Ever had a perfectly running locomotive start making strange noises out of nowhere? A light squeak, grind, or clicking sound that drives you nuts but everything looks fine?
Let’s start a noise diagnosis thread!
What odd sounds have your locos made?
Was it a motor issue, gear problem, dry bearings… or something else?
What tools or techniques helped you find and fix it?
Post audio clips or describe the mystery sounds you’ve solved or are still trying to. Let’s help each other silence those gremlins and get back to smooth running!
I had a smooth-running GP40 that suddenly developed this faint but constant clicking sound — drove me crazy. Everything looked fine from the outside, but after a closer inspection under a magnifying lamp, I found one of the drive gears had a tiny hairline crack. It would slip just enough to click once per revolution.
A little dab of gear lube helped temporarily, but I ended up replacing the gear altogether. Since then, I always check for gear wear or cracked plastic if I hear new noises.
One trick I’ve picked up: run the loco upside down on a foam cradle and use a drinking straw like a stethoscope to pinpoint where the noise is coming from. Works wonders!
Curious to hear (literally) what others have dealt with. Anyone else got a loco that talks back?
