barney121e

Hi

I have 2 Hornby class 29 locos. Both the engines run well when battery placed on them but when put on the track they don't want to work. I have serviced both locos but no improvement. When placed on track if i push down on train it does move, if that provides any clues to anyone.

Any help much appreciated.

Hi

Does anyone know the rough dimensions cover if i used all kits? Tried searching everywhere without luck, and trying to work out from the kits themselves is a little hit or miss

Cheers

1 hour ago, Bob83a said:

Important item is that you have both your power connections (red circles)  the same polarity. E.g Red wires to outside track and black to the inside track. This is to ensure that you have the polarity match when vehicles cross over the irj’s. I used to run a similar layout but with insulated points and no irj’s, in that case it was important to ensure that one controller was turned off when trains crossed from one circuit to the other. I would advise doing the same in your case. Because you are using irj’s then the loco will stop on the crossing at which point you can turn off the first controller and the use the second until the train clears the crossing.

Hi Bob

Quick question, i am using insulfrog points, do i need the irj's as would have one controller off whilst transferring between lines.

Hi all

After some quick advice. Very simple track plan below. Just want to double check that i have power, marked in red circle and insulated rail joiners marked in green are in correct places for DC controller. I know the plan is very simple but just what i need at the moment.

Hi

So i have a trackplan i am happy with. So my thoughts now turn to scenery. So i guess track underlay and ballasting is first thing to do, but curious how others approach scenery planning.

Cheers

Hi

I have a loco or two that needs a rewire and what gauge wire I need?

Cheers

Can anyone tell me if the book has any continuous run plans in at all?

I have some Lima diesel locomotives and dmu's. What could i do to improve the couplings on them?

Cheers

Dave

24 minutes ago, PaulaDoesTrains said:

I've found that replacing the old brush springs with modern ones helps enormously with start up. The old ones were made from a noticeably thicker wire than the ones you can currently get and I think that made it harder to find that Goldilocks pressure which is enough to give good electrical contact without excessive drag. The modern brush springs, being much finer, seem to be far more forgiving.

I need to order a few spares so will order a pair or two an see if they make a difference. thanks

@melmerby i know they warn not to run the cd upgrade at max speed for long periods, which is fine because i wont be.

@GoldhawkOnly got a couple of Hornby trains, but similar issues and they are older trains so difficult to compare.

@cypherman i just dont want to spend money if i can get away with it, but my thinking is to do a service and if i can get them running well, like the GWR Railcar then to not replace that but if i cant then a replacement seems to make sense.

Have also learnt a new skill, soldering. So has been a win win for me.

3 minutes ago, melmerby said:

Much less than 30%.

But what are you using to determine "power", just where the control knob is set?

Is it DC with a basic resistance controller, DC with a good feedback controller, or DCC?

 

 

Using a gaugemaster 4 track controller. Using the control knob to determine power. And is DC.

Hi 

I have a few Lima locos with ringfield motors. Having been giving them a good service to see if i can get them running better. Now one works great and i only need 30% power to get it moving and it runs smoothly. Another started running at 50% and after service still takes this amount to get going, whilst another was jerky and although runs smoothly now it needs 70% power to get moving. I also had a loco with a non working engine and put a cd conversion in it. It runs very smoothly with 30% power to get going. 

What power level do people think is reasonable to get a loco started? Just wondering if it would make sense to replace at least the one that needs 70%.

Any views much appreciated.

3 hours ago, The Johnster said:

More likely to be a quartering issue as the rods bind and pull or push the wheels off the axles.  Is it the pickup or dead side of the loco chassis?; knowing this might help to isolate an axle/wheel hub interface problem.  Wear between the axles and wheels occurs when you take the wheels off the axles off the axles; Hornby never intended for you to do this, and would have sold you a complete replacement wheelset but this will have been unavailable for many years now. 

 

Undersized back to back measurement means that the wheels are too narrow in gauge, and are possibly fouling on parts of the chassis or pulling the conrods inwards and causing them to bind or twisiting the crosshead to jam on the slide bars.  To get them to gauge you have to force them outwards on the axles, ensuring that they remain square to the axle and retain their quartering, not easy.  The trouble with this sort of older loco is that you can't get the spares, or if you can they are suffering from the same issues as you are trying to solve, and you end up chasing bad money with good and wasting time and effort to no productive end.  It is difficult to admit defeat, or make the decision to stop the project and write it off to experience before it goes too far.  Sourcing parts sucks time, and is frustrating.  Sometimes it's better to give up early and use your time and cash on stuff that will work!

 

Not what you want to hear, and not much help I'm afraid, but I calls 'em as I sees 'em, and trying to give you the best advice I can.

 

Shed lurker.

