Old Hornby Class 91, what's missing?

[Tomathee]

Hi folks, new week new problem. Son has rescued another old loco from his grandparents that he expects resurrecting to full working order. I've replaced the springs and brushes and the motor works when contact is made directly, however not when I try and power it through the track.

 

Looking at the service sheets 208B seems the correct one - https://www.Hornby.com/uk-en/downloads/view/download/item/443 . I believe it is the older 'produced in the UK until December 98' page rather than the 'China from January 99'. Now I vaguely remember a cable inside however at some stage during childhood that has since disappeared (along with the springs, hence replacing them before I could even test anything else. I suspect me or brother have bodged a previous repair job in our junior years). The pantograph also broke off long ago, however I don't remember it ever being one that raised, rather a moulded in the lowered position plastic one, but there was a switch on the roof (it was part of a trainset so I assume a more basic version?). Given that it doesn't and never has picked up power through a pantograph I'm not sure which route to go. The sheet seems to show a cable from the non-power bogie to the pantograph and another from that to the power bogie, however there is nothing left in the roof for them to connect to, metallic or otherwise. I'm also unsure how power would go through the non-power bogie, as it just seems to be a solid lump, unless the whole thing conducts electricity? Easiest way I guess would be if the bogie with the motor did it all without a cable but I assume that's not possible. Naturally the pantograph leads (X8278) referred to on the sheet aren't available anywhere. I found this which looks like it would fit however is just one cable - https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/X1367-Hornby-TRIANG-PANTOGRAPH-WIRE-CLASS-86-90-91-R7B/152352527045?epid=2102115449&hash=item2378eb12c5:g:RVsAAOSwImRYTcOh . Would that work as a direct link from the non-power bogie to one of the 'thingys holding the spring in place' (if I follow where a cable went to on the James loco), and avoid the need to have two cables that as mentioned will have nothing in the roof to connect to? Also there may be what looks like a capacitor missing, though I'm not sure and have no clue if this is part of the problem or should be in place. Again not available anywhere and I assume they have some value that will vary that I have no clue on, so advice appreciated as that sort of thing is even more out of my comfort zone than replacing springs and oiling etc. I've added a couple of pics below that might help with my rambling explanation...

 

 

Many thanks

Tom

Edited May 1, 2019 by Tomathee
Forgot pics

[Pete the Elaner]

It looks like you are indeed missing a wire.

There should be rubber traction tyres n 1 side of the power bogie. The locos cannot collect or return current through these so it has to get it from the non-power bogie, hence the wire.

Some 91s will have been able to use the pantograph for electrical contact but if yours had a plastic pan, you may be better off searching for a standard wire from a class 37 or 47, straight from the trailing bogie to the brush retainer.

[Tomathee]

Thanks Pete, correct on the rubber tyres. I searched all the Class 37 and 47 service sheets you suggested but none had a similar setup or end connectors. I even went as far as browsing all of the service sheets for any that sounded like a loco with two bogies that might need a similar cable but no joy. I ended up on what must be an old reference service sheet on a third party site which was for a Class 91 (here for the trail - http://www.hornbyguide.com/service_sheet_details.asp?sheetid=79). This included a cable with the same part number as that in the ebay link I put in the original post (X1367), however the other cable shown wasn't available anywhere and the available one seems the shorter of the two and possibly not long enough to go from bogie to bogie as it was originally intended to go from bogie to the roof. So I've ordered two, assuming I'll be able to just join the middle up and wrap some tape around it so it doesn't come into contact with anything it shouldn't. Will report back on progress.

 

Cheers again

[crompton 33]

It's best way is to solder  the two wires together .  Cover the join with heat Shrink tape.

Edited May 6, 2019 by crompton 33

[Tomathee]

A word on the excellent service from the ebay seller in my original link. I ordered on Sunday night and they had arrived Wednesday morning, including a bank holiday. Wasn't able to find a similar part anywhere, if I got desperate I could have probably used regular wire and created a join, which would have meant buying a soldering iron and so on.

 

 

After a loose fit test run to make sure I was on the right track I had to slightly widen one of the connectors to fit on the non-power bogie. It's a snug fit but impossible without the adjustment.

 

Then it was just a case of joining the wires and putting the body back on. Fortunately the connectors are such that they hold together without any soldering or other thought needing to be put towards joining them.

 

If/when I get a soldering iron I might go back to it and solder the join, or remove the connectors to keep as spares and join the bare wires. For now it is as shown with tape wrapped around to avoid and trouble.

 

Thanks again for reading and the help