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 Posted - December 26 2010 : 8:52:35 PM
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Hello, I've been visiting the site and forum for a while now but this is my first time to post. The other night, I was running my Midnight Special and it derailed and the fly wheel (that little tiny metal gear) popped off. I took the front truck apart to make it easier to fix and regreased it again. I clean it about every 10 to 15 hours of run time. This time I put it back together and the motor is dead and only the light comes on. I remember this happening with another Midnight Special years ago. I'm guessing the brushes are maybe not making contact. The wires are okay and it was running great before the accident. I've cleaned the engine quite a few times. I've taken it apart and put it back together several times and the motor isn't turning. Anyone have any thoughts or advice?
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 Posted - December 26 2010 : 9:18:56 PM
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quote: The other night, I was running my Midnight Special and it derailed and the fly wheel (that little tiny metal gear) popped off. This time I put it back together and the motor is dead and only the light comes on. ...I've taken it apart and put it back together several times and the motor isn't turning. Anyone have any thoughts or advice?
Originally posted by mscherpenberg - December 26 2010 : 8:52:35 PM
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I believe that's called the idler gear? Anyway, is the wire broken to the front non-powered truck? Here's what you need to do to isolate problems - take the powered truck out of the shell, turn it wheels-up. Take a train transformer with the two wires you would hook to the track,and set the power pack at half throttle, and touch both brush contacts on the side of the motor with the two wires, one to each. This will eliminate any other issue. If the motor turns over, you've got wire issues. If it doesn't, it's inside the motor, as you say the brushes may not be making good contact. But usually, if it ran right before, then not now, it's probably NOT brushes, it's an electrical contact area that's broken. Wires, etc. or something got bent out of shape. But touching the two soldered contact strips that hold in the brushes will tell you which area to look at, either the brushes, or the wires to the trucks. You can buy T-jet / Aurora slot car brushes that will work in your PT motor, I"m assuming you are talking about the squarish, upright PT, and not the MU-2 motor.
Anyhow, try touching the contacts directly with power, to see if the motor turns, and this will tell you which direction to troubleshoot. Ask if you have any more questions/problems troubleshooting your Special - I have one of those sharks as well. :)
Jerry
" When life throws you bananas...it's easy to slip up"
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Posted - December 26 2010 : 9:46:03 PM
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Thanks for your advice Jerry. I know this is something simple. I'll try everything you suggested and let you know how it goes.
Mike
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Posted - December 28 2010 : 6:43:24 PM
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| Sounds like a wire came loose. Keep us posted.
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Posted - December 28 2010 : 7:46:03 PM
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hey I just remembered! When I tried my UP City of Sanfracisco that same tiny gear came loose & when my friend fixed it he had to rough up the shaft abit so that gear would not slip off again I'll ask him how next time 
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Posted - January 06 2011 : 4:05:06 PM
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Unfortunately, it appears that I burned the motor out. It's too bad, this particular locomotive was in pretty close to mint cosmetic shape. I do have a second one in equally good condition. Sometimes old working power trucks come up on Ebay or you can find a runner in poor cosmetic shape but the motor is good that I can swap it out with. I'll get it going when the right part comes up though unless anyone has any leads on someone that rewinds or builds motors on here that can help out.
Thanks!
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Posted - January 06 2011 : 6:41:07 PM
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quote:Unfortunately, it appears that I burned the motor out. It's too bad, this particular locomotive was in pretty close to mint cosmetic shape. I do have a second one in equally good condition. Sometimes old working power trucks come up on Ebay or you can find a runner in poor cosmetic shape but the motor is good that I can swap it out with. I'll get it going when the right part comes up though unless anyone has any leads on someone that rewinds or builds motors on here that can help out.
Thanks!
Originally posted by mscherpenberg - January 06 2011 : 4:05:06 PM
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Your engine sounds like a good candidate for CD-ROM motor swap
-Matthew-
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Posted - January 09 2011 : 2:26:57 PM
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quote:quote:Unfortunately, it appears that I burned the motor out. It's too bad, this particular locomotive was in pretty close to mint cosmetic shape. I do have a second one in equally good condition. Sometimes old working power trucks come up on Ebay or you can find a runner in poor cosmetic shape but the motor is good that I can swap it out with. I'll get it going when the right part comes up though unless anyone has any leads on someone that rewinds or builds motors on here that can help out.
Thanks!
Originally posted by mscherpenberg - January 06 2011 : 4:05:06 PM
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Your engine sounds like a good candidate for CD-ROM motor swap
Originally posted by smitty9999Â -Â January 06 2011Â :Â 6:41:07 PM
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I saw a video about that on Youtube. I don't have the equipment to do it myself and would probably only butcher it further. Is there anyone on here that does those convertions or would be willing to help me out on that?
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Posted - January 09 2011 : 4:51:26 PM
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If you had a local hobby shop that has used Tyco stuff you could buy a spare motor switch out the armature and glue on the pinion/ idler gear or switch out the old motor.
Alco Fan
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Posted - January 09 2011 : 10:46:43 PM
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| I do have another old shark that is a dummy unit. I may pop the trucks out of that and pair it with my other working Midnight Special and get an A-A set. I also have a third Midnight Special body sitting in my parts box too. So I may just deal with having one and run my back up. They do pop up on Ebay often enough that Im not gonna fret it too much.
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Posted - January 09 2011 : 11:22:35 PM
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quote:....you could buy a spare motor switch out the armature and glue on the pinion/ idler gear or switch out the old motor.
Originally posted by Alco Fan - January 09 2011 : 4:51:26 PM
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Is this the MU-2 motor truck you need with the metal bottom and rivets, or the later PT motor truck?
Jerry
" When life throws you bananas...it's easy to slip up"
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Posted - January 09 2011 : 11:34:03 PM
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I'm pretty sure he's talking about a PT.
As for the CD repair, all you really need is a dremel tool. I used it to hollow out the frame, then a drill bit to widen the hole for the motor shaft. Everything else is simple. The shark is a good candidate too, because the body is wide enough to accept the commonly found thicker motors. Most of the CD-ROM motors are smaller around but fat, while the PS2 motors are wider and thinner.
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Posted - January 10 2011 : 06:23:57 AM
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quote:
As for the CD repair, all you really need is a dremel tool. I used it to hollow out the frame, then a drill bit to widen the hole for the motor shaft. Everything else is simple.
Originally posted by burlington77Â -Â January 09 2011Â :Â 11:34:03 PM
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yes, judging by the conversion photos, it seems that just the top enclosed area around the PT armature needed to be cut out, which wouldn't require a mill, just a dremel or grinder to remove the wall up there impeding the new motor's installation. I've got a defective motor frame with broken-off gear nub I may practice on first, since I have a few motors I've acquired to try.
Jerry
" When life throws you bananas...it's easy to slip up"
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