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Messages - Gustav30

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1
Beginners Q & A / Re: Newbe question - Lionel 8601
« on: January 15, 2015, 08:07:32 pm »
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

2
Beginners Q & A / Re: Newbe question - Lionel 8601
« on: January 10, 2015, 10:09:55 pm »
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!

3
Beginners Q & A / Re: Newbe question - Lionel 8601
« on: January 05, 2015, 09:02:58 pm »
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.



4
Beginners Q & A / Re: Newbe question - Lionel 8601
« on: January 05, 2015, 07:26:32 pm »
Quick question as I'm cleaning the armature, and before I go to far.  I'm wondering what is under the commutator?  Like in this picture here:
http://www.delawareja.com/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=36689

or here:
http://ogrforum.ogaugerr.com/fileSendAction/fcType/0/fcOid/24378330596072201/filePointer/24519132326113638/fodoid/24519132326113631/imageType/LARGE/inlineImage/true/IMG_1016.JPG

Is that crud and old grease, or is it some kind of padding that Lionel had put in? 
Kind of silly question but before I start digging it all out with a toothpick.. I've yet to find one in my google travels of a super clean mint armature!

5
Beginners Q & A / Re: Newbe question - Lionel 8601
« on: January 04, 2015, 09:05:48 pm »
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

6
Beginners Q & A / Re: Newbe question - Lionel 8601
« on: January 04, 2015, 12:20:55 pm »
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.







7
Beginners Q & A / Newbe question - Lionel 8601
« on: January 03, 2015, 10:07:25 am »
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!

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