Non running locos

[barney121e]

Hi All

As some will know i have got into servicing locos and fixing the odd non runner. However, last week i was offered 9 non running locos for a nice price so took the plunge.
If your scared of servicing and trying to get a loco to run i have the following tips.

1. Watch youtube videos, plenty of people out there show you how to service and repair locos. Even some explain soldering, which i am awful at but have made it work.

2. Work on one at a time. Yes, i have got a couple of locos mixed up.

3. If the loco isnt running, start by servicing the loco. Sometimes that is all they need.

4. When taking a loco apart, take pictures of it and put the parts in a container. As i have found sometimes a loco is only missing a spring which is the reason it isnt running. Also look for missing parts. There are places out there where you can normally get spare parts, Ebay and Peters Spares to name but a couple.

5. Following a couple of tests, although cleaning brushes and springs all help (especially for ringfield motors) it seems new ones are even better.

6. Remember to oil and grease where necessary before putting back together. Although you do become good taking locos apart if you forget like myself.

7. Ask on forums like this one, there is always someone with a suggestion.

8. Have a go, you will be surprised what you can do.

I have been mainly working on old Hornby and Lima models. The ones with ringfield motors are the most straightforward.

[Bigmet]

9. As your know-how increases, you can select the most reliable techniques to improve many mechanisms. Who cares if the model is no longer in 'original condition' if you have made it run better?

[Richard08]

3. If the loco isnt running, start by servicing the loco. Sometimes that is all they need.

OOBill shows an excellent example of this dealing with a 'dead' Triang Rocket - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_rcaEP-T3A

[barney121e]

3. If the loco isnt running, start by servicing the loco. Sometimes that is all they need.

OOBill shows an excellent example of this dealing with a 'dead' Triang Rocket - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_rcaEP-T3A

Watch all his videos, gave me the confidence to try myself. Not had luck with the old Hornby armature motors yet, but will keep trying.

Working on a Hornby HST took it apart, cleaned it seemed to run but then didn't. Then noticed a gear was missing completely. Hopefully a new gear will make all the difference. Have also used a cd conversion on one ringfield motor which was interesting to do, especially with my soldering skill but it worked.

[Bufferstop]

Have also used a cd conversion on one ringfield motor which was interesting to do, especially with my soldering skill but it worked.

With Ringfield motors you don't need the full cd conversion kit, if you retrieve the tray motor from a duff cd drive, complete with its fixing screws you will find that the fixing holes in the face of the motor match up with the slots in the ringfield housing. The motor shaft is the same diameter as the shafts in the various nylon gear experimenting kits. \If you fi\nd a 10:20 or 10:30 double gear and cut away the larger part the ten tooth gear from the centre is a good match to the gear train on the bogies, I have a number of them running happily. If they are six volt motors you can trust yourself not to use full power, put diodes in series with the motor, or on DCC just set the max voltage to 6v. If you only want believable speeds with short trains you'll never turn up the control too far, it will just fly off the track. By leaving the rails at the first bend, the motor trains the operator not to overdo the voltage.