Hi! New Guy.....with a few 1947 Lionel 675 Questions

[runtime]

You can also build your own whistle controller very cheaply. Bob Nelson told my how, I've bought the parts, but have not yet built it. 

Look for a thread on the subject that I started. Sorry, I don't know how to search archived threads.

runtime

[LL675]

not sure of the draw but l have two feeders on my 6x3 platform under the tree.

[servoguy]

Jason, to keep the track connections tight, try this:  With the track section pointing away from you, bend the outer rail to the left and the center rail to the right.  Grab the rail where the pin is installed so you don't crush the rail.  About half the diameter of the pin is about right for the bend.  You do not need to squeeze the open end of the rail to use this approach.  The track will go together easily and make a good connection.  And when you take it apart you will not have to bend anything when you put it back together.  I have been playing with trains for 61 years, and I started using this approach about 3 years ago.  It works better than Lionel's approach, and you don't need gloves to put the track together.  I put together a couple of loops for Christmas this year, about 50 track sections in each loop.  AI used a single lockon for each loop.  The locos did slow slightly on the furthest curves from the lockon, but not enough to warrent adding more lockons.  Engines normally slow on curves because of the added friction when the drivers have to slip as the engines goes around the curve.  

 

[rack776]

Would I really need feeder wires and a bigger transformer for just a 4'x4' oval layout?

I have 8 curves and 1 straight in between each corner.

How much current & volts does one of these take to run one of these normally?

[LL675]

welcome to the slte! l have teo 675s and they are great locomotlves. as far as the traln slowlng down run an other set of feeder wlres from your transformer to the opposlte slde of the track from where your current lock on is.

nothlng wrong wlth the old tube track. l have an x20 platform buit wlth lt.

the 167 uses alot of juice. your 90 watt mlght not be big enough. l'd buy a postwar transformer such as a 1033 wlth the bullt ln whlstle controller.

Dave

[rack776]

Hi! New Guy.....with a few 1947 Lionel 675 Questions, I Hope this post is not too long or confusing. I'm just excited to share what I am working on.

I have been reading this forum since the summer and the info has helped me greatly so far,
The links to Olsens Toy Trains service pages was the best thing I ever found online.

First off I'm not new to trains (or other hobbies), I have built & modified N scale engines for awhile.
I have the patience and skill to do my own repairs. I like to keep things the way they were built originally.  I have restored some full size classic cars so I appreciate originality as much as function.

I managed to get the family's old lionel set cleaned up and running again for Christmas time
after being unused for almost 20 years. (man were there ALOT of pine needles in the tender whistle!)
I actually turned an old "Christmas decoration" back into a model train and the fealing is great, Thanks!

I had hoped to make my first post be about how I got the Lionel train set my Grandfather bought for
for my Dad running as good as new again and post lots of photos, It ran well enugh for Christmas
and made my dad smile, but I have some questions about its performace, I hope someone can help.

I have a 1947 Lionel 4 car freight set 2123WS, it has the metal pre war style cars with post war staple
end trucks & coil couplers. My Grandfather bought it used from a guy he worked with sometime arround 1949 or 1950. (It was intended as an upgrade from a Marx Nickle Plate road set that I still have.) My Grandfather gave both sets to my Dad when I was born, my Dad gave them to me this year.

The set has the Early 675 Engine, 2466WX Tender, 2458 metal PRR automobile box car, 2555 metal sunoco tank car,  3559 prewar style red dump car, and a non lit 2457 PRR metal caboose.  My Set should have the lit caboose but I guess Lionel was out of stock and stuck the cheaper O27 caboose in the set.  In the guides I have seen, my cars all date to either late 1946 or early 1947.
I also have a 1949 ATSF operating Box Car & a 1950 Armour Stock car that have been with the set since my Grandfather brought it home. Working on these "big trains" is getting addicting...I almost forgot I have some N scale projects to finish!

I guess first I'll describe the work done to the set and then list what I have a question about.

