Newbie here...Need help with my Lionel prewar 260E motor

[FuzzDaddy]

Hi Guys... Im new to the train world. I just purchased my first train ever. Lionel prewar 260E steam loco. I am having trouble with the motor. It is sluggish and smells when running. It will run "ok" but when I add the tender and 3 cars it hardly moves. I replaced the brushes and brush springs but it is still the same. I completley disconnected the e-unit since I dont mind if the train runs in reverse. I took this unit to a local train hoppy shop. They had it for a month and couldnt repair it. My armature doesnt look in great shape. I would like to know if someone can please tell me how to test the motor field and also the armature? Thank you in advance!! I look forward to being a part of your community!!

 

Corey

[TrainLarry]

Chances are if the motor runs, that the field and armature are good, and the motor just needs a good servicing.

Clean the entire motor with naphtha (lighter fluid). Clean all the gears, motor and gear bearings, wheels, pickup rollers, and axle bearings with naphtha also.

 Use a BriteBoy (or a pencil eraser) to clean and polish the copper commutator sections on top of the armature. Clean all residue from the commutator, lightly oil both ends of the armature and reassemble the motor. Check for any side play of the armature in the armature bearings, and check the axle bearings in a similar way. Replace the bearings if any play is found. Lightly oil the axle bearings and gear bearings, and grease the gears.

Put the loco on the tracks and apply power. The loco should now run well.

Larry

[Penny Trains]

Don't forget to clean out the gaps in the commutator with a toothpick.

aboard!  This is a fun, informative and laid back place!

Becky

[Penny Trains]

Oh!  I forgot!  Some odor is normal!  If it's a kind of metalic smell, it's probably the ozone that these open frame motors produce that you're smelling.

Becky

[lionelsoni]

A common wiring mistake is to put the field and armature in parallel; they should be in series.

The resistance between each of the possible pairs of (probably three) commutator segments should all measure the same.  It's harder to detect whether you have shorted turns in the field winding, since you have nothing to compare against.  But, if the motor runs significantly better on DC than AC, that's a clue that the field is short circuited.  (Put a bridge rectifier between your transformer and the track to convert AC to DC.)

[servoguy]

My experience has been that usually when a loco runs poorly, it is not lubricated.  For lubrication, use 5W20 motor oil.  It never dries out.  I cannot recommend anything else.  Light oils like 3 in 1 oil and grease should be avoided.  

Check the armature bearings for play. I have seen armature bearings worn enough that the armature was rubbing the field.  Don't run the loco if it is stinking.  You may let the magic smoke out, and then it will not work at all.