Replacement motors for Mainline locos

[Zorcan]

Has anyone successfully replaced the old Mainline loco motors with something smoother and more durable?

 

There seem to be one or two cheap and easy options for Lima - can these - or others  - be used in Mainline models?

Edited March 21, 2017 by Zorcan

[DCB]

No.

[ikks]

These were not bad looking locos for their time except perhaps for the Scots, and Rebuilt Patriots and can still be made into respectable models.......are you certain the motor replacement is not available because I would love to resurrect some of mine, The 4MT isn't all that bad And the Jubes whilst not totally accurate. still look the part and I have six still sitting in boxes.

 

Mike

[DCB]

Two easyish options.   First a more modern Bachmann direct replacement chassis.    Second find a powered tender and push the de motored mainline loco with the powered tender, taking power from one half of the Mainline split chassis.  The Hornby 4-4-0 County and 28XX chassis Is good for the Manor and 43xx and the Hornby Black 5 powered tender or its chassis for the Scot/ Patriot etc.    The third option of a kit built or hand built chassis is probably not for the average sort of bod nor is my carving up of 1960s Triang and H/D chassis with redrilled axle holes Romford wheels repositioned motors, different motors etc.

 

The compact nature of the Mainline motor is the obstacle to a replacement as is its tiny armature and drive gear.  Only realistic chance to remotor the Mainline chassis is possibly the J72 and 56XX etc tanks which have more available width for the motor than the tender engines or possibly the use of the 43XX chassis in a 2-6-2 tank

Edited March 22, 2017 by DavidCBroad

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

These were not bad looking locos for their time except perhaps for the Scots, and Rebuilt Patriots and can still be made into respectable models.......are you certain the motor replacement is not available because I would love to resurrect some of mine, The 4MT isn't all that bad And the Jubes whilst not totally accurate. still look the part and I have six still sitting in boxes.

 

 If any of these models have the white/pale grey cased 'pod motor' then the Replica motor spare RS1000 - if still available - would be an option.

http://www.replicarailways.co.uk/spares-and-accessories/spares

 

However, the general fragility of the Jubilee running gear, especially the brittle gears and tendency of the driving wheels on round stub axles to slip out of quarter, would incline me to the thought of trying one and seeing whether the near forty year old mechanism parts are still up to the job.

[Zorcan]

Two easyish options.   First a more modern Bachmann direct replacement chassis.    Second find a powered tender and push the de motored mainline loco with the powered tender, taking power from one half of the Mainline split chassis.  The Hornby 4-4-0 County and 28XX chassis Is good for the Manor and 43xx and the Hornby Black 5 powered tender or its chassis for the Scot/ Patriot etc.    The third option of a kit built or hand built chassis is probably not for the average sort of bod nor is my carving up of 1960s Triang and H/D chassis with redrilled axle holes Romford wheels repositioned motors, different motors etc.

 

The compact nature of the Mainline motor is the obstacle to a replacement as is its tiny armature and drive gear.  Only realistic chance to remotor the Mainline chassis is possibly the J72 and 56XX etc tanks which have more available width for the motor than the tender engines or possibly the use of the 43XX chassis in a 2-6-2 tank

 

Yes, I've considered all these issues and possibilities. I have a part built manor chassis from a kit  (my mainline manor is top of my conversion list) which I plan to finish but I'm not sure if my eyesight and dexterity are still upto doing a good job!. If they are Comet do chassis kits for all my GWR locos.

 

Buying working Bachmann chassis is not a generally acceptable fix - they cost almost as much as a complete loco and their only manor to date has a split chassis - which can often be doctored to take a DCC decoder but I understand that's not a given.

 

I've also got some motorised tenders but tender driven models don't seem to run as realistically as loco driven ones-I am planning to try this as a last resort though

 

Having discovered cheap motors that will drop into Lima models, I was hoping the same option might apply for Mainline.

 

Many thanks for your input.

Edited March 24, 2017 by Zorcan

[Zorcan]

 If any of these models have the white/pale grey cased 'pod motor' then the Replica motor spare RS1000 - if still available - would be an option.

http://www.replicarailways.co.uk/spares-and-accessories/spares

 

However, the general fragility of the Jubilee running gear, especially the brittle gears and tendency of the driving wheels on round stub axles to slip out of quarter, would incline me to the thought of trying one and seeing whether the near forty year old mechanism parts are still up to the job.

 

Yes - it may well be that its not just the motor that may prove short-lived with the Mainline locos 

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

Regrettably this proved to be the truth for all the larger split chassis models if operated frequently - only the small types like the 0-6-0Ts had reasonable longevity thanks to lighter weight and less running mileage at speed. In my experience of the Mainline and Bachmann versions of these mechanisms it was a race between wearing through the plating on both the tyres, and the axle to chassis half contact areas, resulting in very poor current collection; or the plastic components in the drive train failing, resulting in various mechanical failures. Generally some plastic component failure(s) would be repaired or replaced before the plating was all done, at which point the mechanism was a throwaway after salvaging any serviceable components for the 'replacement parts' pool.

