Hornby Class 56 - Erratic Running Problems...

[rob D2]

Alright, thanks guys it's running much better now, no squealing.

 

I'm now struggling to get the body back on !

With a normal decoder on top of PCb it seems tight but regardless body seems to sit about 2 MM off where it should.

 

I'm not sure if it's the springy ness of the light contacts keeping it from sitting down ?

[bescotbeast]

I've got 56049 in Red stripe livery which is a poor runner with lights that sometimes work and sometimes don't, after reading this thread I may have a clue of what to do now.

[Matt]

sorry Rob not had that problem on a 56 - Bach 57 yes, Bach 47 yes but not 56.  Try without decoder first to see if that obstructing.  On Bach models I have found handrails and/or glazing sometimes catch on chassis and create problems.  Light contacts shouldn't be an issue once screws are in.

 

M

[rob D2]

Lights seem OK on mine .

3 white one way, 2 red the other.

 

Still not sure about the body but run out of toy time today

[SRman]

I'm getting to the stage where I am going to pull the lighting units out and hard-wire them. I can get intermittent contact when replacing the body but they won't stay lit when the body is screwed down. the spring contacts are aligned properly with the floor contacts, so I'm beginning to suspect the contacts from the springy bits to the actual lighting pcb. I know the lights can work because all of them have been able to light up while I juggle the body and contacts around.

I may leave the red lights out at one end, since I only have a coupling fitted at that end, so most of the time the red lights won't be needed at that end. I have some 2- and 3-pin connectors i can use so the body can still be removed when necessary.

[letterspider]

Same problem here after not running a Railfreight Class 56 for about 2 years. What I have noticed is that the bearing mounts for the fan unit is mounted above one of the flywheels and can rub against it. That solved one problem

Now I have a kangaroo motor with lights that do not work when the body is screwed on...

[pheaton]

From my experience, the issue with the fans causing resistance, is because the bearings without the fan unit need light lubrication. 

 

I recently stripped the fan unit down on a 56 I have, where the fans where jerking. After lightly lubricating the bearings, the fans spin superbly well when driven off the motor, even at a sleep by sleeper crawl.

 

Another approach I've toyed with it fitting a micro motor to directly drive the fans, controlled off a DCC function. Its in Nigel Burkin's book about detailing modern locos printed around 2009 / 2010.

 

If anyone wants to offload there 56(s) I'm all ways interested, because you can never have too many 56's.

 

 

As have I, but am having trouble sourcing a motor small enough.

Was thinking of using the same as for Hornby 58/Pacer. Any other alternatives?

 

TIA, C6T.

Ive looked at this for some vitrains 47s the ideal motor is a mobile phone vibrator motor, but getting the weight of the shaft might be an issue......the other motor i have looked at is a replacement tail rotor motor for a miniture model helicopter.

[tractor_37260]

Alright, thanks guys it's running much better now, no squealing.

 

I'm now struggling to get the body back on !

With a normal decoder on top of PCb it seems tight but regardless body seems to sit about 2 MM off where it should.

 

I'm not sure if it's the springy ness of the light contacts keeping it from sitting down ?

Rob

 

       Just a thought, are you fitting the body the correct way around on the chassis ?  Hornby Class 50/56/60's when not run regularly can suffer with the grease around the drive worms drying out and seizing the drive. The model won't run when this happens, or runs very poorly.  I've had some 60's where the worm's bearings had to be freed off with a pliers !  Cutting off the drive belt for the fan is also a good idea, and may help slow speed running, the fan only appears to work when it feels like it anyway !! 

 

Ken

Edited June 28, 2017 by tractor_37260

[letterspider]

So I took a Class 56 out for a spin. It had always been a noisy beast but I thought I would run it in on a new rolling road.

To cut a long story short - after greasing the tops of the bogie towers and running it in for several hours, I found that removing the PCB and accessing the motor, there are 4 screws which secure the clamp holding the motor to the chassis. Definitely the noise was I think the flywheel bouncing on the chassis. Loosening the 4 nuts and the motor and bogies run very smoothly and quietly - an amazing difference.

Good luck with yours - don't give up

Next problem are those directional headlights!

[letterspider]

Further to my last post - I returned to my Class 56 after putting down a new circuit - the noise was still terrible. Squealing sound. Having read through this post I decided to look at the square axle mounts either side of the worm gear (on top of the bogie tower)

After taking apart I found the culprit -  metal dust, from lack of lubrication at the factory I guess, followed by friction of the steel axle on the brass nuts.

Quick clean and lubrication and it runs perfectly silently. Now the problem are those lighting contacts.

Good luck with yours