Hello
Can anyone point me to a FAQ, site, book or explain the electrical
circuit for this locomotive please ?
It presently seems to short across the two live rails. Examination
shows the following:
The front and back left hand metal wheels pick up from the rail. There
are no rubber grommets on any wheel. A fairly thin insulated red wire
takes it up to - what appears to be a modern bodge - a yellow
shrinkwrapped unknow thing - resistor ? From which it goes via a
thick green insulated wire to the righthand solder tag. The solder
tags are mounted on a pirtoid insulated board. A coppery spring
connects to the right carbon brush, holding it in. From the right
solder tag there is also a thick green wire (modern bodge ?) soldered
directly to the right brass carbon brush holder ie in parallel to the
copper spring. It is possible the right brush holder is insulated
from the body by a squashed pirtoid washer.
I assume the current then goes through the invisible motor, out
through the left hand carbon brush and back up a coppery spring to the
left solder tag. And from the left brass brush holder through the
metal body to the other rail.
There is a component soldered across the two soldertags which looks
remarkably similar to an old wire wound resistor but may be a
capacitor.
The left front and back wheels picking up the track current seem to be
joined to their right counterparts by metal shafts (which cannot be
right as it would short across the rails ?). And if the return path is
through the body and right wheels, the body shorts - unless the left
pickup wheels are insulated somehow.
The wheels turn rather stiffly but they turn.
I know nothing about such locomotives. The owner believes wrongly that
I am electrically gifted.
I should be very grateful if someone could illuminate where the
return path is and if the pickup wheels and right brush holder are
supposed to be insulated from the body. And did they really have
shrinkwrap plastic in c1960s ?
Anyway many thanks
Giles
- posted 15 years ago