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Fitting a new motor to a Hornby class 90.


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Hi i have a new Hornby class 90 which has the latest motor and has been working fine with 7 mk3 coaches but recently it has started to wheel slip and it has been slowing down on gradients.

I would like to fit a new motor to it so it is more powerful and it can travel with 8 or 9 mk3s with a dvt at full speed without slowing down on the gradients.

I would like to fit a new motor like the one used in a Hornby hst but how would i fit a new motor into it?

I have never done it before and i have not seen anything on how its done?

What is the best motor to used so it can go fast and not wheel slip?

Is there a company/model shop that fits new motors for you? And if so whats there name and location?

Thanks

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Hi, Ian: if the wheels are slipping then there is nothing wrong with the motor and you should not replace it. Does the model have traction tires and do these need replacing?

 

Otherwise, the problem is oily residue on the wheels and/or the top of the rails. This should be cleaned off with a solvent such as Isopropyl Alcohol (IPA) or lighter fluid. You could also use denatured alcohol, but I think the nearest thing to that in the UK is Methylated Spririts, which contains some dye which may interfere with the cleaning. To clean the wheels, put some solvent on a cotton bud and hold against the wheels while rotating them. (The method of rotating will be different if all wheels are driven, or just the wheels at one end - I don't know which is true for the latest Hornby Class 90.)

To clean the track, put some solvent on a softish rag and rub it around, or you can get more sophisticated and use a track cleaning car such as the Dapol one. Don't use abrasives on the wheels or the track if you can help it, because they will score the surfaces and lead to more buildup of dirt.

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Guest 40-something

Hi Ian

 

You could double motor the 90 by buying another motor bogie from one of the spares suppliers such as East Kent Models or Peters Spares (or one of the eBay traders). This would probably be the easiest way to improve haulage, but it wont increase it too much and will reduce the top speed slightly.

 

Another idea is to use a Heljan Hymek drive train, but this will cost and requires a bit of work - see here for details, scroll down to the 22 Oct 2009 entry. James Makin, who's owns that website is a member of this parish.

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Hi- The trains wil have oil in the motors from the factory, it does sound like it could be the motor, as a single powered motor will only pull so much as it has to haul itself and the train as well ... a centre mounted motor with flywheel drive will probably be your solution to hauling more coaches as the weight is distrubuted evenly, and if you add sufficient weight will also help with traction as well ... The Railway Centre has wheelbase information on it so you can decide which loco you can use as a donor for your conversition, there may be people out there that can do it for you, but you may as well save some money and do it yourself, as there are plenty of people on here that will help you

 

NL

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It only wheelslips when coupled to 7 mk3s.

 

Yes, so it can't be a motor issue. The motor is supplying plenty of power (the wheels wouldn't be slipping if the motor was faulty in some way), the problem is getting the power of the motor to the track.

As others have suggested, you can either modify the drive train to power both bogies, or increase the grip. Another way of doing the latter, is to increase the amount of weight over the power bogie. I'm not familiar with the Class 90, but the additional weight MUST be as close to the power bogie as possible. In the centre or at the non-driven end will make the problem worse.

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