[vantage]

I’ve got some AHM and TYCO HO locomotives that have been in storage 50+ years. I’ve also got one of unknown brand in the pictures below. I put them on a track and the interior lights come on, the motors hum but they barely move so they’re still electrically alive. I’m guessing they need lubrication, wheels de-tarnished and some brush/motor work.

Is there anywhere you’ve got experience with that can service them?
TIA

 

[Old_Hobo]

Well, first thing I noticed is the wheels are real dirty….

The second thing is that rubber band drive…the bands may be dried out and not grabbing the axles, or even broken….


Oh, and that GN locomotive looks like an old Athearn rubber band drive….

 

[rrman987]

Oh boy brings back memories of my Lionel New Heaven HO set (still have it) and those rubber band drives Get them on drive axel wrong and engine ran backwards or get one wrong way and engine studdered. Surprised Athern used it and not some geared drive (probably cost factor or metal/plastic gears not strong enough).

 

[Old_Hobo]

Don’t forget, this was back in 1961….they have come a long way since then….

 

[Lemonhawk]

I had one of those in the 60's. Actually ran very smooth. This an My Varney Dockside were my only locomotives!

 

[DonR]

Clean up on track 3...Any model trains in storage
for a couple years or more will need cleaning
inside and out...the lube in the gearing has
likely gelled and should be replace with plastic
friendly 'grease' from Labelle's. They also have
'0il' for bearings. Clean the wheel treads and
the metal power pickup fingers that rub on the
wheels or axle...and clean the track.

Don

 

[prrfan]

Notice on the diagram Old Hobo provided that there are no gears on the band drive locos. The only thing that gets oil, very sparingly, is the motor bearings.
Do not apply oil to those shaft supports. It will migrate down to the rubber bands and dissolve them. A tiny amount of graphite powder will do it.
Synthetic bands rather than rubber should be used. I got them on eBay. They will last 10x longer. If you can’t find them, PM me. I’ll send you some.

 

[prrfan]

I had one of those in the 60's. Actually ran very smooth. This an My Varney Dockside were my only locomotives!

Yes. I have an RDC band drive and it still runs great. Much better than some of the old junk made back then.

 

[Streamliner]

Yes. I have an RDC band drive and it still runs great. Much better than some of the old junk made back then.

Probably better than some of the NEW junk made TODAY! 🙂

 

[vantage]

Notice on the diagram Old Hobo provided that there are no gears on the band drive locos. The only thing that gets oil, very sparingly, is the motor bearings.
Do not apply oil to those shaft supports. It will migrate down to the rubber bands and dissolve them. A tiny amount of graphite powder will do it.
Synthetic bands rather than rubber should be used. I got them on eBay. They will last 10x longer. If you can’t find them, PM me. I’ll send you some.

Thanks for all the help everyone. With a lot of CRC QD electronic cleaner I got all the motors turning on all the old locos, some better than others. The Athearn GP-9 motor turns but there's no movement because the drive bands are stretched out so I ordered these from Ebay:
Athearn/Lionel etc HO Train Lot of 10 Synthetic Drive Bands Hustler/HI F etc
Hopefully they're the right ones.

-After all the CRC cleaner I suspect the motors need some kind of lubricant. Any recommendations on what to use, where & how to apply it? Feel free to mark up the pic and repost it.
-The drive shafts and wheels axles have a lot of gunk on them which the CRC cleaner will not remove. What will take it off?
-Some previous owner also taped the drive shaft to the motor axle. Is it possible to get new drive shafts/connectors?

 

[prrfan]

-Some previous owner also taped the drive shaft to the motor axle. Is it possible to get new drive shafts/connectors?

Ebay has them. Search ‘Athearn drive shaft parts’

 

[J.Albert1949]

My opinion only.

Some old engines are best left as "stationery display pieces".

If you want "a good runner"... get something newer with a modern drive train...

 

[Maddog]

Hang on to that old Tyco and AHM equipment. Even if you are not into that stuff anymore, and hanker for something newer, there are those out there that collect it.

I run a little Mantua and Marx HO equipment sometimes just for the fun of it. Also just got a box of AHM freight cars that I'll do something with in my next lifetime.

 

[vantage]

Hang on to that old Tyco and AHM equipment. Even if you are not into that stuff anymore, and hanker for something newer, there are those out there that collect it.

I run a little Mantua and Marx HO equipment sometimes just for the fun of it. Also just got a box of AHM freight cars that I'll do something with in my next lifetime.

I'm not getting rid of anything . Three out of the five locomotives I've got running great again. The fourth is the Athearn GP-9 posted above, the motor runs great and I'm waiting on parts. The fifth is a Tyco GP-20 which runs slowly so it needs a little more diagnosis/work. There's a great sense of satisfaction from getting things that have been in storage for 50+ years working again.