[rsv1ho]

Drove the golden spike in my HO layout concluding the first phase of that adventure so thought I would try to get my one and only S scale locomotive operative. Posted about it here before.

I read where these were offered on both AC and DC varieties, this one looks like a brushed DC motor to me, so after insuring that the armature was free to rotate I applied max DC to the brushes through a cheapo power supply to no luck. Tried AC for grins with the same result.

The tender which I have not opened has some sort of a lever on the bottom.

Can someone give me a quick tutorial on just what I have and the means to get it running.

The AF transformer does not work, open field windings.

Thanks

 

[mopac]

Nice looking HO layout. I am pretty sure your S loco can run on AC or DC. Your reverse unit in tender might be gunked up from looks of things. Also the wire harness from tender to engine could have a broken wire. Very common. Try this. Find something to support
front and rear of loco so driver wheels can run but loco not go anywhere. Unplug and remove tender. Connect the 2 center holes of engine plug with a piece of wire. The 2 wires from transformer, one in each of the 2 outside holes in the plug. You have now bypassed the tender. See what you get. You may get nothing running if grease has hardened around wheel axles. Let us know if it runs. And we will go from there.

 

[mopac]

You have a lot of work ahead of you on that loco. Cleaning mainly. It can be made to run like new. Looks like all parts are there.

 

[mopac]

If it does not run hooking wires up like I suggested it will be time to take loco apart.
Wait for instructions for that. That lever on bottom of tender is a reverse lock-out.
Makes it so loco only goes forward.

 

[rsv1ho]

Got out a better power supply (MRC Tech2) and got movement forward and reverse DC, not much but enough. Also got movement with AC.

Straightened the crimps on the tender and removed the shell exposing the AC? reversing mechanism. Ancient cloth covered wires look good.

Don't understand the need for AC as the DC direction switch reverses the motor. AC maybe for smoke? Looks like this one has a smoke unit in the locomotive.

This shell is metal not plastic. I think 4 or 5 screws will remove the shell. I hate messing with valve gear though, but it need a good cleaning to work properly.

Will a HO transformer have the power to run this?

 

[AmFlyer]

The motor on that engine is an open frame, 3 pole, series connected universal motor. Connecting wires to just the brushes bypasses the field and is not good for longevity of the armature. I would first spray some electrical contact cleaner on the armature. It is also possible the motor will not turn due to dried grease on the worm gear or linkage binding.
The lever under the tender is part of the reversing unit. It is used to lock the engine in one direction or to allow it to sequence through F-N-R-N.
Connect power wires from a known good supply. That little blue one will not work, it is only 5VA. At least 2A is needed, 25 W or 25VA would be the absolute minimum. The AF transformer in the picture should do it if it is working.

 

[mopac]

Looking back at your pcs, that clamp will support the loco fine to try my wiring.

 

[AmFlyer]

Connect the power as Mopac described. It appears the reverse unit is missing a finger and the one on the top looks to be worn through so the reverse unit needs to be rebuilt.

 

[rsv1ho]

Thanks for that. I don't want to do harm. I will try your method but which holes, this plug has five.

This is a good site.

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?...eos/search?q=1950s+American+Flyer&FORM=VDMHRS

 

[mopac]

Glad it ran some. Till it is oiled and greased it will not run well. Before you try to remove body, remove the tube you see looking down the smoke stack. It just unscrews. Use small screw driver to unscrew. Remove the 2 screws at front of frame. The back of frame is held by 2 plates. Loosen the 2 screws that hold the plates. Just loosen them. After the smoke tube is removed, front 2 screws removed, the frame will slide backwards and away from those rear plates. First remove the screws in each driver wheel and that will release rods from the wheels. Leave valve gear attached to body for now. That hole in the plug
with the brass rivet is nothing, disregard it.

 

[rsv1ho]

Glad it ran some. Till it is oiled and greased it will not run well. Before you try to remove body, remove the tube you see looking down the smoke stack. It just unscrews. Use small screw driver to unscrew. Remove the 2 screws at front of frame. The back of frame is held by 2 plates. Loosen the 2 screws that hold the plates. Just loosen them. After the smoke tube is removed, front 2 screws removed, the frame will slide backwards and away from those rear plates. First remove the screws in each driver wheel and that will release rods from the wheels. Leave valve gear attached to body for now. That hole in the plug
with the brass rivet is nothing, disregard it.

Thanks, and yes, went back and checked the tenders plug, only four contacts.

Bob

 

[mopac]

also remove 2 screws holding the engine plug. Let plug go with frame and motor.

important to remove that smoke tube

 

[AmFlyer]

Ignore the riveted hole. The jack panel on the engine cab should not have that riveted hole, I wonder if a prior owner rewired the engine as a 5 wire configuration. The 5th wire was always directly soldered to the engine mounted jack panel. The wiring on the reverse unit was modified from factory configuration. This engine would have been made as a standard 4 wire.

 

[rsv1ho]

Thanks guys, you saved me a lot of trouble getting this thing apart.

Got out the old 2 amp MRC and got the armature to rotate a few turns, needs a full cleaning. Thinking about removing the motor and soaking the drive gears in Simple Green to remove the old lubrications.

Didn't find the two plates at the back of the engine. I just removed the screws to the valve gear. They will have to be polished individually anyway.

Found the body dated Nov 1946/8? and gave it a sudsy bath, first layer off it and the handrails.

That cylinder and piston must be the smoke unit?

 

[AmFlyer]

It is a 1948, the wire handrail versions are the most desirable. The piston "thing" is the smoke and choo choo unit.

 

[rsv1ho]

Thanks, I have been looking at AF transformers on eaby. Prices and quality are all over the place. I have narrowed it down to a few, but will my HO 8V amps MRC on my present layout run a AF locomotive?

Someone once said that a 100 watt was best.

 

[AmFlyer]

No, in fact I had a much earlier version of that Dualpack way back when I had some HO trains. It is only 8VA, slightly more than .7A at 12VDC.
A 35W transformer will run the engine, a 25W should but it may overheat. If you are buying one, 100W per control is the minimum you should buy. That would be, in a single control style a 4B, 8B, or if you want a deadman feature a 15B. Dual control would be a 12B, 18B or 30B. The B in the number indicates it has a circuit breaker in the output of the transformer.

 

[rsv1ho]

No, in fact I had a much earlier version of that Dualpack way back when I had some HO trains. It is only 8VA, slightly more than .7A at 12VDC.
A 35W transformer will run the engine, a 25W should but it may overheat. If you are buying one, 100W per control is the minimum you should buy. That would be, in a single control style a 4B, 8B, or if you want a deadman feature a 15B. Dual control would be a 12B, 18B or 30B. The B in the number indicates it has a circuit breaker in the output of the transformer.

Thanks Tom,

I have a bid on this one that ends within the hour on ebay. Not risking much as I just want something to test this locomotive. Advertised as "works" it comes with another untested for a starting bid of five dollars, but shipping on these is killer.

If it runs, and cleans up nice then I will look for track and a better power supply.

I'm pretty sure that it will run as my 2 amp tends to turn it over even as gummed up as it is.

 

[AmFlyer]

That is a prewar AF transformer. It will run the engine you have. Some of those prewar units have more the three binding posts for power output, if this has 4 make sure you use the correct two posts.

 

[rsv1ho]

That is a prewar AF transformer. It will run the engine you have. Some of those prewar units have more the three binding posts for power output, if this has 4 make sure you use the correct two posts.

Thanks Tom, rear view. I lightened it up a bit to show just three connections, but looks like it's 100 watts. May increase my bid.

Bob