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Operating Hornby Clockwork locomotive


eldomtom2
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Having gotten caught up in the 100th anniversary excitement, I have acquired an O gauge No.55 Goods Set complete with winding key. What I am uncertain about is how to properly operate it, as it came with no instructions. Does it matter which direction you turn the key aside from it changing the direction of the locomotive, for instance?

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I can turn it both ways. If this is supposed to not be possible, the fact that I can is rather worrying. Are the wheels meant to turn when the engine is being wound - if they aren't, the source of the problem (if it is one) may be identified.

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Apply the brake and turn the key gently. There is a clutch which disconnects the drive when winding, so if the wheels turn, it is being wound the wrong way! Wind smoothly and do not overwind. Lubrication is probably necessary. The advice has always been to not oil the spring, but use graphite grease.

 

I'll see if I can find the instructions.

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From memory some of these were reversing mechanisms with two levers and some were non reversing with one lever.  If the wheels revolve with the brake on something presumably has broken.   The key should wind clockwise.

They were not regulated as far as I know so they go like a bat out of hell when fully wound and only a couple of times around the table if partly wound for sensible speed.

There were some very nice clockwork mechs with regulation which could run at reasonable speed and could be wound just the right amount to stop in at or about the right place, Hornby were not in that league.

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1 minute ago, DavidCBroad said:

From memory some of these were reversing mechanisms with two levers and some were non reversing with one lever.  If the wheels revolve with the brake on something presumably has broken.   The key should wind clockwise.

The wheels do not revolve when the brake is on. They do revolve when the brakes are off though, so I presume the brake lever engages the clutch as well.

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What the OP may have experienced is the wheels being driven by the spring as soon as the spring is wound even a little bit -?trying to run as soon as you pause in the winding process.

 

Putting the brake on prevents that, as does winding-up with the loco on the track, while holding the loco to prevent it moving-off.

 

My father taught me never to wind-up with the loco off the track, so I don’t but I’m never quite sure why. Was it just a precaution to prevent junior fingers getting bitten, or just good, railway-like behaviour?

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I seem to remember that was stated in a Meccano Magazine article as the railway-like way to do it. They also suggested that one could experiment with the number of turns of the key to get the train to stop at the right place. The exposed gears could also bite, but they wouldn't have admitted that.

 

I believe there is a governor in the mechanism (at least in the better examples as we are concerned with here - A no.55 set was top of the range in its day (the better stock finished with WW II apart from a few items for export).

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3 minutes ago, Il Grifone said:

They also suggested that one could experiment with the number of turns of the key to get the train to stop at the right place.


Yes, it does work, once you’ve got the spring warmed-up so as to be dependable.

 

I know that with two coaches, my No. 2 tank will do precisely two circuits of my layout on 17 winds.

 

Sad, eh?

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Certainly the ones I've got ( 50s, 101s, 40 ) have a governor of sorts, that spins inside a small drum inside one of the side plates.

Unfortunately winding one of them recently ( not over doing it) resulted in it going Bang!...the spring snapped right at the end, in the middle of the spring where it attaches to it's spindle.

So a fun job will be annealing the busted end and attempt to re bend and install it....

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My springs are in rude health it’s the thumb that’s the problem hence 101 dispatched for a refit with a can motor and hopefully on return it will be easy street, for the thumb at least,  and a lot more track time for the 101. If I take to it there are  at least four other clockers to follow.

Edited by Bassettblowke
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I've been kind of doing that, but tend to "borrow from myself" for something I particularly want!

That said I don't buy posh expensive stuff, mainly job lots of tat!

Another plus being that  I've on occasion , sold unwanted items from a job lot I've bought, which has effectively paid for the bits I do want.

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3 hours ago, Porkscratching said:

Certainly the ones I've got ( 50s, 101s, 40 ) have a governor of sorts, that spins inside a small drum inside one of the side plates.

Unfortunately winding one of them recently ( not over doing it) resulted in it going Bang!...the spring snapped right at the end, in the middle of the spring where it attaches to it's spindle.

So a fun job will be annealing the busted end and attempt to re bend and install it....

 

Been there! done that! twice!  A no. 1 tank broken in the middle (she does run so far now) and an M1. It's quite straightforward once you get the mechanism out of the body.

 

 

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1 hour ago, Nearholmer said:

Is that set kosher? I thought that the LMS version of the loco died-out well before the No.50 wagons were introduced. 

 

I would think definitely not! The loco should be a black BR version. I'm not sure whether the ferret ever made it to 0 gauge locomotives, as another example of  the set I found had the cycling lion. It is also true that the pre-nationalisation liveries lasted a long time on 0 gauge stock (1955?), but there was a series of wagons in BR livery before the redesigned 50 series in 1957 (Another brilliant Hornby idea that probably never paid for itself!).

https://www.brightontoymuseum.co.uk/w/images/Hornby_Trains_postwar_identification_chart_(1956).jpg

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19 hours ago, eldomtom2 said:

Having gotten caught up in the 100th anniversary excitement, I have acquired an O gauge No.55 Goods Set complete with winding key. What I am uncertain about is how to properly operate it, as it came with no instructions. Does it matter which direction you turn the key aside from it changing the direction of the locomotive, for instance?

Since I have the same locomotive (in running condition) I can give some instructions:

 

  • There are 2 levers in the cabin. The right one is forward reverse, the left one is start/stop. The key hole is at the left side.
  • Pull both levers completely backwards (out). Note that both levers should always be pulled and pushed completely in or out and not halfway.
  • Take the loco in your left hand (upside down) and the key in your right hand. Give a few clockwise half-turns with the key.
  • Put the loco on the track and push the left lever forward (in). The loco should run forward.
  • Pull the left lever back (out), the loco should  stop.
  • Now push the right lever forward (in) and then push the left lever forward (in). The loco should run backwards.
  • When completely unwind I can safely give 8 full turns. But never force or the spring will break.

You mention the key can be turned both ways. I assume the clutch is stuck or broken. When stuck you might try to free it with some white spirit and some poking. It also could be that the spring is broken, but that is something you could see.

 

By the way: I always take my loco in the hand when winding; I have seen numerous accidents when people tried to wind a loco when it was on the track.

 

There was a remark made on the quality of this clockwork. When not broken (and I have never had a broken Hornby clockwork engine (I did have broken BL's))  these are very good quality clockwork motors. Even the M0 and M1 clockworks are of good quality and all regulated. Clockwork running is fun, so i do a lot of it as you can see here:

http://sncf231e.nl/clockwork-or-wind-up-trains/

 

And my version of your loco can be seen here:

 

 

Regards

Fred

 

 

Edited by sncf231e
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