 

Acceptable enough when these models were available cheap, for an 'operator' like myself whose primary interest is watching trains running to a timetable service. Bachmann's provison of replacement complete mechanisms was in my opinion an acknowledgement of the short life characteristic of the materials choices and construction found in these mechanisms. As the better steel axle wheelset with wiper pick up mechanisms displaced the split chassis mechanisms in their range I extracted the last of the life from the old, and 'moved on'.

[Leander]

Buying working Bachmann chassis is not a generally acceptable fix - they cost almost as much as a complete loco

 

I acquired a replacement Bachmann 4-6-0 chassis for a Royal Scot from a well known online auction site last week for rather less than £50, including P&P, to go under a detailed, re-painted and renumbered body. Whilst this is more in cash terms than I'd paid about 10 or more years ago for similar replacements (£32.50 according to the packaging) this is considerably less than I would now have to pay for a complete loco, even if one were available.

[shildonboy]

I acquired a jubilee where the motor ran but the wheels slipped.  I have now fixed the wheels and now the motor won/t run.  The magnets seem very weak.  Does anyone know if replacement magnets are available?

[BG John]

I've just bought a Susumotor for my Lima GWR Railcar. It's just a CD/DVD drawer motor with the right gear attached. It looks to me as though it's about the right size to fit my Mainline 56xx, and I also have a motor from a DVD drive I dismantled available. If these motors will drive Lima locos, surely they may be suitable for Mainline ones too.

 

The attraction for me is that they are lower voltage than the original motors, and I'm about to start converting the Railcar and the 56xx to radio control, where motors that run on a lower voltage are a big advantage. Has anyone actually tried using one of these motors in a Mainline loco, and found it impractical?

[DCB]

I've just bought a Susumotor for my Lima GWR Railcar. It's just a CD/DVD drawer motor with the right gear attached. It looks to me as though it's about the right size to fit my Mainline 56xx, and I also have a motor from a DVD drive I dismantled available. If these motors will drive Lima locos, surely they may be suitable for Mainline ones too.

 

The attraction for me is that they are lower voltage than the original motors, and I'm about to start converting the Railcar and the 56xx to radio control, where motors that run on a lower voltage are a big advantage. Has anyone actually tried using one of these motors in a Mainline loco, and found it impractical?

Best of luck, the 56XX is most likely to take a CD drawer motor.  The CD motor is wider and larger diameter than the pod and from memory the pod motor is mainly in the LH chassis half and the drive gear is inside the Pod bearings so the CD will have to offset a long way to the left.  I have never managed to get a pod motor armature gear off and attaching one to the CD motor will be challenging.

 

I run my CD motored class 26 on 2X AA NiMh batteries which is under 3 volts for around 50 scale mph. If you use a transistor for speed control you will need more volts due to diode drop etc. My R/C experiments have used direct motor to battery connections for full power.  Still ongoing. Low priority. 

[BG John]

Best of luck, the 56XX is most likely to take a CD drawer motor.  The CD motor is wider and larger diameter than the pod and from memory the pod motor is mainly in the LH chassis half and the drive gear is inside the Pod bearings so the CD will have to offset a long way to the left.  I have never managed to get a pod motor armature gear off and attaching one to the CD motor will be challenging.

 

I run my CD motored class 26 on 2X AA NiMh batteries which is under 3 volts for around 50 scale mph. If you use a transistor for speed control you will need more volts due to diode drop etc. My R/C experiments have used direct motor to battery connections for full power.  Still ongoing. Low priority. 

I've just had another look, and the diameter of the motor is a bit less, but you're right about the gear. The motor width is similar, but it would have to be offset a long way, taking up space in the tanks where I was planning to put some of the electronics. I was planning to use the original motor, that I think will run at a reasonable speed on around 5 volts. I think I'll have to step up the voltage from a 3.7v Lipo though. I haven't got far enough to try it yet. It was drawing around 100mA at 5v upside down on my workbench, so is probably OK for battery operation.

 

If you get 50mph from two AA batteries, I think the four AAA I'm planning to use in my Lima railcar may be a bit much! Maybe three would be enough, but I find charging three in chargers that take either two or four to be rather irritating! I'll be using a 3.3v Arduino, although the input can be much higher, and a 3.3v Rx. I know it's cheap and easy to increase or decrease the voltage from any size batteries, but it all takes up space, and adds to the wiring.

 

Some interesting experiments ahead I think, but I don't think one of them will be changing the Mainline motor!