Spectrum's on fire!

[dragenrider]

Has anyone else had trouble with the tiny motors burning up on Spectrum's 44 and 70 ton GE engines? [banghead]

Is there a way to tell the newer single motor GE engines by look or box number? [?]

[Budliner]

is that a new engin if it is sometimes you have to run the motor a little fast and get it going if its newtry lifting it and give it some juice
hope you get it working


B -

[Jetrock]

I wi***here was--I crave the older 44 and 70 tonners for their power trucks, perfect for conversion into the motive power of electric freght motors and trolley cars!

[Anonymous]

Hi, Dragenrider

Are you sure the motor has burned out? Sometimes, if the brushes are soft or some oil leaks onto the commutator, small particles of dust, dirt, and carbon from the brushes may fill the small grooves on the commutator (parallel to the rotor shaft) thus causing a short circuit. This can be accompanied with some smoke before the rotor stops turning altogether, too, because of the electric arc. Try cleaning the brushes and the commutator (usually it should have 3 or 5 of those grooves, depending on how much poles the rotor has - use a needle to clean them out), if you're not absolutely sure that the motor (rotor) has burned.

Hope this helps.
Oliver

[nfmisso]

QUOTE: Originally posted by dragenrider

Is there a way to tell the newer single motor GE engines by look or box number? [?]

Cat# 80034 and above are the new single motor units.

[Anonymous]

I have two of the Bachman Spectrum 70 tonners. Worst waste of money I've spent on trains. If mine caught on fire I'd just let them burn[censored][censored][censored].

Thanks,
Jeremy

[dragenrider]

Yep, they burned! Black marks, billowing smoke, frozen motor, the whole nine yards. I thought about calling out my HO scale fire department.

Thanks for all your input. I'll be looking for the newer models.

[Jetrock]

Really? I have a 70 tonner and it works just fine..very smooth operation. I have one 44 tonner two-motor that had problems in one of the motors--the contacts wouldn't stay in position and it kept going dead at inopportune times--but the rest have worked fine.

[paxton58]

Got a used 70 ton at a train show. It started smoking after a couple of laps, I did some lubricating and after it ran for a few more laps it burned out completely. Put me off Spectrum.