Has anyone had any luck making these run reliably?  I’m on my second one now.  The first one sat in the box for years.  I got it out last winter, installed a decoder, spent hours lighting it with SMD LEDs, and before the project was completed the motor quit working.  Took the decoder out, re-wired it for DC and yes the motor was dead, wouldn’t turn even connected directly to power.  Walthers told me they had no parts or motors.   I packed it all up in a box and put it on the shelf.

I ran across a deal on another one last week. New old stock.  Bought it with the idea of putting the shell I spent so much time and effort into putting the lights in. This afternoon I reached a point on a locomotive I’m building for a friend where I had to wait for some epoxy to cure so I got the new crane out and put it on my test track.  Turned on the power and it just buzzed.  I worked the gears by hand and freed them up and it jerked down the track a couple lengths and stopped.  The worm gear that drives the front truck pulls the axle with the gear that meshes into the bottom of the frame.  It runs somewhat better in reverse.

Does anyone have any tips or had any luck getting one of these cranes to run smoothly?  I’ve decided this time I’m going to get it running good on DC before I put the decoder in.

Ideas anyone?

Jeff White

Alma, IL