We all have to start somewhere!

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Just bought this little lot. All for spares and repairs. Will you guys be able to help!!!
[Image: 24-B69693-C0-A3-488-E-9-C0-B-B2617995-DCDA.png]
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  • Finno, Super
Of course!

The chassis with the red wheels with teeth on them are from Tomy Train engines, and probably of little interest to you (at this stage of your collection) except that they may have working motors in them.

As for the others, I find that although the seller thinks they don't work, they might just need to be kick-started, I use a battery holder with two AA batteries in it and +/- wire tails that I touch onto the contacts in the battery compartment of the engine, thus supplying 3VDC instead of the rated 1.5VDC. Does no harm at all, and often does the job.

(interesting word, 'chassis', singular and plural spelled the same but pronounced differently).
(This post was last modified: 05-21-2019, 03:24 AM by Super.)
[-] The following 2 users Like chrisjo's post:
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Thanks Chrisjo. I really like the two in the middle at the top and hope I can get them going. I’ll get a battery holder and see what happens when they arrive!
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(05-20-2019, 08:30 PM)chrisjo Wrote: As for the others, I find that although the seller thinks they don't work, they might just need to be kick-started, I use a battery holder with two AA batteries in it and +/- wire tails that I touch onto the contacts in the battery compartment of the engine, thus supplying 3VDC instead of the rated 1.5VDC. Does no harm at all, and often does the job.

Chrisjo: what would be the explanation for this kick-starting? Perhaps the gears are gummed up and they just need a bit of extra 'push' to get turning again?


(05-20-2019, 08:49 PM)jonesejm Wrote: Thanks Chrisjo. I really like the two in the middle at the top and hope I can get them going. I’ll get a battery holder and see what happens when they arrive!

I agree. I particularly like the blue train with yellow wheels (EF65). Good pick up.
(This post was last modified: 05-22-2019, 04:23 AM by Super.)
Kick start is sometimes required because the Motor might be slightly Frozen or locked up. If that doesn't work then your motor is dead.
(05-21-2019, 10:19 PM)Finno Wrote: Chrisjo: what would be the explanation for this kick-starting? Perhaps the gears are gummed up and they just need a bit of extra 'push' to get turning again?

It's not the gears that get gummed up, it's something inside the motor that makes it stick after a prolonged period of disuse.  The next step if the kick-start technique fails is to strip down the gearbox, remove the motor, apply power to the terminals, and spin the shaft with your fingers. Only if this fails can you be sure the motor is dead.  There are gearbox dis-assembly / re-assembly tutorials in other threads here and elsewhere online (Youtube), but really all you need to do is take a photo of every stage of the strip-down so that you can reverse the process. Once you know how they work it becomes almost routine. Great care must be taken when first opening the two halves of the gearbox/motor housing, it's at this stage that bad things can happen, like springs flying off into another dimension.

Once a motor has been re-started it will almost always run smoothly thereafter, but a drop of lubrication with a thin mineral oil such as WD-40 where the shaft enters the motor housing never goes amiss, along with a touch of silicone grease on each of the gears.  You'd be amazed how much hair and carpet fluff there is inside the gearboxes of some of the stuff you buy second-hand, they do appreciate a good clean-out.
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Thanks for the detailed breakdown - I haven't had to do this yet but I do have a few non-working Thomas engines that I might try and get running now that you explained this technique.

(05-22-2019, 08:06 AM)chrisjo Wrote: Great care must be taken when first opening the two halves of the gearbox/motor housing, it's at this stage that bad things can happen, like springs flying off into another dimension.
LOL - I've totally experienced this with other repairs I have attempted. Somewhere there is a dimension that's just full of springs and other tiny parts.
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