Fixing a Doodlebug with cracked gear

[richg]

Someone upgraded his Doodlebug with cracked gear using a NWSL Stanton drive and said it was not difficult.
The discussion is in the Trains.com, Model Railroader forum.

Rich

[Pacific Northern]

I say the posting and am also interested.

I had a few of the first release doodlebugs which were prone to gear failure as I found out. Two of the three doodlebugs were sent to Bachmann for repair/replacement. There were no parts available at that time and I was given substitute replacements.

My question is the first release doodlebug mechanically the same as the later edition that was released with the passenger car?

I also noticed that the HO section on this site dealing with the diagrams does not have either of the Doodlebugs listed, there is a listing for the n scale doodlebug, just no the HO.

[Joe Baldwin]

Nice article.  I have 2 doodles, 1 early and 1 late with car.  So far no gear troubles. I like the tail light though.

Thanks for sharing.  Here is link
http://cs.trains.com/mobile/forums/thread.aspx?ThreadID=217394

Joe

[Joe Baldwin]

Pulled the doodles out and looked at them.  The visible difference between them is the newer one has traction tires on the front wheel set and it has Bachmann Spectrum logo on the bottom of the floor.

Thinking about it, the old one made a growling noise that I assumed was the AT100 Decoder I had installed. I took the shell off and the noise went away so I am wondering if I have gear issues which brings me to my question.

What are the symptoms of gear failure?

Thanks,

Joe

[Doneldon]

Joe-

It's not unusual for a body shell to resonate to some low-level noise or vibration in a powered locomotive. It doesn't necessarily mean there is a problem in the mechanicals. You can generally damp the sound by smearing some gooshy stuff on the inside of the body shell. I like to use caulk because it remains flexible and therefore continues its dampening effect. Rubber cement works, too. Apply your material only to broad panel sections, not to corners or narrow parts as those aren't what's amplifying the noise. Be sure that your goop doesn't interfere with anything inside the motor. By the way, it isn't necessary to coat an entire broad panel but the more you can coat the better, especially near the center of the panels. Good luck!
                                                                                                                                                -- D

[Joe Baldwin]

Joe-

It's not unusual for a body shell to resonate to some low-level noise or vibration in a powered locomotive. It doesn't necessarily mean there is a problem in the mechanicals. . . .
                                                                                                                                                -- D

Don,
Thanks for the response.  While it might not be unusual for your locomotives to have vibrations,  it would be highly unusual for mine. With some 30 DCC engines, none of them vibrate unless they have malfunctioning drive trains or something wrong with them. My doodlebug has something wrong with it, and I long have suspected it was the early pre-Tsunami decoder making the motor hum at low speed.   I'd thought it might have been the gear problem which is the subject of this thread and the object of my question.

Joe

[Doneldon]

Joe-

I don't have vibration problems either, but I think that's because I have mainly brass steam
engines which have no large panels to resonate. Most of the diesel locomotives I have are
brass, also, and the panel areas on those doesn't resonate, either.
                                                                                                     -- D