i have an old varney casey jones loco that has a few problems.
1:when you try to screw in the motor it gets power if you connect cables directly to the motor but it dosent turn over
2:it has no electrical contact system, so no power could get to the motor if you put it on the track, though i think it was a unfinished kit so i dont think the previous owner ever finished it
(sorry if i posted this in the wrong section or something this is my first post)
Hi there and to the forum! Your first few posts will be moderated, so please be patient.
I don't own that loco in particular, but I've worked on other Varney locos. The power comes from one set of drivers on one side, and one side of the tender wheels. Both are connected to the frames (loco for the drivers, tender for the tender wheels.). The power is picked-up directly from the frame, and one wire is connected from the motor to the tender. The first thing I would do is remove the motor and check that separately on the workbench. If it works, perfect.
Before re-installing the motor, why not check if the engine runs freely by hand. There should be no binds. If all is good, check that the wheels are nice and clean. Remove the trucks from the tender, and lighly sand the plate that connects to the trucks to ensure good electrical contact. Make sure you re-install the same way. Power pick-up wheels should be on the same side. Inspect the connecting wire - replace if worn. If you have an Ohmeter, check the connectivity between the wire and the wheels.
Now re-assemble the motor, connect the tender and the wire on motor. No need to put on the boiler yet. Put in on the track, it should work. If it is sluggish, it may be the wheels that need cleaning. No need for lubrication until the loco runs. If the loco ran freely by hand without the motor, it should run.
When all seems go be working, you can then lubricate. Put the loco on its back, remove the plate that covers the driving wheels, and LIGHTlY lubricate using Labelle oil. The main gear can be lubed with Labelle grease.
Simon
If the motor is shot there are numerous replacements available that go under the title of "can motors". I am virtually positive they will result in improved performance.
Mashima Motors (roundbell.com)
Quality Mashima & Other Motors – PPW/A-Line/Arrow Hobby (ppw-aline.com)
Can motors. Mashima versus Sagami | Model Railroad Hobbyist magazine (model-railroad-hobbyist.com)
Another route, if the motor runs, is to replace the magnets with modern, rare earth ones. I have not done this, but comments in this forum say it results in a major performance improvement. Since you have the loco disassembled anyway, why not give it a try? Do a search on "super magnets" in this forum
Super Magnets, 20 pieces (micromark.com)
"All magnets are not created equal! Our rare-earth super magnets are the world's strongest . . . supplying up to 10 times the energy of traditional Alnico magnets. You can easily repower, restore and improve your old motors performance by replacing their original Alnico magnets with these Super Magnets. Simply slide out the old magnet and slide in the new ones. They're 1/8 inch thick x 1/4 inch wide x 1/2 inch long, so they fit the popular Pittman DC-60 and Mantua-Tyco open-frame model locomotive motors perfectly, plus a wide assortment of motors in addition to those mentioned above.Triple-coated with Nickel-Copper-Nickel for maximum durability and protection again corrosion."
Good luck!
I have confirmed that the original motor is a DC-60. So if the motor is shot, you can
1. Replace it with another DC-60
2. Replace it with a DC-60 with "super magnets", which drop right in
3. Replace it with a can motor
Given the ease of modification and the improvement in performance, I'd go with option 2. As a matter of fact, if the original motor does work, I'd replace its magnets with the rare earth type
Also, Varney produced a super detail kit for the Casey Jones. If you are interested, searching on E-Bay may locate one for sale. If one isn't available currently, check back every once and a while to see if one has become available.
TheMasterOfTrains1:when you try to screw in the motor it gets power if you connect cables directly to the motor but it dosent turn over
It's unclear to me if the motor works when you connect wires from your power source directly to the motor. If the motor runs with such a connection, but doesn't run when the power source is connected to the track, then it's much easier to diagnose the problem.
For older locos like this, the drivers on the left side (if you were sitting in the cab) have insulation (usually paper) between the wheelrims and the wheel centres, while there is no such insulation on the wheels on the right side of the locomotive. You can usually see this insulation (often red) by looking at the backside of the driver wheels.On the tender, the wheels on the opposite side are insulated, usually indicated by a plastic insert where the axle enters the backside of the wheel. All wheels on each respective side must be the same, as even one installed backwards will prevent operation of the motor.
While the non-insulated wheels on the loco provide current flow directly to the motor, the circuit is completed by a wire from the metal tender to the other brush on the motor. The recommendation to remove the tender's trucks to clean both the boss to which the trucks are screwed and the top of the trucks' bolsters is important, as those surfaces will oxidise over time, with a detrimental effect on current pick-up. It's equally important on brass locomotives, too.
If these problem areas all appear to be as they should, but the motor still doesn't run, you might try using the rare earth magnets in the motor, as they make a marked difference in refining speed control and in pulling power, too.
Otherwise, as suggested, replace the motor with a similar type, or a good quality can motor.
I've never owned a Varney locomotive, even though I got into this hobby in the mid-'50s, but I do have a couple of Varney boilers mounted on Bachmann Ten-Wheeler mechanisms...
Here's the original Bachmann loco...a little too old-fashioned for my late '30s layout...
...and the Varney casting...
...after modification...
...and assembled onto the Bachmann running gear...
...and in service...
Wayne
TheMasterOfTrains i have an old varney casey jones loco that has a few problems. 1:when you try to screw in the motor it gets power if you connect cables directly to the motor but it dosent turn over 2:it has no electrical contact system, so no power could get to the motor if you put it on the track, though i think it was a unfinished kit so i dont think the previous owner ever finished it (sorry if i posted this in the wrong section or something this is my first post)
1. Make sure the wires/ contacts aren't contacting the metal boiler. It is passible some bits of exposed wire are making contact with the shell and creating a short circuit.
2. Check the mesh of the wheels, the sitaion you describe is a it unclear but it is possible that the mesh between the worm gear on the motor and the gear on the axle could be too tight preventing it from running.
3. Check the pickups. Older engines such as your Varney pick up power directky through the frame, the locomotuve itself picks up from one rale and the tender from another. Make sure that the metal wheels on the tender are contacting the right rail.
4. Servce the motor, the engine. If you haven't already, then I would reccomend that you give the engine a full strip down and service. The engine could potentially be haveing trouble picking up electricity or be unable to take the load the wheels and train. For the motor specidfically, I would highly reccomend taking a copper wire wheel and using that to clean the commutator. I have done it many times on open fram motors and the difference it has is astonishing, after that take a toothpick and try and clean out the little spaces between the commutater. Then take some cotton buds, dip then in rubbing alocohol and the commutater and brushes one last clean beofre reassembling it.