I would suggest that anyone who is trying to sort out the wiring for a loco with an E unit that he get a circuit diagram from Olsens.
lionelsoni Do not wire the armature and the field in parallel, as you were advised above. They should be in series. The motor may run with them in parallel, but will draw excessive current, and you may burn out either or both parts.
Do not wire the armature and the field in parallel, as you were advised above. They should be in series. The motor may run with them in parallel, but will draw excessive current, and you may burn out either or both parts.
Ah! Now THIS is the first time I've heard that particular factoid. Might explain a few things, too...
Mitch
Bob Nelson
My money is on the armature and field coil being out
LOL, it's your money.
cwburfle Checked the plate, but there's very little play there, and the wheels spin freely with the armature out. I'm guessing it's just a half-century old armature which decided to take the field coil with it! :P You may not be able to feel the play. Did you perform the test I described? Dollars to donughts, a new armature will not resolve your problem. The field is not replaceable by an average person. Another donor locomotive is likely to have the same problem unless it's been corrected.
Checked the plate, but there's very little play there, and the wheels spin freely with the armature out. I'm guessing it's just a half-century old armature which decided to take the field coil with it! :P
You may not be able to feel the play. Did you perform the test I described?
Dollars to donughts, a new armature will not resolve your problem. The field is not replaceable by an average person. Another donor locomotive is likely to have the same problem unless it's been corrected.
My money is on the armature and field coil being out; I'm getting the telltale "shower of sparks" from the pickup rollers, and a couple of laps around my layour were enough to start pitting the rollers...
Well, considering I couldn't even get the motor running until I disconnected and bypassed the E-unit, I'm gonna guess they're both faulty. (rueful grin) Ah, well, I have a line on a parts donor, so we'll see what's what. :)
Should you find the need for it, that armature can be rewound by the "motor doctor". He can rebuild about anything. But he ain't cheap.
I reread the original post. My prior comment(s) were based on the notion that the locomotive did run in one direction. Since the locmotive does not run in either direction, the root problem is not the bottom bearing plate. If the engine just sits there and buzzes, there is a good chance that the e-unit is not correctly connected to the motor. If one were to wire the e-unit to only provide power to only the field, or only the armature, then the engine might just sit there and buzz.
Looking at the e-unit, there are three wires coming from the contact plate on the side of the e-unit, and one wire coming from the contact plate on the bottom of the e-unit.
On a 627 (and most other postwar locomotives):
One end wire from the side contact plate should go to the power terminal on the e-unit. The other end wire from the side contact plate should go to the motor's field. The middle wire from the side contact plate should go to one of the brush holdersThe single wire from the bottom contact plate should go to the other brush holder.
Have you tried powering up the motor directly, and running it independently of the e-unit?
Larry
The armature usually burns before a field coil.
Field assembly and truck 671-101
http://www.ttender.com/partslist.html
Motor armature 600-125
Only source I could find:
Chris Rossbach
Restoration Train Parts
135 Richwood Drive
Gloversville, NY 12078
(518) 725-4446
Call 11am - 3pm only and leave a CLEAR message with name, phone number and part #600-125. Ask for current pricing; my catalog is a couple of years old. Note he has a minimum order, and no internet site.
I have one of these locos, and years ago it developed a loose lower bearing housing (the black plastic part between the two aluminum plates that carry the axels). I did a simple quick fix. I took a pair of needle nose pliers (the larger kind, not the miniature ones) and put a Z bend into the aluminum side plates at each of the corners of the black plastic housing. Twist the aluminum in a direction to tighten up against the black plastic housing. I did this about 35 years ago, and it is still tight.
You shouldn't need to do the above unless the black plastic housing is loose.
I have had motors that were assembled poorly so that the armature rubbed the field. This can also be caused by the upper bearing being worn allowing the armature to contact the field. This will not be obvious unless the motor is energized because the magnetic force causes the armature to move toward the field. I had a little Army switcher that had a worn out upper bearing. I fixed it 40 years ago by using the barrel of a crimp on lug for a bushing. I had to drill out the lug and also the upper bearing. It still works.
gunrunnerjohn I'd remove the armature and clean the commutator, also check the brushes and their springs.
I'd remove the armature and clean the commutator, also check the brushes and their springs.
Done and done! No good, alas. :/
cwburfle Your 627 probably has one of the early postwar Lionel one piece motor truck assembly. These motors have a well known problem with the motor frame loosening up. The lower armature bearing develops excessive play, causing the motor to bind up. Lionel's recommended fix was to use a center punch to dimple the aluminum frame next to that plate. On occasion, I have slipped a paper matchstick between the plastic plate and the frame. In order to figure out which side needs either the dimple or the matchstick, use a set of leads to get the motor running with the engine turned upside-down. Move the bearing plate from side to side to see which position gives the best results. Try this with the motor running in both directions. (Hint: the matchstick solution is not permenant, and can be undone if a mistake is made)
Your 627 probably has one of the early postwar Lionel one piece motor truck assembly. These motors have a well known problem with the motor frame loosening up. The lower armature bearing develops excessive play, causing the motor to bind up.
Lionel's recommended fix was to use a center punch to dimple the aluminum frame next to that plate. On occasion, I have slipped a paper matchstick between the plastic plate and the frame.
In order to figure out which side needs either the dimple or the matchstick, use a set of leads to get the motor running with the engine turned upside-down. Move the bearing plate from side to side to see which position gives the best results. Try this with the motor running in both directions. (Hint: the matchstick solution is not permenant, and can be undone if a mistake is made)
On a related note, which switchers used the same motor trucks as the 627? It would seem I'm in the market for a donor locomotive...
Thanks, all!
TrainLarry Mitch, What part do you need, the armature or the field assembly? Larry
Mitch,
What part do you need, the armature or the field assembly?
Larry,
I'm guessing that the armature is bad, which in turn put the whammy on the field assembly (lot of sparking coming from the pickups, even after I cleaned the commutator and the brushes), so I reckon I need both. :)
Freddie,
Here is a generic diagram that will suit your loco. Scroll down to view:
http://pictures.olsenstoy.com/cd/locos%5Clocp7.pdf
Note wire colors may vary.
(Forwarded from Classic Trains Forum)
http://cs.trains.com/TRCCS/forums/p/88134/2178048.aspx
I purchased a Lehigh 627 center cab engine on ebay. I was told that it runs but it doesn't. The engine is from 1956-57. I would like to repair it. It sits on the track and just buzzes. I replaced the e-unit but not sure I did it correctly. Is there a way that I can test the motor directly with the transformer to see if it works. Anyone have a wiring diagram for this unit?
Thanks,
Freddie
Freddie:
You will have to disconnect the E-unit from the motor before testing it (I recommend making a diagram of where the leads go, then unsoldering them), Once this is done, connect a jumper from the ground to one motor brush, and connect the other motor brush to the magnet terminal and then to the third rail shoe. This will wire the motor up with the wound field magnet in parallel with the armature commutator and, if the motor is in working order, the engine will move in one direction only. Good luck!
In a related question, the motor in my 627 has developed a case of Cajun Blackened Motor Windings and I need to find a replacement. Does anybody have any suggestions?
(This is the one that I turned into a trolley freight motor; see http://cs.trains.com/TRCCS/forums/t/199238.aspx for more details. I'd like to have it running by December 3 if possible; I'll be displaying trains at the Children's Train in Springdale, AR!)
Thanks in advance!
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