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Loco Wheel cleaning

I've brought my old Hornby loco's out of hibernation (circa 1985 when they last ran), and all but one runs well after a wheel clean with the track rubber. The one in question is a tender driven 4P Compound, and it jerks all the time. I've looked at the wheels, and they look shiny to me, and I've cleaned and cleaned the wheels with the track rubber, but still no joy.

The tender on it's own seems to be OK (but i cannot be certain as I cannot run it on track on its own), but when joined up to it's engine, that's when the trouble starts.

I've also lubricated all the appropriate moving parts, and there are no broken gears etc.

Any ideas ?

Reply to
Ian Cornish
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G'day Ian, Have you checked the contacts on the Tender/Loco connection. Graeme Hearn

Reply to
Graeme Hearn

"Ian Cornish" wrote

The problem is almost certainly caused by the method used to get the power picked up by the loco to the motor brushes in the tender. Hard wire if necessary.

John.

Reply to
John Turner

The wipers on the backs of the drivers are a likely cause of current collection problems, as is the connection between loco and tender.

Greg.P.

Reply to
Greg.P.

My Hornby black 5, similar age, did this until I removed all the old dried out oil from everything on the main loco, re-lubed with electrolube and it then ran perfectly. Badger.

Reply to
Badger

It ran perfectly???? I thought the best performance achievable was "adequately". ;-)

Reply to
Greg.P.

Forgive my ignorance, but what are the "wipers on the backs of the drivers".

It seems the tender picks up one rail voltage, and the loco picks up the other. Cleaning the connection between loco and tender has made an improvement, but I'm sure there's room for some more...

I've never actually taken an engine apart (yet), but am willing to do so now...if someone can clarify the wipers Q.

Ian

Greg.P. wrote:

Reply to
Ian Cornish

In older Hornby tender-driven locos, current is picked up through the left-hand drivers and conducted via the axles to the metal chassis, thence through the trailing bogie (if any) and via the connection to the tender. The right-side wheels and valve gear are insulated from the axles. With a couple of mine, I found running was improved by connecting a wire, anchored by screws in existing holes, between the chassis and the trailing bogie. I disassembled a barely-functioning Black 5 and removed all sorts of crud from the axles and bearings (some locos have brass bearing rings, others don't) before reapplying Electrolube. I also cleaned and adjusted the tender connection and mechanism, and got the loco running smoothly, if slowly - I think the motor magnets must have weakened.

Reply to
MartinS

An other Badger!

Badger.

Reply to
Badger

We don' need no steenking badgers! ;-)

Reply to
MartinS

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