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Agent
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 Posted - December 07 2008 : 4:07:12 PM
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Hi guys! My dad finally gave me my old train set that I had when I was a kid. Me and my wife just had our first child a couple of months ago and I really want him to enjoy all the stuff that my dad did for me when I was young. Starting with the train around the tree for the holidays... I have a few problems though... First off, I can't find half of my track couplers so I was hoping someone could recommend a place to buy about 30 of them without spending too much. Second, the train was just sitting in a box in my dads garage and probably hasn't been ran in over 10 years. I hooked everything up (half the track until I ran out of connectors) and when I put the engine on the track it sort of hesitates. It goes, but really slowly. Is there a way I can hook it up directly to the power pack so I can eliminate the possibility of the track just being messed up? If so, and it looks to be the track, what's the best way to clean it up? Thanks guys!
Carl
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Posted - December 07 2008 : 4:27:44 PM
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Welcome to the forum.
What you want are called rail joiners, most likely code 100 size. They only run a buck or two a package.
Your track could probably use a good cleaning, a "Bright Boy" track cleaner or a good pen eraser rubbed across the rails will clean it up just fine. Do not use sandpaper--the scratches only make the dirt worse--or steel wool--the wool fibers get into the motors and destroy them.
Your loco could use a good clean and lube. Toy set trains don't lend themselves easily to cleaning. It can be done though. Please post a pic of your loco if possible, if not then what type (diesel, steam) and brand it is and someone here will walk you thru it.
Edited by - shaygetz on December 07 2008 4:28:05 PM
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Agent
Switcher
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Posted - December 07 2008 : 4:34:37 PM
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The engine I have has Rock Island on the side of it. One of the more modern diesel replicas I believe. I also have another one in the box, but I don't think it worked anymore. Where can I get the rail joiners at?
Are these the ones I need?
http://cgi.ebay.com/ATLAS-CODE-110-83-RAIL-JOINERS-HO-Scale-Model-Train_W0QQitemZ310090219727QQcmdZViewItemQQptZModel_RR_Trains?_trksid=p3286.m20.l1116
Carl
Edited by - Agent on December 07 2008 4:36:18 PM
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Posted - December 07 2008 : 7:07:09 PM
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Those are it, the reason it is so much is because that card is a tear off designed to dispense them one pack at a time. Six packs @ just over $2 each is a good price though I don't know what s/h would add.
My guess would be that you have the Life-Like GP38-2 >>> http://tycotrain.tripod.com/lifelikemodeltrainscollectorsresource/id1.html
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Posted - December 07 2008 : 7:33:18 PM
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A Tyco maybe?
http://www.ho-scaletrains.net/tycobrownboxdiesels/id8.html
    
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Agent
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Posted - December 07 2008 : 9:01:43 PM
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This is the engine I have that I am currently trying to use:
Rock Island
(No.235-10)
(1976-1986)
I had the Santa Fe right below it at some point, but I can't for the life of me remember what happened to it. Once I get it running (with everyone's help from here) I'll snap a few pics that you can add to your photo area.
I have one of the engines that has the steam producer as well, but I can't get it to move at all. The light comes on when I put it on the track, but that's it.
It doesn't seem like the conductivity is -horrible- but at the same time, the train doesn't go fast enough to really do anything. I mean, it barely moves forward or reverse. It really seems like it's not getting enough power.
Carl
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Posted - December 08 2008 : 12:11:19 AM
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Ahhh, a Tyco, there's your problem...and the paradox that makes this forum tick. To be a Tyco fan you have to be something of a glutton for punishment and/or a tinkerer. They just aren't that reliable, yours sounds like it has a stripped spur gear. If you're looking to really enjoy the hobby from the start, I'd highly recommend getting an Athearn or Atlas engine and using that as your prime mover while you learn how to work on the other.
Tyco has its rewards, but it takes a bit of tenacity to enjoy them sometimes.
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Posted - December 08 2008 : 02:46:43 AM
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Agent, if it's a diesel it doesn't have a smoke unit. The instruction sheet was generic and included with all locos, whether they were steam or diesel.
The years that Rock Island Alco was produced means that you are now the proud owner of a Powertorque loco, which is notable only for the fact that they had neither. 
It sounds like yours is suffering from the typical sluggishness that results from dried lubricants, most importantly on the brushes and the commutator of the motor (I had the same problem with the Royal Blue loco I bought last week and posted on the Loco of the Week thread). The brushes rub copper plates on the armature (the part of the motor that spins) and carry current to it, but when oil gets on them (which is almost inevitable with these), it turns it into a big disc brake, because oil, heat and electricity don't mix well. It turns the oil to black sticky goo.
