I thought I try the Subject engine on the tracks, but there's no movemen. A hum comes from the engine and the voltage across the track goes from 0 to 14 dc as I turn the transformer dial. It's been about 4 years since I took the engine out for a track run. I vaguely recall that some application of oil on the wheels or engine got it going. Possibly it needs some steel wool work on the tracks. Comments?
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I wouldn't use steel wool. The motor will pick up the fragments. If you don't have any kind of track cleaner, you could use a bit of alcohol or an eraser, or a piece of masonite or wood to clean the track. Rub your fingers on the rail to determine if it's dirty.
Bill
Not knowing anything about the engine I will throw a few things out that may or may not be helpful.
If it is an older engine it may be powered by rubber bands which have long since decinergated(sp?). Take the top off the engine and see if the motor is moving at all. It may be moving but without the rubber bands it can't turn the wheels.
If it doesn't need rubber bands it may just have some crud in the armature that needs cleaning out.
Another thought I had was: is it a European made engine that needs 220 to run on? I have a couple of them and have not even tried to set it up here in the states.
Karl
W. eWats> I thought I try the Subject engine on the tracks, but there's no
I think this is all American made. I bought it 22 years ago for my kids, and am about to sell it. I used sand paper on the tracks, and wheels. I think it was most effective on the tracks. Founde the exploded view of the engine. The engine has looped about 30' of track several times now. It's a two level system, and I suspect it needs more work to pull cars up the incline. Progress anyway.
I may need to look inside the engine, and oil (light?) as necessary. More work on the tracks will probably help too. I think the engine is Athern. Yes, EMD SD-9. Cars too.
The incline is worse than I thought. I have the layout supported on an incline temporarily. I guess it still has some go!
The bands referred to are often used on the insulated, traction side of the driver wheels themselves. Look for a groove cut in the wheel where the bands would normally be. If the wheels themselves are smooth then they probably don't need the rubber traction bands.
Use a gray eraser on the tracks, one that has grit in it for typing erasure. That will clean the tracks and leave only minimal debris but nothing that will cause any harm to the engine. Use another eraser type, the gum eraser, to clean your armature on the motor after you disassemble it - should you decide to do that. The gum eraser won't scratch it.
If your brushes need replacing from wear or deterioration, you will either have to buy them or make new ones. Not that hard, actually. If your armature is gouged, it may need resurfacing by a machinist.
Good luck with the engine.
-- Ray
If it needs resurfacing by a machinist, it would be cheaper to just sell 'as is'. I doubt a 22 year old Athearn SD-9 would be worth the cost.
I'll take a look for the gray erasers, but typing! Does anyone make typewriters any more? Bands on the wheel? Are we talking about rubber?
A kitchen sponge with the blue or green scrubber side works just fine. And yes, rubber bands on the driving wheels on some older locos. Aided traction for light weight locos.
Office supply shops have them. Usually they are a split eraser. Pencil type on one side and ink type on the other. The ink type is the gritty one.
The bands are rubber and do degrade with age. Look closely at the drive wheels to see if there are any groves cut in the flat part the touches the track. If so, replacement bands can be purchased from hobby shops. The wheel diameter and band width must be known to order them. Break out the micrometer!
You can also make your own in some cases by using medical rubber tubing. A dowel and single edged razor blade can provide you with a lifetime supply from a single length of hose. The rubber has to be stretched beyond belief to get it on the wheel so experimentation with the cut will be necessary. Half the fun of getting to the destination is the journey. Enjoy.
-- Ray
The repair could be a labor of love rather than one of dollar value.
-- Ray
The wheels are metal. I'll try a scrubber or some such device.
On 8/12/2009 5:59 PM LD spake thus:
I don't know why so many people automatically jump to the conclusion that if it's an old loco, it probably has traction tires (rubber bands around the rims of some of the driving wheels).
I'm going to guess that his loco doesn't have traction tires. I've seen lots of circa-20-year-old Athearns, and they don't have them.
Maybe the OP can report back to us on this.
It's not just the engine, I'm selling the entire layout.
Has anybody tried Frog Snot?
They don't.
They do howvever know that Athearn used rubber bands from pulleys on the motor shaft to the wheels before they switched to universal joints and gear towers.
Lots of circa-30-year-old Athearnd had rubber band drive, however.
When I first saw Athearn and rubber bands my thoughts sprag to the over-40 Athearn ATSF freight scheme F7 with the lopsidededly applied cigar band, that when retrieved from a long lost storage box had totally deteriorated (more apt word than degenerated, however spelled) rubber bands that certainly kept it from moving - because they were part of the drive train.
What did they call that, Hi-F drive?
see this:
In connection with the other thread stemming from my post, I think through some combination of erasers, scrubbers, and such the track and (metal) wheels will be taken care of. The engine makes it around the track fairly well after the use of sandpaper to the rails.
This train set and layout is 22 years old, and has set idle for 99.9% of that time hanging from chains in our former and present garage. I'm in the process of selling it. It never connected with my kids when they were 12-13. Perhaps 10-12 would have made a bigger impact. They were caught up in sports and the dawn of the personal computer age. When I was that age I was well into trains, but bowed in by the time I was 14. Fun and useful to my life, but I moved far away from those interests. All technical and science. I sill occasionally happen on big layouts in various communities to note the changes. They are going digital now.
If after all this time there's something to worry about, I think it's lubrication in the gears and such under the body. I saved the exploded diagram of the engine, and it looks like there are key points that might require a spot of light oil. I'll take care of that tomorrow.
I had a similar problem with a loco that had been in storage for about 15 years - Seemed the oil or grease applied in the factory had 'gone off' in some way - I was in luck as a friend had an ultrasonic cleaner (usually used for jewelry) which got a surprising amount of dirt out of the chassis/engine - Used a little sewing machine oil to re-lubricate and it ran better than when new.
Mike
The OP wants to Sell it.
But would you want to get a machinist involved? With a 20 something Athearn loco?
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