In Need of Repairs...

[Superfreak3]

Hi all,

I have an old Tyco Santa Fe 0-4-0 Shifter Steam Loco and Tender that was part of
an old Brown Box Shifter Freight set from the mid 70's (I think).

The problem is, it just doesn't run well. The light does shine somewhat and
it seems like its trying, but just can't get going. I'm thinking it might just
need a good cleaning to remedy gummed up works.

I've tried cleaning the wheels and all my other locos run fine so its not a track/power
problem.

Does anyone know of a decent service shop in or near the Lehigh Valley of PA?

I would also be willing to ship elsewhere for fix-up. I know its not a valuable loco, but
it holds more sentimental value and I would just like to see it traverse my layout once
again.

Any help/info appreciated!

Thanks much in advance!!

 

[bklynman01]

Not sure if this loco is the same as yours, but if you're willing to turn a screw driver, you can get this done yourself for little to no cost. I had what sounds to be a similar problem with an 0-4-0 that was mass produced from the 60's through to the 90's. Check out the thread and let me know if it helps. If not, take a picture of the loco to help the guys here identify it, and the common problems associated with it.

http://www.modelrailroadforums.com/forum/showthread.php?33616-Cheap-Steam-Loco-Needs-Some-Help

 

[Superfreak3]

Yes, that loco looks similar. Mine is a Sante Fe 99 and I'll post a pic soon.

Quick additional question after scanning that link... Should I be able to turn the wheels on the loco freely or should they only turn with power on the track? If they are supposed to move freely, mine are locked tight.

I'll go down the road of trying to fix it myself so it should be an adventure, but it will really add to the satisfaction if I get her working again.

More to come!

 

[logandsawman]

... Should I be able to turn the wheels on the loco freely or should they only turn with power on the track?

I'll go down the road of trying to fix it myself so it should be an adventure, but it will really add to the satisfaction if I get her working again.

Repairing an old loco gives a lot of satisfaction. The drive wheels on the loco should not turn freely.

 

[bklynman01]

As lasm says, the wheels should not turn freely. The motor is what holds the wheels in place. When you disassemble the loco, the motor will be inside the body of the loco and the wheels will come off as a complete assy. At this time, the wheels will spin freely as there is no motor to keep the worm gear from turning. You can try from here to power the motor and see if the motor has hesitation in it. If so, the motor may just need replaced. If the wheels have resistance, they may just need cleaned and lubed. You can get light weight oil or grease for the worm gear from your LHS.

Good luck! Keep us updated!

 

[Superfreak3]

OK, I ripped it apart and, when separated, the wheels and motor seem to move freely. I'm guessing at this point that the motor has gone bad. How can I go about testing that without overpowering/burning out the motor?

 

[Railrunner130]

I have an old Tyco power pack that I've connected a couple pieces of wire to and alligator clips. You can vary the speeds and try it that way. You don't need the clips, but I've found that they help. Particularly if you're dealing with something that would otherwise require three or four hands.

If you've got the motor apart, I'd wipe it out with a paper towel to get the dirt out of it. Make sure you don't lose any parts/put the parts back where they belong.

 

[Superfreak3]

Do you have pics on where you clamp the wires on the exposed motor or doesn't it matter (polarity issue)?

 

[trailrider]

Remove the motor from the frame. There should be one wire coming from one of the electrical brushes. The rest of the motor's frame is grounded to the frame of the locomotive, so any metal part of the motor frame should serve as the other contact. Take a 9 volt battery and connect the wire to one pole of the battery, and touch the other pole to the motor frame. It should start the motor spinning. Don't worry about the polarity for the moment. If the motor turns over okay, then it may be dirt somewhere between the motor frame and the locomotive frame, which picks up electricity from the righthand driving wheels. If the motor runs jerkily or not at all, it probably means at least one winding on the armature is burned out. The other possibility is the armature is very dirty. You can clean the armature using a small piece of very fine emery paper folded up small enough to fit in the armature. Don't stall the motor holding the emery paper against the armature. Just light finger pressure or a wooden matchstick should do it.

Another possibility is that the tender wheels are dirty and/or there isn't good contact being made between the tender truck axles and the metal chasis of the tender. You may need to get or make some wipers to improve contact. I'm nowhere near you, and it would probably cost more in shipping both ways to send it to me.

 

[trailrider]

Remove the motor from the frame. There should be one wire coming from one of the electrical brushes. The rest of the motor's frame is grounded to the frame of the locomotive, so any metal part of the motor frame should serve as the other contact. Take a 9 volt battery and connect the wire to one pole of the battery, and touch the other pole to the motor frame. It should start the motor spinning. Don't worry about the polarity for the moment. If the motor turns over okay, then it may be dirt somewhere between the motor frame and the locomotive frame, which picks up electricity from the righthand driving wheels. If the motor runs jerkily or not at all, it probably means at least one winding on the armature is burned out. The other possibility is the armature is very dirty. You can clean the armature using a small piece of very fine emery paper folded up small enough to fit in the armature. Don't stall the motor holding the emery paper against the armature. Just light finger pressure or a wooden matchstick should do it.

Another possibility is that the tender wheels are dirty and/or there isn't good contact being made between the tender truck axles and the metal chasis of the tender. You may need to get or make some wipers to improve contact. I'm nowhere near you, and it would probably cost more in shipping both ways to send it to me.

I mispoke in the above. It is NOT the ARMATURE that needs cleaning, it is the COMMUTATOR! (Brain fade...) There is an excellent article on just such a project in the October issue of Railroad Model Craftsman. If you can't find a copy, PM me and I'll send you a copy.

 

[Bruette]

Pipe cleaners and lighter fuel (no smoking) work really well for cleaning inside old Tyco Diesels. I assume it would be the same for steamers.

I have to give CJcrescent credit for that tip.

 

[dinwitty]

open frame motor, typical of the tyco engines/mantua. look for dirt between the commutator breaks (brush material probably) and a tiny screw driver or pin poke the dirt out. If youo find Radio Shack or an electronics store or even an auto store, get some electronics cleaner spray (safe for plastics only) (TV tuner cleaner even...) and spray the motor, you should have to relube the motor anyways. and lube the gears and drivers and siderods, yes the siderods. Sometimes the brushes dont seat right, from wear or damage, leave the motor off the engine, get your powerpak and run the motor to wear in the brushes, probably a good idea anyways even if it runs fine to tune the motor back in shape.