If you have a Kato or Con-Cor 4-8-4 S2, I'm trying to collect some data on a noise issue.
(otherwise, feel free to hit your "back" button if you're not interested!)
I have a Kato S2 4-8-4 chassis under my SP&S 4-8-4 #700 kitbash. It has always had a mysterious
squeak as it comes out of curves or runs over turnouts. It did this when it was a plain old GN 4-8-4.
It doesn't always do it, and it doesn't always do it in the same places or on the same curves or turnouts.
I also have an unmodified Con-Cor version (also the GN 4-8-4 S2). It does exactly the same thing.
"Squeak" may not be quite the right word. "Screetch" might be better. It sounds like a metal wheel or axle
briefly dragging over something and making a "chirp". It's pretty darn loud and while it lasts for a fraction of
a second, it's a LONG fraction of a second (it's not just a blip... it's a rather pronounced sound, like
the chirping of your brake wear indicators when your car's brake pads are worn out)
Of course, I tried polishing wheel treads and axles and looking for any hung-up pilot or trailing wheels. That didn't help.
I also even tried (ewwwww) putting a drop of oil on each axle, axle hole, and bearing. No difference. (You would think
that the problem would at least abate temporarily if I had found the source of the noise)
The plot thickens. I was just talking to a friend of mine who has two of these. They BOTH do the same thing
on his layout. My layout is Atlas code 55. His is all code 80, so the trackwork, turnouts, environment, and engines
are completely different, and yet all 4 engines do this.
FOR those of you who own these, is this a common issue? Do you have this weird squeaking, screetching noise?
