Hi everyone, first post here. I just started unboxing my father-in-laws O gauge train collection, that haven't been used in over 20 years. I've cleaned most of is O27 track and have a few locomotives running fine. I've just unboxed the Lionel 8601, or at least it says 8601 on the train itself, see pictures. When I ran it, it looks like there might have been the remnants of some steam pellets inside since we noticed some "smoke" coming out.
I turned the engine off and flipped the one switch on the bottom, figuring that might be a steam on/off button. But when I flipped that switch, the engine doesn't move. Lights turn on only.
Do you think that switch is for reverse only and not steam?
I've tried pinning down more info on this steam engine, but nothing on the model that only had one switch.
Thanks in advance!
Welcome to the forum!
The switch on the locomotive is for the electronic reverse unit board only. By moving the switch, you locked the engine in neutral. Slide the switch to the original position to get the locomotive to run and sequence again.
To lock the engine in forward, sequence the engine with the transformer to go in reverse, then into neutral. Shut off power, slide the switch over, and now the loco will be locked in the following mode, which is forward.
Most steam locomotives do not have any on-off switch for the smoke unit. Only some newer locomotives with fan driven smoke units have a separate switch for the smoke unit.
Larry
Thanks! That did the trick. That locomotive is running smoothly now!
I have another question, and didn't want to open a new thread.
I also just unwrapped a Santa Fe 212 engine. I noticed that the gears don't move in any position, by hand or on track. I've taken the armature out and it is filled with gunk. Tried cleaning as best I can. When the armature is out the gears on the truck turn fine by hand, but once I put the armature back in, the gears won't budge. (I also have a trolley that is in the same situation, where it hardly moves by hand).
It sems to be the gear bolt that comes through the armature itself that is causing the lockup(first pic).
Or I could be wrong as I am new to all this and am trying to learn as much as I can. Any advice for getting the 212 to run turn freely? Attached are some pics of the armature and from underneath as well as what I have running so far.
Glad to hear that your 8601 is running now.
The gear on the armature shaft is part of, and cut into, the armature shaft itself.
The gear and motor setup on that locomotive, and most diesels with vertically mounted motors, will not turn by hand when turning the wheels when fully assembled. Steam locos are manufactured with a different motor/gear setup, so you can turn the wheels by hand.
Use hardware store naphtha to clean off all old grease and oil from the armature, brush holder, gears, wheels, pickup rollers and track.
Replace any worn motor brushes if necessary. Oil both ends of the armature shaft, axle and gear bearings. Add a little grease to the gears, and the loco should run like new.
Larry
Thanks Larry.
One thing I noticed that I captured in the first picture above of the armature, is that there looks like a wire broke off. When I look at the armature I see 2 other copper wires that are connected to the top, but this one appears to be broken off. In the pic above it kind of looks like the copper wire might be hidden behind some grime, but in fact it's broken off. I'm thinking it's important and needs to be wired on? Just not sure if that would stop the motor from running?
Thanks
The copper section on top of the armature is called a commutator, and is divided into 3 sections for our motors. There are 3 windings on the armature, and one end of each winding gets soldered to its' corresponding commutator section. If you notice one wire not soldered to a commutator section, it must be repaired, or the motor will not run. Most likely the wire gets soldered to the tab on the commutator section visible in the photo.
Larry
What you observe is an insulating material to keep the commutator from shorting out on the steel field pole pieces. Leave it intact.
Larry
Thanks I will leave that as is.
Regarding the Santa Fe armature with the wire that needs to be soldered to the commutator, I'm finding that the wire is too short. Can't be pulled up far enough to the commutator without fear of snapping it. Am I out of luck on this? I fear my limited skills have reached their limit! A picture I took trying to show where the wire ends.
Simply unwrap the broken wire one turn from around the winding. The wire will now be too long. Put the wire next to the solder tab and trim to length, leaving it a bit too long. Look at the other 2 windings and just copy what you see.
Larry
Good news. Engine is running now. Bad news I think there might be some trouble with the e unit. Train will only run in reverse 99% of the time. I believe the e unit is also buzzing a little bit louder than my other engines.
Also the few times I was able to get going forward it ran pretty slow. Not as fast as it does in reverse.
Also I've run the engine around with the housing off. I did notice some small blue sparks on the commutator/brushes. Is that normal? Not all the time, but enough to grab my attention.
Thanks!
Glad to hear that you got the engine to run! Progress!
Sparking from the brushes and commutator is normal. Make sure the commutator, brushes, brush springs and brush holder are all cleaned with naphtha. Worn brushes (very short) should be replaced.
Now to the e-unit.
Some e-units buzz more than others, and there is really nothing that can be done to lessen it. It is just a product of manufacturing tolerances.
Remove the e-unit screw holding it in place, and remove the e-unit. Inspect it carefully. Look at the rotating drum and the 2 sets of contact 'fingers'. If the drum and contacts are dirty, get some plastic compatible spray contact cleaner and spray the contacts and drum. Lift the plunger and pawl by hand to cycle the e-unit manually. Inspect the drum and note the copper contacts on it. Watch how the 'fingers' make contact with the various segments of the drum as it turns. Make sure all the 'fingers' are straight and have proper tension on the drum. Look at the ends of the 'fingers where they contact the drum. Look for dirt, grease, and even holes in them from wear and arcing.
Any problems with either the drum or finger contacts will require dis-assembling of the e-unit for service. Servicing the e-unit is not for the faint of heart and is what separates the men from the boys. It takes a lot of patience and 3 hands to properly reassemble an e-unit.
Here is a 2 part video of an e-unit being serviced to give you an idea of what needs to be done and how to accomplish it. If you are confident in your skills, go ahead and service the unit. If not, a Service Center will repair it for you, or an option is to replace it with a new unit.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3cHF_a6CNMhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mA6AdfzXo3gLarry
Hi Larry thanks for the videos. I'll be working on that e-unit soon.
Meantime I'm wondering if you'd know what kind of smoke unit is in the 1988 8601 Great Northern that I had initially posted? I've thrown in a few drops of smoke fluid and I see a few wisps but nothing if you are not really looking for it. But you can smell it. I'm just wondering if the models from the late 80s were fan driven? I'm wondering if old fluid has crystallized in the chamber.
Thanks
This looks to be the kind of liquid smoke unit your locomotive has.
http://www.traindoctor.com/service/images/8738-200.jpgThe liquid does not crystallize like the pellets do. You may need to add 5 or more drops of smoke fluid if the unit is dry. Look at the left side of the locomotive and make sure the smoke unit piston is being pushed all the way by the drive rod, and returns properly. Add as many cars as you have to the loco and turn the transformer throttle up to give the smoke unit more voltage. If the smoke is still not puffing properly, the smoke unit may need replacement.
The older smoke units were not fan driven, only the relatively recent units are.
Larry