2-10-2 gear noise?

[r.cprmier]

After installing a decoder in the vanderbilt tender, I put it on the track to test and encode an address.  With some help from Josh at Tony's, I managed to get the decoder programmed to my satisfaction; but lo and behold, the beast made a wierd noise-I assume it is coming from the gearbox, as it sounds like a gear set that has some play, and when put under load, it makes this clicking sound.  I also found out that a 2-10-2 should be kept out on the far reaches of the 'pike, where the radii looms high and wide!!  Not an engine for anything smaller than a 30-inch rad; certainly no place for that planned carfloat yard!!
At any rate, has anyone experienced the same thing?  I know it is do-able, but feedback could narrow it down a bit.
Thanks for any help.

Rich

[brad]

My first 2-10-2 made a clicking noise as well as waddled like a duck. I noticed the drivers were out of quarter and sent it back for a replacement. Bachmann has been having gear issues in some of its other loco's notably, 2-10-0, 2-8-0 and pinion grears on the shays. Check the side rods and valve gear for bent or binding parts. Run the engine REAL slow and watch the drivers if they jump or seem to bind they are out of quarter. The good thing is they test the loco they send you as a replacement before shipping.

I have a couple of 24 inch curves and my 2-10-2 handles them quite well. Although it hates the "s" curves and track joints on our modular club layout

brad

[GN.2-6-8-0]

Assuming this is a fairly new engine and you it may need more running in time OR! its got a problem in the driveline,first to check are the siderods,it may be a simple adjustment is needed,I had one or two that the side rod had a slight bind causing just that....a clicking noise,if they check out o.k try lubing the gearbox with a quality lubericate, Labelle's 106 plastic compatible
grease would be my choice.
And oooh yeah that baby's not gonna like any curve under 24''....with a 10 coupled engine....wider is better!!

[Atlantic Central]

Rich,

I have posted on this board a number of times about the problems even some prototype railroads had with long rigid wheelbase locos. The B&O's big sixes (2-10-2's) could not be run on their line from Cumberland MD to Parkersburg WV because tthe combination of steep grades and sharp curves was to much for the their long wheel base.

This fact is also why the 4-8-4's of eastern roads had smaller drivers than those of western roads. Compare N&W J with 70" to a SP GS4 with 80". Out west there was lots more space to make curves gentle, even over the much bigger mountains.

And, many 2-10-2's used in the east has lateral motion devices that allowed the forward set of drives to slide left and right for sharp curves.

And all this was in the prototype. Our model curves are often so sharp that if scaled up to real life an F7 would not make it around let alone a 2-10-2.

Dispite their current popularity, long wheel base locos are not generally good choices for modeling for both operational and appearance reasons.

This is not a criticism of this loco in particlar, just a general statement of fact about both the prototype and model application. While there where exceptions, 2-10-2's where typically drag freight locos used by railroads in areas that where generally open allowing broad curves and gentle grades - our model layouts seldom allow that by any civil engineering standards.

I am a firm believer in the trackwork standards recommended by the late Paul Mallery - his recommendations where much more generious than those commonly accepted and promoted by John Armstrong or the NMRA.

He recommended no less than 36" radius curves for any kind of mailine HO modeling and felt 48" was a better choice. Obviously many of us do not have this kind of room or have desires for our layouts that are only possible with some more pratical radius, but we should then consider limiting what we expect to run, especially when it comes to long rigid wheelbase steam locos.

For this reason, the largest rigid wheel base locos allowed on my Atlantic Central are Reading T-1's and my minimum radius is 36".

Sheldon

[r.cprmier]

HI Sheldon;
Well, on my layout, the minimal radii is about 30 inches; and that is in the yard trackage, along with #7 min. turnouts..  Any older, sharper radii is being phased out.  I will say one thing:  If your trackwork is lumpy, bumpy, etc, the 2-10-2 will "see it', and act accordingly; for that reason, I am relegating mine to just that:  Drag Freight service, as the curves out of the yards are generous, and there are no hills between yard areas, except for the helix I am planning-but this has made me re-visit my own specs.
One reason I found the engine to be acting finicky was that the "water delivery pipes" from the tender to the injectors, made of brass, were causing the tender to hang up and "stay straight".  The "click" appears to be gear noise, but I have heard that NWSL has relacements for it.  I will invstigate that option.
Rich

[Atlantic Central]

Here on the Atlantic Central, in the fall of 1954, we have seen the enemy and he is trucks. So we have quickly embraced speed and service to combat that threat, as well as a 100% commitment to piggyback service.

The only traffic handled as drag freight is coal. Everything else requires speed. So Northerns and Heavy Mountains are the steam power of choice.
That coal traffic is handled by two USRA 2-8-8-2's and two USRA 2-6-6-2's, both of which perform much better than 2-10-2's here on the sharp curves (36" radius) and steep grades (2.5%) of the Blue Ridge and Alleghenies.

A large fleet of Alco RS's, FA's and FB's, and EMD F units and GP7's compete as well for the fast freight asignments.

And, for me too even the Northerns had me bumping up some standards and redesigning some trackage.

Sheldon

[Hunt]

Hi Rich,
This situation may call to your mind my suggestion from years ago… Break-in and clear-up any issues before a decoder is installed. 

[r.cprmier]

HUnt;
I agree wholeheartedly!  I slipped up on this foray.  Most of my engines are broken in on 12/DC, so I had no problems with the other mills, not even the Athearns, although one does have a gear issue.  I haven't had time, but I will look into it down the line.  Bottom line?  No problems with decoders. 

One thing I gave thought to is that the decoder in the engine is the one it came with; the only thing I did in that dept was change tenders, and then everything got changed!  I get a rather disturbing hum in the motor, but that and the speed thing I attribute to the control variable thing, which Iam totally unfamiliar with (mental block-If I can work through AC/DC theory, I can do that).  I think, to trim this problem out, another visit to Tony's will probably do it.

BTW, would those two yellow caps on the board have anything to do with   that hum?

RIch

RIch

[Hunt]

BTW, would those two yellow caps on the board have anything to do with   that hum?

The Bachmann decoder operates at a frequency heard by people with normal hearing as a hum.

The capacitors have nothing to do with the frequency hum. Capacitors across the motor circuit are part of the motor electrical noise suppression so it does not interfere with other electronic devices.

Some decoders have an internal capacitor to do the suppression and the decoder is tuned to work with them.  When external capacitors are added they cause de tuning, which results in poor motor speed control.