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Heljan CLASS 26 - SLOW RUNNING/LOSING POWER


RBC
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I picked up a nice secondhand Heljan Class 26 and gave it a short test run (on anologue) and all was well at all speeds.

I gave it another test run a short time later and it ran okay in one direction but very slowly in the other.

Pulled the body off and nothing obvious wrong, changed the blanking plug as a precaution.

Further test runs still have this intermittent slow/loss of power in ONE direction only, but not the same end.

I have detected a very slight burning smell although the loco has not ran for some while.

I'm using a guagemaster controller and have other Heljan locos that run without any issue.

Did I read somewhere there are issues with this controller type and Heljan locos on anologue ?

Any ideas of how to overcome would be welcome.

Edited by RBC
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First thing to test is supplying current by flying leads directly to the motor, to see how it runs in both directions without any suppression components in circuit. If the motor is dying that is unusual of the large motor Heljan use, but at least replacement is not difficult, hopefully Howes have stock.

 

A friend who has been running Heljan class 47s pretty much since release, and several other Heljan with what outwardly looks to be the same 'big motor' since, has a couple of Gaugemaster simulator units as the layout power, and never any trouble.

Edited by 34theletterbetweenB&D
Forgot something
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Try cleaning the gunk out of the gear towers. Not sure what they "lubricate " the locos with but it goes very gooey with time.

Mike Edge used Gt85..I used a clean non lint cloth.

Baz

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  • 1 month later...

As Barry O says the gunk in the gear trains of Heljan diesels is often a problem.

 

Another thing to check is the condition of the wheels. Earlier models had a form of chemical blackening on the wheels which seems to continue to be active for a while, and renders the conductivity from the track to be quite poor. You can either replace them with the newer plated wheels or do a thorough clean, but you will probably need several goes until the problem is eradicated.

 

John.

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25 minutes ago, John Tomlinson said:

 do a thorough clean, but you will probably need several goes until the problem is eradicated.

 

John.

 

That's very useful to read, John.  I had got it in mind that the only solution was to replace those early HJ wheelsets; when the time comes to run my early Danish BRCWs (DRCWs?) in anger I'll remember to have the cleaning kit handy for a while.

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On a couple of my old Heljan 47s I´ve pulled the chemically blackened crud collector brass wheels off of their axles and replaced them with the 36-033 Bachmann OO gauge turned coach wheels.

Cheaper than the Heljan replacements that come complete with the gears and axles.

I´m still not sure if they are the correct diameter for either a 47 or class 26 but they cured the running characteristics.

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