Tyco Clementine

[garypfei]

Hello! I just got a Tyco Clementine and it ran fine for four laps on my test track and now it has died. The headlamp works but the drive tender is dead! Any suggestions before I begin to dismantle this thing? Help would be appreciated!

 

[Bruette]

I would start by cleaning the wheels and track.

With an engine this old you never know how much running time it has had. You may have to refurbish the motor.

After cleaning let us know if anything changes and we can go from there.

 

[garypfei]

Tyco Clementine!

I would start by cleaning the wheels and track.

With an engine this old you never know how much running time it has had. You may have to refurbish the motor.

After cleaning let us know if anything changes and we can go from there.

I put a different engine on it and it ran fine! I believe that this one just overheated and died! The fact that it has a metal block makes modification difficult! I gotta quit buying off of ebay!

 

[garypfei]

I put a battery to the copper contacts and the bulb loghts up but it does not move and the gears do move!

 

[garypfei]

The wheels move freely that is not binding!

 

[Iron Horseman]

I put a battery to the copper contacts and the bulb loghts up but it does not move and the gears do move!

The gears are moving but the locomotive is not? Or do you mean when you push it you can see the gears move? Unfortunately I am not familiar with this specific loco. I didn't pay too much attention to the Tyco trains when I was younger. I cannot even find a diagram for it on the HO Seekers site.

 

[Bruette]

Can you describe the gears and how they drive the wheels? I can't find a diagram either. If they are moving with power applied then I would think something is stripped if the wheels don't move with the gears.

I agree with you about buying old Tyco locomotives on eBay. You never know their provenance and they were priced new to be disposable. They can be rebuilt, but patience and experience with small electrical/mechanical equipment is vital.

That is not to say a novice can't do it. If you have good hands you can gain the experience through trial an error. I am not saying you do or do not have experience. I am speaking in general.

I have rebuilt several Tyco diesel locomotives but I had to buy 2 or 3 for everyone I was able to rebuild. In some cases I was able to find new parts available on the web.

The only reason to rebuild an old Tyco locomotive is for the love of doing it. It will not be cost effective in most cases. I have gotten lucky a few times and bought good running Tyco locomotives, but it's a shot in the dark.

I have rebuilt the ones I had as a child/young man. Lionel is easily worked on with parts readily available, but I have even had my fill of repair those locomotives.

Now I would only buy new unless I came across something intriguing to me.

 

[garypfei]

The armature does not turn. but the headlight works! The gears are not binding, the wheels are clean! They are basically the same as the Auraura cars I had as a kid. It is a shame that those armatures don't fit! I haven't tried the newer Afx cars. The diameter of the pinion is too large and short!

 

[Bruette]

Ok the gears do not move when power is applied I got that wrong.

The armature does not turn with power applied so the motor is the problem, I suspect it is the brushes. You can buy new brushes for Tyco motors, but I am not sure which motor you have. I have only encountered one motor used in the 3 different types Tyco diesels I have worked on.

I can't say if this fits yours http://www.ebay.com/itm/MOTOR-BRUSH...hash=item25acec4bfa:m:mNnDK7MpULdy3HPtcQyF5mw

You could disassemble the motor and clean the brushes, but that seldom helps. It has on the odd occasion worked but it has not lasted for long with most of my locomotives, although 2 are still running.

I take it this clementine is special to you?

If so there are more on eBay, but you could be throwing good money after bad. On the other hand if this is special to you it would be a good source for parts. I don't want to look to see how much money I have spent getting my old Tyco I had as a kid running, but I can tell you it was worth it to me. "One man's trash is another man's treasure"

http://www.ebay.com/itm/HO-scale-Ty...951404?hash=item36066ba32c:g:FUMAAOSwZVlXldHk

http://www.ebay.com/itm/HO-scale-Ty...048565?hash=item43efbe81f5:g:C7gAAOSwtJZXVjb6

 

[garypfei]

THanks for all the help! I did not know that brushes could go bad! I have a tyco diesel with the same set up that I ccould not get to run as well!

 

[garypfei]

Swapped out the brushes and motor still does not turn, headlight still works.

 

[Bruette]

If the brushes are good, power is reaching the coil and everything is clean then you may have been right on your first thought that the motor has cooked. Can you swap the motor?