I find it interesting that this problem has existed for 8 years and I just bought a 3 truck climax without sound and it also ran for less than an hour. Several e-mails with Laura and she mailed me the metal geared trucks, new driveshaft, the cross shaft that attaches the flywheels and another shaft with one metal and one plastic gear on it. I replaced the cross shaft, driveshaft and trucks and found the Climax still wouldn't move. The flywheels turned but not the driveshaft. While I was waiting for the new parts I ran 2 wires from the diamond stack to the tender with the thought of putting a 1/2 inch speaker in the stack (fits perfectly) and a Soundtraxx Econami in the tender when I got the drivetrain sorted out. A few more e-mails with Laura and she advised me to return the whole loco for warranty service. I mailed it out that day and a week later I received a call from the service dept telling me the loco had been modified and the warranty was void. They were returning it to me unrepaired and wouldn't repair it even if I paid for it. I explained to Laura that the wires were unattached at both ends and the loco had a driveline problem, not an electrical problem. She said she would talk to service tech and see what she could do. She called me a few days later and said they would not repair it even at my expense but she could sell me a 2 truck Climax with the metal gears and the Soundtraxx module and also send my 3 truck Climax back to me unrepaired I agreed and told her it sounded like the service dept was looking for the hair on the egg to avoid doing their job.
So my question to the forum is, Has anyone had a similar problem where the flywheels turn but the driveshaft does not? I'll take it apart and look but was hoping someone may have run into this and can save me some time. Thank You, Jack