tbrook
11-18-2009, 03:35 AM
The Polar Express is back on our Club's layout. The engine had totally worn through a bearing on one side of the rear drive wheels. I went on the Lionel website to look-up and order a replacement bearing. I did not see the same bearing on Lionel's website that was in the engine so I called Lionel Parts.
Did you know that all 1225 Polar Express engines are not the same? Depending on the run of the manufacturer there are 2 different can motors. Also Lionel has changed the wheel quartering arrangement. The wheel configuration in the past was to quarter the sides. Now they have changed that to 180 degrees out per side. To order a new set of wheels which include the bearings you may need to pull the wheel off to quarter the wheels.
I just received my new issue of O-Gauge RR magazine and read the 'Backshop' article "Lionel's New Vision for Parts and Service." In the article it's OK the current Lionel tells you to rely on "Aftermarket" vendors for old Lionel 50's and 60's products -after all - that is Lionel by name only, not by the production of the current Lionel owners or even the former owners.
I find it alarming that as many Polar Express units as Lionel has sold that items such as bearings and some motors are now, in such a short time, no longer available. Lionel is encouraging the public to order parts on line. In order to get replacement wheel sets I will have to pull off a wheel in order to re-quarter it to match the rest of my driver.
Yes, there are many more parts today to deal with because of the many items that are being produced. I want my new equipment to run many years from now just like my old equipment runs today.
Did you know that all 1225 Polar Express engines are not the same? Depending on the run of the manufacturer there are 2 different can motors. Also Lionel has changed the wheel quartering arrangement. The wheel configuration in the past was to quarter the sides. Now they have changed that to 180 degrees out per side. To order a new set of wheels which include the bearings you may need to pull the wheel off to quarter the wheels.
I just received my new issue of O-Gauge RR magazine and read the 'Backshop' article "Lionel's New Vision for Parts and Service." In the article it's OK the current Lionel tells you to rely on "Aftermarket" vendors for old Lionel 50's and 60's products -after all - that is Lionel by name only, not by the production of the current Lionel owners or even the former owners.
I find it alarming that as many Polar Express units as Lionel has sold that items such as bearings and some motors are now, in such a short time, no longer available. Lionel is encouraging the public to order parts on line. In order to get replacement wheel sets I will have to pull off a wheel in order to re-quarter it to match the rest of my driver.
Yes, there are many more parts today to deal with because of the many items that are being produced. I want my new equipment to run many years from now just like my old equipment runs today.