Airfix 14xx - Chassis Help

[Derails Models]

Hi all! Strange of me to be posting here but I need a little help...

 

I've recently been given an Airfix 14xx in a few parts that needs to go back together. I took it on as a favour to someone, however it's turning out more difficult than a case of a few screws needing to be tightened........

 

So I now have it in a position to put the bottom of the chassis back onto the block, we're looking like this:

 

 

The confusion surrounds the part below. There are two of them, one at each end, they're like a small metal wiper. What do they do and are they in the right place? The chassis doesn't seem to go back together with them there though....

 

 

Also, two more came with the loco, so how many are supposed to be in there? 2 or 4?

 

 

Any help is much appreciated, and if you have any further tips on getting this back together, that would be awesome!

 

Thanks in advance...!

 

[Gordon A]

The two transverse springs you have shown are the self centring springs for the Airfix tension lock coupling.

Looking at your pictures I would say you have an Airfix rtr 14xx loco.

Try turning them the other way up so the lugs are pointing to the body.

There should be only one spring at each end.

 

Gordon

Edited February 4, 2019 by Gordon A

[Derails Models]

31 minutes ago, Gordon A said:

The two transverse springs you have shown are the self centring springs for the Airfix tension lock coupling.

Looking at your pictures I would say you have an Airfix rtr 14xx loco.

Try turning them the other way up so the lugs are pointing to the body.

There should be only one spring at each end.

 

Gordon

 

Perfect, thanks Gordon. All in one piece now, much appreciated. 

[melmerby]

56 minutes ago, Gordon A said:

The two transverse springs you have shown are the self centring springs for the Airfix tension lock coupling.

Looking at your pictures I would say you have an Airfix rtr 14xx loco.

Try turning them the other way up so the lugs are pointing to the body.

There should be only one spring at each end.

 

Gordon

I have seen them with 2 each end.

 

Little Dan

How are the plunger pickups?

They need to be clean and free to operate and is one of the main complaints about bad running with the Airfix 14XX

There should be 6 in total (I can see one in the picture), 3 connected to chassis and 3 insulated from the chassis.

The long extension on the motor brush holder also has a plunger which reaches down to contact the bottom plate and the three insulated plungers, that should be free to operate as well.

Edited February 4, 2019 by melmerby

[Derails Models]

36 minutes ago, melmerby said:

I have seen them with 2 each end.

 

Little Dan

How are the plunger pickups?

They need to be clean and free to operate and is one of the main complaints about bad running with the Airfix 14XX

There should be 6 in total (I can see one in the picture), 3 connected to chassis and 3 insulated from the chassis.

The long extension on the motor brush holder also has a plunger which reaches down to contact the bottom plate and the three insulated plungers, that should be free to operate as well.

 

Hi Keith,

 

Thanks for your reply.  Incidentally that's the reason I got given it - this guy had taken it apart to clean the plungers at home (he'd done a good job too) and couldn't get it back together... They're all in good shape now, nice and clean and working freely. It's an interesting design that must be quite robust but I can see why it causes issues!

 

Thanks for the info about the springs - that might explain why there was another set of them supplied. The couplings self centre now and I don't fancy taking it apart again so I think I'll leave it with one at each end at the moment.

 

Having tested it after putting it back together, I think it has a gearbox problem as it just isn't running right but it's not pickup related as occasionally you can hear the motor running but not engaging. Apparently this was the same problem as before but cleaning the contacts was just in-hope it might help. I think it's time for a new chassis.....

 

Cheers!

 

 

[Graham456]

Back in my youth working in a model shop in Bristol I mush have had around a hundred  (well it felt like it) of these things apart to change the plungers for customers, useing chromed plungers to replace the brass ones fitted at The factory, I don't think the chromed ones were any better but may have been a attempt by Airfix to make them less sticky ?

 Anyway during this dissection I often came across two coupling springs instead of one and not always matching ends, I came to the conclusion it was due to the fiddly little things sticking together and in the rush to build them a couple would get jammed in instead of time wasting separating them out 

[The Johnster]

IIRC this model had a brass worm driving a nylon cog gear, and it sounds as if the cog has worn; given the age of the loco this is not unreasonable...  You will be able to see if it's worn by looking at the teeth; if they have a dip in the middle of the edge, that's your problem.

 

At this point, it is a matter for you and your friend to decide if the model's worth saving, maybe for sentimental reasons or just to prove it can be done.  I have no idea if new cogs are available, but would respectfully suggest that secondhand ones are likely to be at least on their way out if not just as bad.  Check that the motor is sitting properly in it's cradle as a first action, and that the worm is at least engaging with the cog as best it can.  

 

If you can find a secondhand mechanism donor, I'd take the opportunity to replace the trailing driving wheels (you just force pull them off the axle) with the front ones from the donor, which will enable you to get rid of the traction tyres.  These things are never going to do any good for the pickup ability or slow running, and will spread crud everywhere; they are not necessary if the loco is to pull one auto trailer on level track, which is the work most of these have to perform.  

[melmerby]

1 hour ago, The Johnster said:

IIRC this model had a brass worm driving a nylon cog gear, and it sounds as if the cog has worn; given the age of the loco this is not unreasonable...  You will be able to see if it's worn by looking at the teeth; if they have a dip in the middle of the edge, that's your problem.

 

At this point, it is a matter for you and your friend to decide if the model's worth saving, maybe for sentimental reasons or just to prove it can be done.  I have no idea if new cogs are available, but would respectfully suggest that secondhand ones are likely to be at least on their way out if not just as bad.  Check that the motor is sitting properly in it's cradle as a first action, and that the worm is at least engaging with the cog as best it can.  

 

If you can find a secondhand mechanism donor, I'd take the opportunity to replace the trailing driving wheels (you just force pull them off the axle) with the front ones from the donor, which will enable you to get rid of the traction tyres.  These things are never going to do any good for the pickup ability or slow running, and will spread crud everywhere; they are not necessary if the loco is to pull one auto trailer on level track, which is the work most of these have to perform.  

You can see in Little Dan's original picture that the gear looks, at first glance, possibly in reasonable condition.

 

As regard the wheels. I bought two of these locos in good condition at £20 ea S/H

I swapped the one pair of tyred wheels for the plain ones off the other loco, then used Alan Gibson wheels for that loco.

They don't have great haulage but do run reasonably well.

Both have small DCC decoders. (You need to isolate the motor brushes for DCC!)

 

IMHO for a 40yr old design they aren't too bad.

 

Edited February 4, 2019 by melmerby

[Butler Henderson]

Branchlines did replacement gearwheels for them although probably now no longer available

 

They were designed for use with the Airfix MTC system so dccing them is quite straightforward - you swop the brush housings around and the one that has a long protrusion that fits down into the chassis to a contact strip neatly fits into the dome. Pickups and motor isolated and just a matter of making the decoder connections - the same approach can be taken if you have one that has failed pick-ups but a good worm, provide pickups on a permanently coupled autotrailer and wire them to the brush holders (via a decoder if necessary)

Edited February 5, 2019 by Butler Henderson
Correction re Branchlines product