Questions concerning Atlas/Kato GP30

[u18b]

Don't worry.

Actually, when I FIRST pulled the Atlas truck, I thought you were right.

But I don't see so great at 53 as I used to.  So I put high powered "cheeters" on AND an optivisor.  And in that situation, it is clear they are cut at an angle.

The thinner Atlas gears are what makes it deceptive.

[fifer]

PS , I never remove the front block but rather drill it out so the shaft has plenty of lateral play but the block retains the front to rear play. If needed I add shim washers to worm shaft to control end play sometimes.
Mike

[u18b]

Not sure if you mean front block is the outer bearing?

Or maybe the inner.

For those of you that drill out bearings, more power to you.

But think about this.

1.  Drilling out the bearing accomplishes the same thing removing the inner bearing block does.  It actually ALLOWS a very slight wobble in the worm shaft.  So both procedures to the same thing.

But.... 2.  In the condition that the inner bearing block has been drilled, the bearing retains the worm, yes.  But the worm also RUBS on the block.  Thus extra friction.

In the case of removing the bearing block, and the hex nut is properly bottomed out inside the flywheel, then there is NO equivalent friction (since that inner bearing block is gone, and the hex nut is not moving in a rubbing motion).  Or another way to say it is that my procedure REDUCES friction.

So when a person properly "Beardenizes" their loco (as many humorously have called it), they find the loco actually runs FASTER.  Faster = less friction.  Less friction usually = smoother, and often quieter (all things being equal).  To me, it is a win/win.  Rattling noise is gone AND the loco has less friction.

Just something to think about.

[Power Stroke]

So. This is where I currently am with this locomotive. It is now sufficiently quite but I think I need to tweak the freeplay just a little bit more to get it perfect. I am leaving it alone for now because I have had the shell on and off so many times I broke the hand rail from the cab to the front stantion. Any recomendations for gluing these?
Anyways, what I did was insert tissue paper into the flywheels to fill the gap to the machined hex, this allowed me to adjust the hex nut for freeplay without the nut coming off the shaft due to it's short length.
I also installed a pair of Chinese Atlas hex nuts, and removed the inner bearing blocks, then began adjusting until I got it at it's current sound level.
I ran it w/o the shell but I find that decieving because what sound quiet w/o the shell will most likely be amplified with the shell, hence the on/off procedure.
I have liked vidoes before and after so you can hear the difference between stock/untouched, and modified.
Please understand that the camera mic makes everything sound louder, and that even my locomotives that make virtually no noise to the ear, sound noisy on video.
Thanks for the help.
Click on the photos.
Before


After