A few questions about an OLD GP40

[Slomopiot]

Bachmanians,

I recently bought 2 Bachmann GP40s and a GP35 at a yard sale. All three are the OLD ones with pancake motors and only the front truck drive. A few questions :

*How do I lubricate the pancake motor ? Maybe a tiny drop of oil on the motor shafts on each side ? A little bit of gear grease in the little slots around the shafts where I can see the gears ?

*How do I lubricate the gears in the trucks ? This doesn't look easy; I can't see any visible way to open up the bottom of the truck assemblies.

*When the GP35 runs, it has a clicking sound - is this the gear drive 'click of death' ? Or is it perhaps something else that's repairable ?

*One of the GP40s is factory painted gold with UP lettering & trim. I seem to recall that this was a locomotive in a set. Was there a UP gold painted locomotive in real life ?

Thanks for any and all information !

[ricktrains4824]

The "click" is most likely one of a couple things: Either a cracked gear, flash inside the truck, or super dried out lube. (My guess is cracked gear. However, if these have not been run in years, it could be hardened lube.)

A single drop of LaBelle 108 (or similar) oil on the ends of the motor shafts will not hurt. (But only one very small drop!)
I know the trucks come apart, I just can not remember where the clip is located to disassemble. Once the bottom is popped off, lube access to the gears is much easier. (Again, very light lubrication is needed.) LaBelle 106 Grease (or similar) would be used here.

(Sorry Mr. Bach-mann.... I am unsure of your respective part numbers for these lubes.... I just happen to have these LaBelle lubes sitting on my workbench in front of me... But I am sure your lubes are nearly {if not perfectly} identical.)

Once the truck is disassembled, if there is dried out lube inside, pull the wheelsets out and scrub with Dawn dish-soapy water and a junk toothbrush, or use 70% Rubbing alcohol, to remove the old dried lube, let completely air dry, then reassemble and apply fresh new lube lightly. (The gearbox should not be packed with lube. That is way too much.)

(NOTE: I specify lightly lubed only because I have seen way too many new to the hobby way over lubricate locomotives. If you already know this, others who read this post might not.)

[Slomopiot]

Rick, thanks !

Once I got the shells off, all three units had multiple cracked gears.

Between the three units there were no interchangeable gears so . . . I kind of liked the GP35 so I converted it into a B-unit. I tried to do the same with the two GP40s but they don't roll very well so I've put them up for sale for parts in multiple places.