It looks as though someone tightened the body screws and the body post were not aligned with the black base post...I just repaired one of these...replacing the motor driver board for a err motor driver to get rid of the magnet rings on the flywheel. If you order the part from north lima ..it will show up! Communications is not one of their positives..

 

also, on the version I just repaired. The frame for the dummy had to be ordered from north lima...the powered frame lionel had in stock.

They are different - s0, I would double check what you are looking at..

 

shawn

Shawn, just out of curiosity, if the frames are plastic....why did you have to order frames for the units you just repaired?

harmonyards posted:
shawn posted:
MDuppy posted:

My Lionel 2005 6-14588 Santa Fe F3's frame is falling apart from zinc pests. I though this was a thing of the past that was resolved in the 1940's. What's bad is Lionel does not have the part, North Lima has the part but I cannot get them to ship me one and they do not answer the phone. I do think Lionel should take responsibility for this problem as it should not happen in todays world. Now it make me wonder how many other time bombs I have from them just waiting to fall apart. The frame warped so bad it broke the inside posts that hold the cab in plus broke the plastic.

IMG_1194IMG_1195IMG_1196IMG_1197

The frame is plastic! How can it be zinc rot. It looks as though someone tightened the body screws and the body post were not aligned with the black base post...I just repaired one of these...replacing the motor driver board for a err motor driver to get rid of the magnet rings on the flywheel. If you order the part from north lima ..it will show up! Communications is not one of their positives..

 

also, on the version I just repaired. The frame for the dummy had to be ordered from north lima...the powered frame lionel had in stock.

They are different - s0, I would double check what you are looking at..

 

shawn

Shawn, just out of curiosity, if the frames are plastic....why did you have to order frames for the units you just repaired?

I did not order the frames. I was replacing the motor driver board engine and  upgrading the smoke unit and lighting on both units.

I needed to enlarge the heat sink hole in the frame to correct a issue of mounting the new motor board. I remember thinking. Wow, this is cheap...

shawn posted:
harmonyards posted:
shawn posted:
MDuppy posted:

My Lionel 2005 6-14588 Santa Fe F3's frame is falling apart from zinc pests. I though this was a thing of the past that was resolved in the 1940's. What's bad is Lionel does not have the part, North Lima has the part but I cannot get them to ship me one and they do not answer the phone. I do think Lionel should take responsibility for this problem as it should not happen in todays world. Now it make me wonder how many other time bombs I have from them just waiting to fall apart. The frame warped so bad it broke the inside posts that hold the cab in plus broke the plastic.

IMG_1194IMG_1195IMG_1196IMG_1197

The frame is plastic! How can it be zinc rot. It looks as though someone tightened the body screws and the body post were not aligned with the black base post...I just repaired one of these...replacing the motor driver board for a err motor driver to get rid of the magnet rings on the flywheel. If you order the part from north lima ..it will show up! Communications is not one of their positives..

 

also, on the version I just repaired. The frame for the dummy had to be ordered from north lima...the powered frame lionel had in stock.

They are different - s0, I would double check what you are looking at..

 

shawn

Shawn, just out of curiosity, if the frames are plastic....why did you have to order frames for the units you just repaired?

I did not order the frames. I was replacing the motor driver board engine and  upgrading the smoke unit and lighting on both units.

I needed to enlarge the heat sink hole in the frame to correct a issue of mounting the new motor board. I remember thinking. Wow, this is cheap...

understand, I wanted to get a set of these...but now they got some issues....IMA STAY AWAY!

harmonyards posted:
shawn posted:
harmonyards posted:
shawn posted:
MDuppy posted:

My Lionel 2005 6-14588 Santa Fe F3's frame is falling apart from zinc pests. I though this was a thing of the past that was resolved in the 1940's. What's bad is Lionel does not have the part, North Lima has the part but I cannot get them to ship me one and they do not answer the phone. I do think Lionel should take responsibility for this problem as it should not happen in todays world. Now it make me wonder how many other time bombs I have from them just waiting to fall apart. The frame warped so bad it broke the inside posts that hold the cab in plus broke the plastic.

IMG_1194IMG_1195IMG_1196IMG_1197

The frame is plastic! How can it be zinc rot. It looks as though someone tightened the body screws and the body post were not aligned with the black base post...I just repaired one of these...replacing the motor driver board for a err motor driver to get rid of the magnet rings on the flywheel. If you order the part from north lima ..it will show up! Communications is not one of their positives..

 

also, on the version I just repaired. The frame for the dummy had to be ordered from north lima...the powered frame lionel had in stock.

They are different - s0, I would double check what you are looking at..

 

shawn

Shawn, just out of curiosity, if the frames are plastic....why did you have to order frames for the units you just repaired?

I did not order the frames. I was replacing the motor driver board engine and  upgrading the smoke unit and lighting on both units.

I needed to enlarge the heat sink hole in the frame to correct a issue of mounting the new motor board. I remember thinking. Wow, this is cheap...

understand, I wanted to get a set of these...but now they got some issues....IMA STAY AWAY!

 

The early tmcc units had some issues, But, I've owned 6 or 7 of the legacy versions....and they are fine...There was a lurching issue with the first run in TMCC. This is the set that I picked up for 200.00. Upgraded the lighting, - and the motor driver board to get rid of the magnets on the flywheel. The units in the picture have the later lighting board that sits over the motors.

I'm  glad that I repaired these units...Just have to be careful when putting the shell on. As  it is easy to break the front door hinge on the cab. Otherwise, they now run great.

 

Last edited by shawn

Just received some A unit frames from Lionel. The ones I received were diecast as expected and can be used on the Scale F3s made from around 2001-2006 before the Liondrive F7s were released. I can only speak for the Santa Fe units because that is what I and OP have. They would be train for 16-19. The part number is 6104566034. 

Pete

Last edited by Norton

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