601 Switcher problem

[ADCX Rob]

I have been working on a problem with my SeaBoard 601 Switcher for quite some time now and cannot figure out the problem. When I supply power to the Switcher it doesn't seem to want to move in any direction without a little 5 finger help. And when it does start to go, it makes a grinding sound. I have taken the motor apart several times and cleaned it and I also check the gears to make sure they were not worn. When I push it on the track the motor does engage the gears and does not make the grinding noise. Only when I supply power to the switcher does this happen. It will engage in reverse and forward but will not move on it's own. I would appreciate any help on this problem. Thanks.

The problem is likely that the lower bearing plate is floating in the stamped aluminum motor side frames as the factory staking has worked loose over the years.  The old Lionel fix for this was to "dent" the side frames with a punch, some shops used cardstock jammed in to firm up the plate.

I have had good luck using tiny self-tapping screws into drilled pilot holes through the sideframes to hold the bearing tight in place.

My latest method, though, beats them all.  Using CRC Contact Cleaner, clean ALL oil & residue from between the sideframes & the bearing, using the nozzle to spray into the crevice.  Dry it out well, several hours or overnight.

Now use the regular "thin"(not gel) CA adhesive("Super Glue", Eastman 910, etc.) and flow the cement into the crevice on both sides, letting it creep in by capillary action to fill the gap.

In about 10 minutes, the loco is ready to be lubed(grease on gears, oil on pivots & bearings/axles) and will run like new. 

Rob

 

[Back2Trains]

I have a 627 that ran well in one direction and very poorly in the other. I removed the power truck from the frame and examined it. I learned that along with the lower bearing being loose and moving around quite a bit, every one of the plates that make up the frame of the truck assembly was loose where they were staked together. So, I ended up removing the cast truck sides, pulling the wheels for access to the staking points, and tightening all of those points. This made the whole assembly very solid and keeps everything in alignment. After reassembly I still had to add thrust washers at the commutator end of the armature to limit end play. I may have gone to extremes with it, but it does run very well. Plus I was able to remove the hair, carpet fuzz and tinsel from the gears. However there is still one problem with it: I bought the engine on a whim and don't care much for the looks of it. Plus my wife says it looks like there is a caboose on each end of the train!
I have a DT&I switcher from the MPC era that I really like, but mechanically it's a dog, so I will probably put the 627 guts in that.

[lionelsoni]

Roy, he says that the motor won't run in either direction. That means that, if thrust bearings are the problem, both of them would have to be missing or bad, which seems unlikely.

I wonder if it could be an electrical problem, perhaps some shorted turns in the motor field winding. The only one of those motors I have has the split field; so I can't measure the resistance. Can anyone else do that for him so that he can compare his with yours?

[wrmcclellan]

The biggest cause of grinding (assuming the bearings are not shot and thus armature is hitting the field assembly) is a missing "thrust collar" (Old Lionel PN 600-129) on the top of the armature (same end as the commutator) and/or the ball bearing (Old Lionel PN 600-110) that goes into the bottom of the truck assembly in the hole that the other end of the armature shaft (the end with the worm gear). This ball bearing supports the armature shaft. These two items limit the end play of the armature assembly. Thus the armature moves up and down too much and only the pressure of the brushes keep the commutator from hitting the brush plate assembly.

Regards,
Roy

[1688torpedo]

Hello mpaden! The problem is the alunimun sideframes that hold the front truck together.They are not always in alignment and the plastic plate on the bottom of the truck sometimes come loose which in turn binds up the armature shaft which causes the motor to run poorly or not at all.Contact Davis Trains in Milford ,Oh. They have a website and can help you out....Take care.....Keith.

[Anonymous]

I have been working on a problem with my SeaBoard 601 Switcher for quite some time now and cannot figure out the problem. When I supply power to the Switcher it doesn't seem to want to move in any direction without a little 5 finger help. And when it does start to go, it makes a grinding sound. I have taken the motor apart several times and cleaned it and I also check the gears to make sure they were not worn. When I push it on the track the motor does engage the gears and does not make the grinding noise. Only when I supply power to the switcher does this happen. It will engage in reverse and forward but will not move on it's own. I would appreciate any help on this problem. Thanks.