Proto/Life-Like cracked gear suggestions/frustrations


S

shepbush

New Member
I recently got a pre Walthers/Life Like Proto E9 cheap and now I think I know why. 5 of the 6 axle gears were cracked. Bought the Athearn replacement gears (#60024) and they do not match at all. The Athearn gears are bigger in size, the hole for the axle is too small to insert axle, and has 12 teeth instead of 11 as on the originals. I've been trying to contact Walthers.

It sounds like the Athearns work for the 4 axle Proto's. Do the 6 axle Proto's use smaller/different gears? If Walthers can't help me, what are my options?
 
Try North West Short Line. They make an extensive line of direct replacement and universal gears and motors. If they don't have a direct replacement set for that unit you will have to do some measuring of the old outside diameter and axle diameter to find their gear that matches up. You will also have to convert inches to millimeters after measuring unless you are using a metric caliper. NWSL.com
 
Walthers should be able to help you. They just don't give them away any more. They gave enough away to retrofit every locomotive they ever built with those bad gears and then some before they quit the freebies! They'll charge you but you get whole axle assemblies. Have you called Walthers or e-mailed?
 
The OP has it right, Athearn gears fit the 4 axle clone trucks such as under the GP9, 18, 20 and GP30. I don't have any E units so can't help there. Don't Es have 36" wheels? If Walthers can't help, check with Northwest Shortline. Here is another site I found:
http://gearsmade.com/

Let us know what happens.
 
Just to further confirm, the Athearn 60024 gears work fine for the four-wheel trucks like my F2s. You get a pack of six gears for around $5, so two packs do three four-wheel truck engines like the F2 or BL2. It's an easy fix that only takes about 15 min per engine.

I have not taken my E-units apart, so I can't answer for them
 
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