1- I cleaned all the O31 track with a red scotch bright pad, cleaned the holes for the track pins,
and tightened all the joints with a plyers (I still had some spots where it would slow down and suspect I might need "new or better" track) I have enugh to build a 4'x4' square oval for now......I'm thinking of going to  Super O, I also considered Fast Track but i dont want to run my Grandfathers early post war train on anything "Made in China"  I'm weird like that LOL!

2- I had the 90 watt type A trainmaster transformer cleaned by a train transformer repair guy I met
at a train show, I assume it is working correctly, the voltages look ok with a test meter. circuit breaker works it does not buzz or get hot.

3- I rebuilt all the coil couplers and got the wheels & axles of the cars running straight & true
with original parts from olsens, I used a drop of motor oil on each wheel set, no issues with the cars.

4- The 675 engine was cleaned of all old hard grease, drive gears work smooth I re-oiled it, cleaned the armature slots & armature faces, replaced the old brushes & springs because the old ones were worn down pretty far and the springs were getting weak.  I used the original headlight bulb, and rewound the smoke element, it is the older style mica element that had 9 turns of wire I used new nichrome wire and did 8 turns as per the service manual for better smoke at lower voltages, E unit drum was cleaned and worked well at first but is now starting to stick randomly again, I think the plunger is not dropping down due to dirt, I cannot hear it drop when track power is positivley turned off.  I will try the TV tuner spray cleaner trick again. Engine still has its original cloth covered wires which looked ok but I'm thinking of installing fresh wires to be sure it is not shorting out anywhere. Contact rollers are worn with a grove only in the rear they should probley should be both replaced.

It runs very smooth and has pretty good low speed but I noticed it runs well hooked up with just a transformer and no whistle  controler BUT....after 45 min to an hour of run time it will slow down some what, the transformer is not hot at all but the loco shell is slightly warm.  At one turn of the track it will slow down some and get slower & slower each lap but if run in reverse it will gain speed in the same corner each lap, is it a track problem, armature or field winding problem? I'm stumped on this.
If I let it cool down it runs normal again, it will run noticeablly faster in reverse with a load of cars than it will in foward on level track.
What would cause this? I was thinking e unit drum contact or brush spring tension.
I hope the armature or field windings are not shorting as it gets hotter, I'd hate to try to fix that.
Any way to bench test this?  It might be awhile untill I can afford get some fresh clean track to test it on.
How long can a early post war engine be expected to run a small layout with 4 cars before it gets hot?

5- (Here is where the other weird trouble starts) I have tried 3 different 167C whistle controlers
The whistle works well but not with the engine running, only when the train is stopped.
I finnaly rewound the choke coil in one controller with new magnet wire the same size & length
as I originally took out, it drops the track voltage by 5 volts. Service manual says it should drop about 3 volts
I have seen in the service manual that you can lessen the impedianceof the coil by taking some metal laminations out, I tried that and it did not help the whistle start but it did give the track more power. I put the laminations back in for the time being.

I can either run the loco on the low voltage posts (6-16v) with no whistle controller and it is ok,
If I hook up the 167 controller the loco barely moves at full power.
OR
I can run the loco and whistle controller on the high voltage posts (14-24v)
and the whistle works great whith the loco running except it has no slow speed,
I really dont want to run it on anything higher than 16-18 volts so I dont burn out the motor.
Is this early 675 a High or Low voltage engine?

No local shops will test or work on a 167C whistle controller (I know asbestos is in them, I'm super carefull of it) and no local shops will guarntee if I buy a used one it will work, they also want to charge a ton of money to test run my engine & tender on a known good clean track and working whistle control transformer.
A diagnostic charge of $65....?!?!?!? what a way to get a new customer! I'll buy new track for that!
I wish there were some local  train clubs or hobby shops in my area I could get parts & help from but I am on my own locally with this one.

Thanks for reading all of this, it was kind of long,
I hope some one might have some advise as what I can try.
-Jason