Stroppy 14xx

[Richard08]

Over the last month or so the Dapol 14xx has started running very badly, continual stopping and some interesting buzzing now and again. As the stopping was usually followed by starting again I presumed dirty wheels and track, but even freshly cleaned track and shiney wheels didn't make any substantial difference. Picking up the model and prodding things improved things, but only briefly. This suggested pickup issues, despite appearing to be ok. The pickups are plunger jobbies, right at the top of the wheels and very difficult to see, never mind access ( a slither of glass paper will go in to clean the plunger ends but that's all).

I bought this s/h and without any instructions/data sheets, and none are available on-line, but found a Youtube video for disassembly. Take out the decoder tray through the smoke box (10/10 Dapol), remove eight screws and the body comes off easily, without showering small parts all over - it's not even necessary to remove the brake rigging (10/10 Dapol). With the body off the front pickups are accessible, but not the rest without more bits coming off. However, by holding the model such that only pairs of wheels make contact, I established the front axle and pony truck where the major problem. Looking at the front axle pickup revealed that the insulation of the right-hand (in photo) wire, the black one, is sleeved with heatshrink at the join and is jamming on the red wire underneath, so no contact with the wheel. Easily fixed and hopefully problem solved for that axle. Now to take some more bits off to access the other pickups, hoping they are as easily fixed.

[Richard08]

Turns out the middle axle pickups were also jamming - but luckily just shoving a wire sorted it out. Running beautifully again, it'll go on '1' (i.e. very slow) the full length of the layout without hesitating. Peace and calm have returned, the sun will rise and all is well in the (model) world.

As an aside, while investigating this I decided to give track a very definite clean. A lot of Youtubeing and forum reading ensued, to see what current thinking is. Yeah, that went well. I always used a Peco track rubber back in my OO days and so continued with one this tie around. I recalled the seriously dim and distant days, track on carpets and all that, when meths and a rag were the order of the day. So with a bit of ex tee shirt and a drop of meths I gave it a go. It works. Way better than the rubber. Some testing with the 08 showed some (I thought) track niggles had all gone. This also has the advantage that the meths doesn't affect scenic things like barrow crossings or ground at rail height that are problematic with the rubber.

[End2end]

This saves me a lot of time, being able to clean both tracks at once using IPA.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/164469152077
Thanks
End2end

[Richard08]

This saves me a lot of time, being able to clean both tracks at once using IPA.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/164469152077
Thanks
End2end

Unfortunately that would damage signal wires/point rodding and so on. Reminds me of the Triang track cleaning car (a US type box van) with foam soaked with meths from 'tanks' inside the wagon - only without the wagon bit. Ripped the blades off my first set of Peco points, got quietly retired.

[End2end]

I have one of those track cleaning cars too. This is much smaller than the car pad thingymebob and dare I say, better?
If it's any help, in delicate places I tend to reach for the old cotton buds soaked in IPA method.
Thanks
End2end

[Peterm]

Goodonya for finding and fixing. It's what most of us down under do rather than send tuff all the way back to Engerland.

[Bufferstop]

Your Dapol 14xx is a pretty old one, the plunger pickups were a hangover from Airfix days. Dapol reworked the chassis with more conventional arrangements and a lighter motor, before selling it to Hornby. I'd suggest you keep a lookout for a later Dapol or early Hornby chassis (before Hornby "improved" it). I even took the two plain tread wheels off the old one to get rid of the traction tyres, it pulls and pushes a pair of autocoaches with just a tiny bit of wheelslip, that'll do me fine.

[Richard08]

Your Dapol 14xx is a pretty old one,

Sorry,I should have said it's O gauge. Oops.

[Bufferstop]

Woops! Just haven't got my head around the resurgence in 0 gauge. I would think that the plunger pickup system should work ok in the larger scale, it was just overly complex to carry out well in 4mm.