A feller sure worked to chase out those gremlins! Thanks for recording the full process👍👍

The ongoing problem with the orange Union Pacific is the reversing switch. There are contacts that are dirty inside that piece. You can tell by putting the power wires on the MOTOR to find the motor working just fine. Do this test. But the reason it worked when you messed with the wheel assembly is because you added a little more continuity so the amperage pushed past the dirty contacts on the reverse switch. But you can also see that as soon as you moved the reverse switch, it started to work.

I have a 3 pos E-unit motor from a 600 series switcher. It did the same thing with lots of hum but no movement. I tried squeezing the frame and it worked but only laying on it side. I took some plastic the thickness of an old credit card and shimmed between the frame and armature holder. It worked like almost brand new

I'll be dipped! VGG! I have the identical 202 from my childhood. It's next inline for a resto...

I have a few that jam-can drive you bonkers!

I've had a lot of luck with the later version of these with the exposed worm gear. The first train I ever worked on was a 1065. Thanks for the video

Great job Warren, a real test of patience !

Alco's are nightmares especially the latter ones

WOW!!! I had a problem I just couldn't figure out also and now I think I will give it another go again...Thanks for taking the time in finding out the problem.

Very good video, with very good results. Sometimes the problem is hard to diagnose, but you solved it. Thanks to your video a lot of viewers will know what to do if a problem like this comes up. A++

I gave up in frustration trying to solve the problem you so elegantly solved. Thank you.

You are the Sherlock Holmes of Postwar Lionel -- bravo!

Good info. I think this is the problem I've been having with similar Lionel motors (especially in reverse).

Thank you for sharing👍

Thank you, that is a great video with helpful information!.!

very help video thank you

I had a similar problem with a Williams Trainmaster. If the worm gear gets out of alignment one direction binds. My bet is an even better fix is to drill out the rivets holding the motor to the truck and replace the rivets with bolts and tighten. In my case it was a stripped out screw that held the motor to the transition piece that held the motor to the truck causing the misalignment. Nice troubleshooting on your part.

Helpful video. I had a similar problem with #225 C&O. Turned out to be a missing thrust washer #600-129.

I have a similar problem you’ve given me something to look at. Wish me luck.

That noise....sounded toooooooooo familiar. I have 2 or 3 of these. Gonna sell 2 of them when I can get them running better.

Nicely done Warren. This is a known issue with the 200 series, and it’s documented in the Greenberg’s manual.

That 3 in one oil in the red can gets gummy fast. Get sewing machine oil or turbine oil.

Armature end play might be too tight or possibly too loose causing worm and gear bind due to wear/loose assembly. Lower bearing wear or loose plastic to frame causes poor gear mesh, too. Later design changed lower bearing from plastic to a metal bearing in the metal frame as you showed. You can replace the plastic bearing cover or shim it between cover and frame. Squeezing frame is not going to last. Need to restake tabs or solder them. The 202 w/ single magna traction s/b a double wound coil and 2 position switch. You can tie both coil winding in same direction together and use a 3 position “E” unit. The 2nd winding was isolated from ground. That will change to both coils (same wind direction) grounded without insulator sleeve. This change to 3 position “E” unit will allow for stationary engine with power on to operate things like coal, or cattle, or milk cars. Wiring will be as the 205 engine w/ “E” unit.

The two position E-units are a little more challenging to work with than the 3 position E-unit

I don't have one of these right now but from your video here and from what I know. Once you find the correct spot, take a piece of sheet metal, or a thin stable plastic. Run it from the metal supports on both ends of the motor assembly. Put one screw in both ends and then once you have the sweet spot put one screw in the plastic part in a safe spot, away from the gears, that is giving trouble. Pre-drill everything slightly smaller then your screw and use machine screws and thread tap your mount holes. Once in place and working well, put thread locking on the screws. Screws have to be very flat on top as to not touch the middle rail or even get close, but don't use flat top screws with that typical tapered head like the wood screws, or they will just split things. Also some of these have mag-na-traction and any drill shavings could get into the gears be very careful of that. Dagryffyn hobby had this problem as well but I did not think of this idea till today. The pinch or squeeze will only hold for a short time!

Great video! Never owned a diesel, and waiting for some used alcos to arrive in the mail soon. This video should definitely help if there are issues.

Hello, Warren thanks for this video. I have worked on a lot of Lionel engines, but not this type yet. Mostly steam engines. I collect Lionel and Marx trains.

On my Alco 202 I had to replace a pinion gear which caused the binding.

Looks like armature spacer is missing causing the armature to move out of mesh

Watched your video, great job now i know what the problem is with my Alco engine, have the same problem i guess that is the problem with all thoughs trucks thanks.

These are fantastic locos on which to learn core maintenance tasks. Well done. My only criticism is throw away your dirty qtip! They’re cheap!!

Hey, if you don't like them, send them my way. I love those things.

Marx guy here, spray WD40 into the base of the E-units. Lube and clean armature, and wheel bushing.

The only way to fix a 200/600 series motor is to completely remove it ,remove the wheels and axles and restake the frame square up the bearing plate then reassemble .

It could be your field is misaligned with the armature? The swedge crimps loosn up and that causes the problem!

Also if the armature spacer is gone the armature will lift out of mesh. I've been repairing for 50 years. Hope you figure it out.

Sounds like its missing the insulating bushing on top of the brush plate screw on the right side.

It's not an electrical, the gears are binding up underneath the Loco !!, You have your name drive gear, And 2 smaller secondary Gears it's those gears causing you, Your problem , has nothing whatsoever to do with electrical !!, Mr wizard!! , And car grease will damage the loco, You need white grease ( 1. It's conductive) No.2) It's not as harsh !!, No wonder they don't run the way they Should, I have those same 2 locos an I love them , They run great!!!

I heard they are difficult to repair. I would prefer a higher grade loco.But if I found one cheap ...,like in a collection. Nice video.

Good job. I have 3 Alcos without that bearing at the bottom of the shaft, number 230 etc. All three run fantastic in reverse and sluggish in the forward position. Any tips for this problem?

I have a 2032 alco that I love and is a great runner. What do you have against these fine engines

I have the same unit that runs completely fine in forward and reverse for about 45 seconds then it just dies. Im guessing it has something to do with the e-unit but im not sure.

U ever give up on fixing anything or don't want anything me and my nephew been collecting for yrs because he has heart problems then I got sick someone broke in my house and destroyed all my stuff just broke so many trains well definitely except them

Good trouble shooting video ,who would have thought that just squeezing that frame would correct the problem.?

Wow, half way through this vid, I just can’t take this guy’s voice. He sounds as if he’s going to be beaten up by bullies. So whiny.

You're completely wrong!!, It's the side gear's, Your gears are binding up Because the gear's wallered out , You need new gear's

You have a bad armature in my opinion