[73greenF100]

Hello again friends. I can't Find any type of brand name on the engine. But when I try to use a 9 volt battery on the wheels the motor will not turn. The light works but that is all. I lubed the bearings and used a little electrical contact cleaner in the motor but no cigar. It has drive boxes on both ends. I am thinking of removing the motor and trying to get it to turn by itself. Hope you can give me a few pointers to try. Would like to save it if I can.
Thanks, Donald.

 

[LateStarter]

Looks like an Athearn Blue Box.
A-Line makes replacement motors.

 

[kilowatt62]

What brand contact cleaner and, where did you use it exactly? Many brands out there are caustic to trains. I'm sure a few folks here can chime in on which brands they know to be safe. Personally, I will only use Caig brand, red, gold, or blue. But I don't actually use them on any part of a locomotive. No need. More for other electrical contacts in the system.

 

[73greenF100]

Actually the cleaner is CRC plastic safe. Only used it in the area where the brushes are. Looks like the brass wheels could stand a cleaning also. LateStarter, thanks for the motor info.

 

[65446]

If the motor hums/gets warm but doesn't turn, then it likely is the motor itself/brushes, something jambing it up.. If motor makes no noise and doesn't warm up, it still could be the motor or more likely power to it has an 'open'. Take two wires attached to the rails or the power source and touch them to the point where the wheel-pickup leads connect to the motor. Can you wire another battery in parallel to get more amps ? . The fact that the light works seems to prove there is power thru the wheels, again causing the motor to be suspect...The overall quality of the drivetrain looks good, the U joints and what looks to be encased flywheels look good...
Or, mothball it and fuggeddaboudit ! Or, clip the leads, weather it up with lots of rust and set it out on a RIP track next to the engine house.............and fugheddaboudit !

 

[73greenF100]

Telltale, thanks for the reply. Yeah, I can try to do a couple of things but this one may be a gonner.

 

[rsv1ho]

Using both hands thumb and forefinger try to move the two drive shafts to see if the trucks and engine are free.

Use your transformer leads with throttle set half way and touch the motors contacts. You need power - amperage- to move the engine. Not sure if a 9V battery is going to do that on a motor that has set for awhile.

Looks to good to throw away.

 

[Dennis461]

Yes, it is worth fixing. However, there are newer better versions available for a few dollars, $30-$50

Here is a mismatched set
https://www.ebay.com/itm/ATHEARN-HO...851727?hash=item26325f1e4f:g:zDIAAOSwBXleMNPM

 

[73greenF100]

Rsv1ho, thanks for the reply. Very good suggestions. The shafts to the gear boxes turn quite freely as does the motor. I can see the wheels turn as well. As I sold all of my H O stuff 12 years ago I am waiting for a new DC transformer. Should be here in the next couple of days. Will then give it the Ol' terminal test. Dennis461, thank you for the link to EBAY! I love that set. I have always loved the Santa Fe livery as well. If the above tests are fruitless then I will most likely pull the trigger on another set. Looks like the ones in the photo you sent are in very good condition. Steps and others details are still there.

 

[Big Ed]

The shell looks good?
Toss it?
I never toss anything, it would look good sitting behind the engine house. After you weather it? Add little graffiti if that is to your liking?
Put some weeds growing around and on it?
Maybe a tree growing through it?

I took this shot upstate NY, In Watervliet.
Post 277 in this thread,https://www.modeltrainforum.com/showthread.php?t=5388

 

[73greenF100]

Ed, you are absolutely right! Or I could make a "B" dummy out of it. What a great photo! If that old engine could talk! DO'

 

[Big Ed]

A B dummy unit is a good ideal too.
I never toss anything, but that is me.
You might even come across the same model that the shell is toasted but runs like a champ, just throw your shell on and you have a runner again.

In my work travels I bring home all sorts of interesting junk I find laying around on the ground.
One place was remodeling the plant and in the dumpster was full of all kinds of electrical wires. All sizes.
I got permission from the big boss to take whatever I wanted.
I took out boxes of the wiring, and some odd pieces of junk.
I have a big box at home I toss them into, a lot comes in handy while modeling certain things.
Best part is that it is all free.

 

[Theamazingswal]

Sometimes things are not worth the aggravation they may cause you. This may be one of those cases.
George

 

[73greenF100]

George, sound wisdom!

 

[Big Ed]

Aggravation?

Making a B unit?
Making a junk train scene?
Finding a trashed model of the same unit and swapping shells?

I would call it modeling. :smokin:

You could even find a spot and have it in various stages of disassembly. Put workers around it cutting it apart.

 

[Theamazingswal]

Any engine that gives me any aggravation turns into static yard display. This is the rule on my layout. Just paying the taxes, shoveling snow, fixing plumping leaks etc. is enough aggravation for me in one life time. See the locos below they all gave me some trouble in the past. I turned them into to a plus for the layout.

George

 

[73greenF100]

George, that is not a layout! That is a work of art! How did you do that? Good idea on the non-op units. Still looking for a place here at my home for a layout. Kind of a small home so I will have to be creative. Thanks for the photo.

 

[rsv1ho]

Rsv1ho, thanks for the reply. Very good suggestions. The shafts to the gear boxes turn quite freely as does the motor. I can see the wheels turn as well. As I sold all of my H O stuff 12 years ago I am waiting for a new DC transformer. Should be here in the next couple of days. Will then give it the Ol' terminal test. Dennis461, thank you for the link to EBAY! I love that set. I have always loved the Santa Fe livery as well. If the above tests are fruitless then I will most likely pull the trigger on another set. Looks like the ones in the photo you sent are in very good condition. Steps and others details are still there.

By coincidence I just got the identical engine only with "rubber band" drive on ebay.

Same problem, at half throttle on the power supply I twisted the drive shaft and it just took off. Runs silent and sure but it takes some throttle to get it going. Going to replace the bands and lube it up a bit.

 

[Theamazingswal]

George, that is not a layout! That is a work of art! How did you do that? Good idea on the non-op units. Still looking for a place here at my home for a layout. Kind of a small home so I will have to be creative. Thanks for the photo.

When I worked as a RR hostler back in the 70's engines would come on the fueling pad and the first thing the machinists, pipe fitters etc, would do is open all the doors. I was having some trouble with the Reading loco so I decided to recreate that scene. I cut out all the doors and then cut some plastic into a door shapes and glued them into an open door position. I painted them grey and had something that looked like latches and glued them on. I took out the motor and replace it Walther's plastic EMD engine and generator. I also glued in some pipes in the radiator area. This is what makes model railroading so much fun making your ideas come to life. I'm sure you'll find some use for the engine.

George

 

[Old_Hobo]

Personally, I wouldn't bother with it either.....but that's just me.....but I do understand that a lot of folks like tinkering and re-building, and that's great!

I have a minimum that I am aiming for as far as locomotives are concerned.....Proto 2000 units are my minimum.....