Chessie System F-7 diesel engine NO. 7071 running problem

[Quentin]

Hey guys, me again lol. I got this train, NOT SURE HOW OLD, but what I do know is that this loco is an F-7 diesel that runs smoothly, but it clicks as it's going down the tracks, and NO, IT'S NOT the tracks making the clicks. It's something in the drive wheel housing. Something in there is catching, but i cant take it off... anyone know how to get the stupid thing off??

Thanks!

[Len]

On most older diesels the bottom cover of the power truck snaps on. It's held in place by cross pieces that go over wedge shaped 'bump outs' at the front and rear of the truck. Use a small screw driver to lift the cross piece out and up and the bottom should come off.

Len

[jward]

Are you buying the cheap stuff off ebay? THis sounds like an old pancake motored F9, and even if you do solve the clicking problem i wouldn't expect too much in the way of performance from this one. Upside is that you could probably use the body shell on a decent running chassis without too much modification.

General rule of thumb regarding buying locomotives secondhand is that if they have horn hook couplers they are probably not worth the cost. Bachmann and other companies have greatly improved their product over the years, and the biggest improvements came about the same time they started putting knuckle couplers on everything. These newer locomotives feature a centrally located motor that drives all wheels on both trucks through drive shafts and worms from the motor to each truck, powering all wheels eliminated the need for traction tires on the wheels, made for a much smoother running locomotive that was also more durable, and the improvements also included power pickups on all wheels.

About the only older locomotives i can recommend buying are the older Athearns, as they had all these features back in the 1970s so anything you buy will probably be a decent runner.

[Quentin]

I do not buy anything off of ebay. I think i solved the problem with len's suggestion, and now it runs smoothly. thanks guys

[Quentin]

Also, is the c&o a part of the B&O? The train i'm talking about has B&O on the side above the engine number. Is this a mistake?

[Len]

Chessie System resulted from the merger of the C&O, B&O and Western Maryland. It took a while, but eventually their equipment was repainted for Chessie System, with the Chessie Cat logo.

Former C&O equipment would have C&O on it:


Former B&O equipment would have B&O on it:


And former Western Maryland equipment would have WM on it:


Eventually Chessie System merged with Seaboard Coat Line which led to CSX, but that's a whole 'nother story.

Len

[Quentin]

wow, never knew that. nice

[jward]

It should also be noted that equipment transfers from C&O to B&O or WM were pretty common. The different railroads had different number series for their locomotives. In your case, F units on B&O were in the 4400s, 4500s and 4600s, on C&O they were in the 7000s with a few 8000s, and on WM they had 2 and 3 digit numbers. Your B&O 7071 would have been a former C&O unit transferred to B&O. There were many of these F7s transferred to B&O in the mid to late 1960s as C&O upgraded their fleet. C&O was the strongest of the three railroads with B&O almost bankrupt when C&O got control in the early 1960s. Thus C&O would transfer units to B&O and later WM to replace those the receiving road retired.

The combined system was known as C&O/B&O for a few years before the name Chessie System was adopted. Western Maryland was owned by B&O, but the stock was held in trust for antitrust reasons until the early 1970s, as B&O and WM served the same areas, often running on opposite banks of the same river. Once the trust was dissolved and Chessie System took control of the WM, much of the railroad was abandoned. A large portion exists as a bike trail.

As for the F units, while they did run under Chessie System, none were ever repainted in CHessie colours. That's a shame as the models look pretty sharp.

Having grown up near Connellsville, PA which was a major B&O terminal, and the westernmost end of the WM, I had a rinGside seat to all of this

[Quentin]

Pretty cool. I live near a BNSF or Union Pacific terminal, or it might be both, who knows. A lot of different trains roll through there.

[prr22]

I learned a lot from this video...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zLjrGF4t00

[jward]

Regarding your B&O 7071. I was able to confirm via the book C&O Diesel Locomotives that C&O 7071 was indeed transferred to B&O. It was traded in to EMD on new power. Shame it never got Chessie paint.

[Quentin]

That is a shame. Looks really cool with what might be the original paint... the thing looks like it just sat for years and never taken care of.

[jward]

That photo is not its original paint. B&O repainted it into their then standard paint scheme. This would have been in the late 1960s or early 1970s just before Chessie System came into being in 1972. Here it is in what I believe was its original C&O paint in 1959.

[Quentin]

Beautiful. Really with the second photo was in color, im wondering what the paint job looks like.

[Len]

This is 7051 in color with the same scheme. Note the B&O unit it's paired up with...


Len