Any Minitrix motors out there?

Try the N gauge Yahoo group, you might find something in someone's drawer there.

Alternatively, I bet something in the Mashima range will fit. Branchlines were the best source last time I bought a Mashima.

- Nigel

A US company may have something ...... NorthWest Short Line

I understand removing the worm from the original motor can be a problem :-(

Chris

Not an issue on the 27; the motor has drive dogs, which engage with more dogs, that then drive the worms. So the motor lifts out without the worms.

Can't be that hard to remove with an appropriate few bits of tooling; some decent pliers held across a vice behind the worm/dog and a fine punch to knock the shaft out.

- Nigel

I don't think removing the 'dogs' would be too much of a problem, although the Mashima shafts may be a different diameter. The MHK 1020 looks like a close match, sizewise, to the original motor, although the bracket and motor mounting holes do not match up, the shafts/dogs will need work, and I've yet to determine what alterations to the wiring will be needed.

Having trawled the Web a bit, I haven't come across any reported instance of anyone fitting a Mashima into a Minitrix 27, which seems a little surprising, if it's a viable move. I shall certainly have a go, if I can't rustle up a 'spare' Minitrix motor in the meantime - obviously a far easier 'drop in' solution.

Many thanks for the suggestions, folks, by the way.

Piece of cake.

Make new drive dogs from bit of brass. Either use several lengths of sliding K&S tube to bring diameter up to size, or drill centrally down a piece of bar. The outside diameter isn't critical. Then file the dog flats on the piece of brass before trimming to length and fitting to the motor shafts.

Make new ones, a simple bit of bent metal sheet.

The brush gear on the Minitrix presses on the lower PCB below the motor. Suggest fitting wires onto Mashima brush gear, and attaching to upper PCB. If going DCC, at least chop the components off the PCB. I might keep the PCB if staying with bulb illumination, but replace it if going for LEDs.

( I have a couple of 27's due to arrive for DCC conversion, so have been thinking about it).

I don't know of anyone doing it to a 27, but Mashima's are a fairly common drop-in to replace older Farish diesel motors.

regards

- Nigel

Yes, I've completed the transplant now, and it's running 'good as new'. I was able to re-use the original 'dogs', after boring out the hole for the driveshaft, and to adapt the original mountings. As suggested, I wired the power feed to the upper pcb.

Thanks for posting the update, its nice to know if suggestions worked out.

(BTW. the DCC conversions have been through my bench, and worked fine. Left with red/white lamps front and rear using three surface mount LEDs on a vertically mounted board at each end. White and Red at bottom, and white only at top. With suitable resistors, it gives red rears and white lamps and train number box. Owner was happy with this compromise lighting. Chip has independent switching of reds and whites (four of the six outputs on a Zimo MX620) so the reds can be turned off if not required (such as pulling a train), and are set to be directional. )

- Nigel