3 hours ago, 33C said:

The centre crankpin must have all the spacers on to prevent the rods popping out. Make sure the centre crankpin is fully extended through the wheel by checking the rear of the wheel, the shoulder of same should be seated snuggly in the recess. A spot of superglue holds it firm if necessary. If no power is getting to the motor, check if a sprung, brass washer is present under the drawbar, and the surfaces are clean/shiny. As for the back to backs, does the chassis run through the points OK? As for the original chassis, I would go back to basics and completely strip it down, bushes and all. Draw a cross on a piece of card, 90° and 180° exactly. Put under the live wheel/axle with it's boss at bottom. Put a new Bush in the insulated wheel and place on the axle end, aligned with the line at the 90° mark. Light pressure to hold and then close up in a vice ensuring the wheel bosses are out of the jaws to prevent wobbly wheels! The back to back gauge can be placed in/on the vice to give accuracy. Remember, it came out of the factory fine and can be fine again. You may be missing something obvious so start at the beginning! Good luck. Quartering is not a black art and the more times I do it the easier it gets! 

Thanks

Going to put it in a box and revisit things down the line. I will probably get some spare bushes etc and work from there, although someone mentioned converting it to run differently, so will explore that a same time. Thnaks for everyones help and opinions.

So have been working on my Black 5 problem. Decided to get another chassis however this has sorted one problem but now getting no power to the tender.

I have checked the wheel spacing and i cant fit my back to back gauge between the wheels. So i guess this could be my problem. But before i try and adjust the wheels, can anyone suggest if this would be the problem at all.

Also been playing with the old chassis and can get the coupling rods going, but one side keeps popping out the wheels. Could this be a wheel spacing problem again, or could worn bushes and axles be at fault.

Any help much appreciated.

Just a little update. The wheels are all moving and loco running ok, not touched the motor yet. The only issue i now have is when i put the conrods on they dont turn. Time for further investigation.

It's a R061 if that helps. The tender has a pin which drops into a piece on the loco, with two pick ups below, which seems is where it picks up the power from. ~On the tender two of the wheels have traction tyres.

Thank. The parts seem fine just a little mucky. 

15 hours ago, micklner said:

Does it have pick ups fitted to the centre wheels?. If there are none it is not a problem.

To be honest I can't see any pickups. The motor is in the tender, it's a silver seal model that hooks to the loco so think that is how it gets its power. 

Sorry for being vague, not done steam trains before, but look straightforward enough. I got this loco and another steam train from auction, they both run but definitely need a good clean, especially the other one as can see carpet fibres. 

25 minutes ago, Butler Henderson said:

Put the top casting in place and see if the wheels turn when you push it from one end along the track - If not check that the wheels are not pushed too tight on the axles.

Stupid question time. So the front and back wheels are turning fine on the track. But the middle one seems just short of the rail. If i attach a coupling rod, then all 3 wheels turn. Is that right, or should the middle wheel be touching the rail

4 minutes ago, cctransuk said:

 

Don't bother - if you haven't got the wheels turning, without the coupling rods, you have to sort out that issue. Any further re-assembly would be a complete waste of time.

 

CJI.

They turn easily in my hand, but on the track they don't. Will try and see whats happening.

So after some cleaning i have got the wheels to all turn, although when i put them on track, they dont want to turn. However will put the loco back together and hopefully that will sort the problem, if not will look further into it.

Got the pin out with a little persuassion. Bushes look ok, so will give it a good clean with contact cleaner and re fit and see if they turn.

20 minutes ago, ejstubbs said:

 

It's service sheet 87, available here:

http://www.hornbyguide.com/service_sheet_details.asp?sheetid=14

http://www.hornbyguide.com/service_sheet_details.asp?sheetid=308

or here:

https://www.lendonsmodelshop.co.uk/pdf/Hornby Service Sheets/No.087 4-6-0 Black Five.pdf

https://www.lendonsmodelshop.co.uk/pdf/Hornby Service Sheets/No.087A 4-6-0 LMS Class 5.pdf

 

The 'driving' wheel axles are all part number S.2345.  I can't imagine that the one for the centre drivers is not supposed to come out though - full disclosure - I've never disassembled a Hornby Five of that age to that extent.

7 minutes ago, 33C said:

Looks rusty, should just tap out. When re-bushing the driving wheels, remember there are two types of plastic bush. A "top hat" type and a smaller, shouldered type. If the axle is the same thickness all the way along, top hat, if a slight step at the ends, the smaller type.

6 minutes ago, PaulaDoesTrains said:

Repeated applications of WD40 or a penetrating oil might help free it up.

Thanks everyone. Didnt want to start tapping it with a hammer if it shouldnt come out but as it should will give wd40 a shot first and see if that loosens it.

Hi all

I got a couple of trains at an auction. The motor on the tender is good, just needs a service, but i noticed the large wheels on the locos didn't go round. Have taken them apart but can't get this pin out which is where the middle large wheels go. (where red arrow is pointing.)

I cant font a service sheet for the loco, and wondering if anyone knows if the pin should come out?

Cheers

David

Thanks for all the replies. Will give things a try. The derail on all the points but if i push down on them they seem happy enough hence my thinking they might need weight.

But will check wheels etc to ensure they are working ok.

14 minutes ago, Derekl said:

I weight coaches to about 150 gm, which seems to help running. I don't know if it will sort this out, because there may be other problems, but it is worth a try. And presumably someone will come along to tell us why 150 gm is wrong, but you will then have to take your pick.

What do you use to weight coaches?