I love the look of the C-57 as it is slim, long and very well detailed. I may have been easier to a direct drive motor which wouldn't take up much space and have fewer gears in the engine body, have the battery in the Tender and still be able to keep the slim lines. Something like the motor body laying flat on the bottom of the chassis near the axle gear.
UC, I actually was enlightened not too long ago by videos from member Powerful Gordon Mike and YouTuber Custom Trackmaster where its a hair line crack in the gear that directly attaches to the motors shaft that makes the flat drives noisy. I always thought it was some other gears that were the cause but never sopped the noise. By replacing the motor shaft gear quiets them down considerably. This replacing also helps with noise from other types of motor styles.
UC, I actually was enlightened not too long ago by videos from member Powerful Gordon Mike and YouTuber Custom Trackmaster where its a hair line crack in the gear that directly attaches to the motors shaft that makes the flat drives noisy. I always thought it was some other gears that were the cause but never sopped the noise. By replacing the motor shaft gear quiets them down considerably. This replacing also helps with noise from other types of motor styles.