The track gang has been busy laying in the spurs- C55 on Woodland Scenics foam roadbed. Once I get the track mocked up, I'll mark around it, remove it, & lay down the foam roadbed, then the track on top of that. It's a 1-by-6 foot switching layout, so not much track to move. Afterwards, wiring, which I'll embed into the foam surface (1 1/2" pink foam) & run out to the front. I envision a 2-cab operation.
Of all the old Atlas-Rivarossi engines, I have found these to be the most consistent "Good" runners. You can still get a dog but on the whole they run OK. Not as well as say a Kato Mikado but not too shabby. </font>[/QUOTE]If you get a good one, they seem to run forever. But they were known for burning out rather quickly. So, if it's not already dead, it's probably OK.
Of all the old Atlas-Rivarossi engines, I have found these to be the most consistent "Good" runners. You can still get a dog but on the whole they run OK. Not as well as say a Kato Mikado but not too shabby. </font>[/QUOTE]If you get a good one, they seem to run forever. But they were known for burning out rather quickly. So, if it's not already dead, it's probably OK. </font>[/QUOTE]Pete, I tried to power it up with clip leads. I am not sure how it gets it's power. The tender has copper brushes to the axles, but the tender is detached from the engine. I have not been succesful in making the motor turn over yet. I suspect I need to take it apart and examine the motor leads. I probably didn't clip to the right places. Do you know how this thing gets it's power? The interesting thing is that the engine is really intact as far as paint is concerned. It looks close to new but it has to be a couple decades old.
The tender wheels on one side pick up power to the right rail or engineer's side and the drivers all pick up off the left rail or fireman's side. With clip leads just hook one to the pin that sticks down under the motor to poke through a hole in the tender draw bar and clip the other to the metal frame under the cab to one side. When running there is a spring wire on the draw bar that should be moved to one side or the other of the draw bar hole so it applies maximun tension against the pin on the locomotive. This insures good electrical contact from the tender to the motor.
Geeky, I don't have one readily available where I am right now. I remember that the motor leads (brushes) were on the top and bottom, and that one of them (the bottom?) was a friction fit against the frame (?). Also, taking the boiler off was pretty simple (one screw), and removing the motor also (two screws). I'd remove the motor and clip to the brushes to test. If the motor runs, you're sort of in luck. Only sort of because the frame may be warped. It was made from a ZAMAC compound that distorted, swelled, and got very brittle. See below. I believe the tender picked up from both sides, and the frame from only one. Many have used these tenders for other steamers. I used one when I put a JNR 2-8-0 under the Atlas Light Pacific shell. But I've forgotten the details. I bought about a dozen dead ones a few years back, and played with remotoring them with cheap Mabuchi FF-30 motors. I actually got two to run before other projects got priority, and the Bachmann 2-8-0 came along, and I went to DCC. My problem was the ZAMAC frame. Most of them swelled. On the two that I got running, I had to grind the openings in the frame where the drivers were inserted. The frames had swollen so much that drivers 2 and 3 were frozen in place. So, if you've got one with a good motor, and a good frame, you've got a keeper! As a sidenote: many years ago, the motor from a Bachmann Docksider was a screw-in replacement for the motor for the Light Pacific. I think my Pacific had so many internal binding problems that it burnt out two replacements. Buying the Docksider at about $7 was cheaper than a replacement motor, which really wasn't available anyway.
Thanks for the update guys. Tried clip leads and no go. Since it doesn't run, I decided I may as well have a crack at it, so I took it apart. I clipped leads to the motor after removing it. After some fiddling I can get the motor to run. It needs lots of voltage to run BTW. but it does spin nicely. If I stop it and try to go the opposite direction it siezes up. All the axles seem loose in the frame. The headlight works as well. I will leave it till tomorrow to re assemble since I'm tired, but I feel that simply openning up an old steamer was a very educational experience. I have some lubes. Should I clean everything and try to relube with fresh lube?
Yeah, clean up everything t a fine polish (in thebearings) and then relube, regrease, etc. where appropriate. I am not as keenon the motor, but you might try adding a veyr small drop of light machine oil to the bearings on it as well. This might help the motor turn over easier. And you could always chuck the motor for another, though that might be a little too much work given the brittle nature of the frame/value of the overall unit.
I am really having fun with this repair. I am very tempted to replace the motor but do not have a suitable substitute. I'll try the clean and lube fix and then see if it runs. Of course this is assuming I can get the drivers back in correctly.
If the motor is an open fram / can type I'd sugest using a white ink-type eraser to polish down the commutator on the armature. That's the brass / copper part where the brushes rub. You can turn the motor with yout fingers whele you rub it with the eraser. It'll help with electrical conductivity. When oiling the motor bearings, use a tooth pick and put a TINY dab of oil on the bearings from the outside of the motor. A little dab will do ya, and if you get any on the commutator you're in deep doo doo, as it'll turn to carbon and muck up the works. Mark in Utah
It'll spin one way but not the other? As I remember, these are can type motors. Something's cockeyed inside the motor. I believe you can't take them apart unless you're up for some delicate surgeries with tiny wires and solder joints. Of the ones I've pulled apart (after giving up on them), the armatures are really rough, with lots of burrs on the edges. They'll spin in one direction--the burrs get pushed down by the magnets, but not in the other--the burrs catch against the magnets. Or some such phenomenon. I haven't tried to repair this small a motor since about 1972. And that attempt didn't work. These are not quality motors. Even if you have a live one, it will vibrate a lot, causing the bearings to seize. The bearings, IIRC, are plastic while the shafts are hardened steel. Not exactly a recipe for a long life.
You pretty much described it to a T, even down to the Vibration. It runs almost like something is completely out of true, but I think it's just seventies tech in a small motor causing that effect. Nice looking engine though. I hate to simply scrap it.