Without taking the motor apart, the easiest way to remedy this is to blast it out with some plastic-safe contact cleaner. I use MG Chemicals cleaner, which should still be available at Shadio Rack. Contact Cleaner; Silicone lubrication; plastic safe; 5 oz aerosol
You may have to blast it out a few times before it will run well, and you'll have to carefully oil the motor bearings afterward (not too much, or you'll be back in the same predicament!). Another thing to look for is grease that has turned to peanut butter on the gears, which will also add drag. The contact cleaner should go through that too, and you can wipe it away. I hope this helps and you soon have the little critter racing around the tree.
Here's GIC's thread detailing the different versions of the Powertorque trucks, which should help you familiarize yourself with the parts.
http://www.tycoforums.com/tyco/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=2879&SearchTerms=powertorque
The Tyco Depot
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Agent
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Posted - December 08 2008 : 1:49:31 PM
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quote:| Agent, if it's a diesel it doesn't have a smoke unit. The instruction sheet was generic and included with all locos, whether they were steam or diesel. Originally posted by NickelPlate759-December 08 2008: 02:46:43 AM
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I apologize for not being that descriptive, but I have the Rock Island Diesel and also a Chattanooga 2-8-0 Consolidation Steam Engine and Tender, but that one doesn't move at all, and only the lights come on when I put it on the track.
Can I use electric motor cleaner for R/C cars to clean the motor on the loco as well? Also, is there a way to hook the train directly up to the power supply to make sure that nothing is majorly wrong with my track? Thanks for all the great answers guys! Where is a good cheap place to pick up a nice inexpensive engine to use for when this one needs to be cleaned?
Carl
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Posted - December 08 2008 : 2:57:53 PM
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Sometimes I test out locomotives by placing a 9-volt battery on the wheels that pickup electricity.
Just make sure each "tab" touches only the wheels on one side of the loco. You don't want a short circuit ruining your test run!
- Matt -
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Agent
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Posted - December 08 2008 : 3:52:20 PM
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do I need to use the positive side or the negative? My rock island has 2 trucks, and the pickup wheels in the front are the opposite from the ones in the back.
Carl
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Posted - December 08 2008 : 4:36:21 PM
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Oh.
Sorry, the battery thing only works for locomotives that pickup positive and negative power on the same axle.
- Matt -
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Posted - December 08 2008 : 5:39:55 PM
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Do you have a transformer? Turn the loco upside down, then run one wire each from the track (DC) terminals to any metal on the front and rear trucks to make it run (the screws on the bottom, for e.g.). Polarity doesn't matter for this test, it just determines which direction the loco will run. If you have a large pencil eraser you can use it to polish up the rails, and it will also work pretty well on the wheels. Just be sure to wipe away the shavings.
Motor cleaner for RC cars should be perfect, because it has to be plastic safe. If it's an aerosol cleaner like the contact cleaner, it should do as good a job of blasting out the dirt. That ought to free the Chattanooga motor enough to see if it runs.
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Posted - December 11 2008 : 02:04:03 AM
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Hell Agent , welcome to the forum here. I read you post a few days ago and was wondering if you got anywhere in trying to fix your locomotives? Let me know soon because I have several NIB Rock Island C430 locomotives and will give you one if you`re not having any luck. Its christmas and every little boy needsa train set man and the way the economy is right now times are rough for everyone. If you have`nt fixed them let me know and you can PM your address and i`ll ship it USPS. Are you missing any track too? I know you said you were trying to find some rail joiners. Also , if you buy track make sure its nickle silver. The older brass track tyco supplied in a lot of sets tarnishes and will get lots of build up on it.
A lone amature built the ark! A large group of professionals built the titanic!
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Agent
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Posted - December 11 2008 : 10:18:39 AM
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Thanks for the responses everyone! I need to stop by and pick up some r/c motor cleaner on the way home today from Miami. I've been gone all week down here and haven't had time to do anything yet. I ordered a small package of rail joiners from eBay so I can complete the track. It's not quite as big as I wanted it to be, but it's so nice to see the train up that I remember. I would like to get a spare loco and maybe a couple of cars though, so if I any one does have a few extra I would love if we could work something out so I can make this set a little bigger for my little guy. Thanks so much everyone!
By the way, just to show how much I know, I was under the impression that the brass track was better quality! lol
Carl
Edited by - Agent on December 11 2008 10:20:07 AM
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Agent
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Posted - December 11 2008 : 10:17:19 PM
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Well, I give up. I spent two hours cleaning the track and the loco. I used r/c motor cleaner to clean out all the crap but I think I ended up using too much. Now it doesn't move at all. When I push it forward the light doesn't flicker though, so I guess that means I was able to get the track to contact the loco fairly well. I ended up spraying some silicone lubricant into the engine to compensate for the extra motor cleaner that was in there and dried up. I think that's where I went wrong because I'm thinking silicone lube doesn't conduct electricity and since the entire truck is basically a pickup... Well... You get the idea. Any other ideas on how to clean this thing up?
Carl
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Posted - December 12 2008 : 5:18:28 PM
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Send me your address and I`ll send you a new engine ans some cars and track.
A lone amature built the ark! A large group of professionals built the titanic!
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