# Locked up wheels



## chieftopcop (Apr 2, 2016)

As a last resort I am hoping to find some good answers here:

This is a really weird one. I purchased a Lionel Birkshire Phillies 2 8 4 O gauge locomotive.
Really looks nice. Got it out today to run it and it just sits there, kinda like when you tell your dog to sit and he looks up as tho to say,,yah, and where's my treat!

So I checked it all over to make sure all the packing items were removed.
Went to spin the wheels just as usual check to make sure they were working.
Much to my surprise they are locked tight! Can't find anything that might be holding them.

Does anyone have this model and has anyone found this problem.

Any thoughts and/or advise on this ....


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## TrainLarry (Jan 15, 2012)

If you were able to spin the wheels before and not now, try removing the side rods and try spinning the wheels without them. If the geared wheelset still does not turn, the motor may be frozen, quite possibly due to hardened grease in the gearing. Remove the motor and clean out the old grease with naphtha. Try spinning the wheels. When all is working, grease the gears with new grease. Clean and oil the motor armature bearings, and oil the wheel bearings. Reassemble and everything should spin freely.

Larry


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Please only post one thread for a specific issue. I removed the other duplicate thread.


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## Lehigh74 (Sep 25, 2015)

Chief – That’s a modern loco (6-18765 I think). I don’t have any modern Lionel stuff, but on modern MTH locos, you can not spin the wheels by hand like you can on a pre or post war Lionel. It is due to the way the loco is geared.


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## DennyM (Jan 3, 2016)

There's only one way to rotate the wheels by hand, but it would void your warranty of you do that because you have to remove the cover.


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## chieftopcop (Apr 2, 2016)

Any clue why the wheels are locked? I'm really not worried about the warranty because I bought it thru EBay. The problem is taking the shell off that can get tricky, especially trying to put it back together.
But then again the cash is laid out and it doesn't do much good just sitting on the display shelf.


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## rogruth (Mar 6, 2012)

Is the reverse unit locked in neutral?
Does it have TMCC that has been locked in neutral?
I don't think it has TMCC.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Taking the boiler shell off a set locomotive is normally a very simple process, for this model I don't think there is any wiring in the shell.

Remove four screws and pop the top.

https://www.lionelsupport.com/Repla...roductID=c9d0e3ca-0d37-417c-a148-6a82efad520e


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## Texas Pete (Sep 28, 2011)

chieftopcop said:


> Any clue why the wheels are locked?


If you are trying to turn them by hand, they are not locked, it just seems that way because they are driven by a worm gear, not spur gears like a postwar loco. Have you placed the engine on the track and applied power?

Pete


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Pete, it wasn't moving when he tried to run it, that's why he's questioning the wheel rotation. Of course, you are indeed correct, but likely something is wrong under the covers.


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