Frantic Lumberjacks

[Justraincrazy]

Our Lionel operating lumberjacks accessory recently lost its motor. Unfortunately, a replacement could not be found, and a similar flat motor from another nearly identical accessory was installed by our local repair shop. The new motor spins much faster than the old motor at similar voltage. Is there a simple way to reduce the voltage to the accessory to slow the motor down? Would a resistor work? Wiring a yard light in series with the accessory?

[TrainLarry]

If this is the motor, then Lionel has them in stock. See here for parts breakdown.

Larry

[Firesteel]

At the risk of asking a stupid question, can you just reduce the voltage on your transformer? I have this accessory on my layout and I power it using the variable accessory terminals on a Lionel CW-80 transformer. I kept raising the voltage until the lumberjacks operated at the pace I liked and set the voltage at that level. I have to admit that I really never measured the actual voltage. Lionel recommends 12-18 volts, but that is with the original motor. Obvously, this won't help if you are using a fixed voltage transformer. Hopefully someone else will have another suggestion.   

[Firelock76]

Nothing wrong with using a variable voltage transformer to adjust the "juice" to your animated accessories so they operate at the speed or intensity you want.  It's been done before.

[Justraincrazy]

No, its not a stupid question. Our layout, 6x16, has dozens of operating accessories. Operating them all off of (2) ZW's, along with the trains, of course, gives me a choice of two different voltages to pick from (the multitude of lights use the other inner handles on the ZW). But the lumberjacks, with their replacement motor, even at six volts, still look fairly frantic, and leave the rest of the accessories all running off the other transformer. We make minor adjustments as necessary when operating specialty accessories, like the culvert loader or mail pickup, but generally 13 volts operates everything pretty well. But, at 13 volts, the lumberjacks look like Energizer bunnies. I need to reduce the voltage to just the lumberjacks, or find an original motor, with which they worked at perfect speed on 13 volts.

[Joe Hohmann]

I have gone through two of these on my Christmas layout after about 12 hours total run time for each. I've given up on them.

[Buckeye Riveter]

This the accessory that lasted ten years for me that I mentioned on the POT.  I had to take it apart three times over its lifetime and finally realized that the grease was too thick for the gears and cam, as operated in my train room where in the winter it gets below 60 degrees until I turn on the heat.  I cleaned out the old grease and used a light oil.  Now after ten years, I believe the motor has had it.