I have run my USA Train dockside for approximately 30 hours with sound on using DC operation this Fall at Longwood Gardens, where I work seasonal part time at its garden railway. Last week, I turned off the sound and then I heard some noises like metal scraping and squeaking, while operating it on my home Christmas outdoor layout. I put LGB red lube on the rods, but it still made these noises after running it another hour.
I removed the 8 screws on the bottom plastic plate cover, which released the 6 wheel brushes, 6 copper metal springs and 2 gray metal springs. After applying LGB gear grease to the worm gears, I could not find where to replace the 2 gray metal springs underneath the bottom plate cover. I checked the parts diagram for the Dockside and found R20-024 Carbon Brushes/Springs (6), but could not find these two gray metal springs.
http://www.usatrains.com/r20050parts.html
I contacted service at USA Trains, but they did not know where these two gray springs were associated with the bottom plate cover. Perhaps, these springs are used with pick-up shoes, which are not used in the Dockside. I did not drop these gray springs into the bottom plate during disassembly in my workshop.
The engine ran with less noise after I reinstalled the brushes with their springs and left out the 2 gray metal strings.
Has anyone here also found these mysterious gray metal springs in the bottom plate cover of the Docksider?
Bryan