I have an old Rivarossi plastic Dockside. It runs intermittantly on my shop test track. Nudge it and it will run for a few seconds, maybe a minute and then it stops. I have replaced the original Alnico magnet with neodyium super magets, cleaned the wheels (all four of 'em) with Goo Gone, cleaned the power wipers with a pipecleaner soaked in GooGone, cleaned the communtator with GooGone, oiled both motor bearings, oiled all two axles. After some running in on my shop test track, it runs better. Is there anything else I ought to do? It still is not fully dependable yet. I'm going to do some more running in, in both directions.
Any suggestions are welcome.
I have some photos of the Rivarossi but they broke the photo uploader again so I cannot show them to you.
David Starr www.newsnorthwoods.blogspot.com
Small engines like that will always have electrical pick-up problems. About the only real solution is adding a DCC decoder with some version of "keep alive" technology. For most decoders the keep alive is a separate attachment to the decoder, but TCS makes a decoder with the keep alive technology installed internally so it doesn't take up too much room.
I have one of those engines I have owned since 1959.
Mine still runs well but I would check those wire pick ups that rub the wheel flanges for power pickup. If they are not pressing against the flange tightly you will have a power problem. I clean mine with alcohol.
I assume this is a still DC engine. I have never tried to convert mine to DCC.
CN Charlie
Some of the Rivarossi, or Rivarossi "clone" locomotives that AHM offered had unusual motor brushes, which in a Pittman or similar open frame motor were a material with a curve built in to match the commutator's size, but with some AHM engines the brushes were literally a small bundle of wire brushes. Of course back then AHM happily sold spare parts including replacement brushes for their proprietary looking motors. There might be a buildup of gunk in those brushes. Avoid the temptation to oil them. Sometimes the little gaps in the commutators get filled up with gunk too.
Dave Nelson
I did clean the power pickup wipers. I ran a pipecleaner soaked in Goo Gone under both wipers. It helped. And no, I am planning to run straight DC, no DCC.
Goo gone leaves a residue, reclean, no wonder it is not making good contact.
This one has ordinary carbon brushes.
Given what you have done so far, I only see two solutions : change the motor or shelf queen.
Simon
I too have had issues with Goo Gone leaving a residue behind. Especially on nickel silver rails and plated wheels. The 90 percent alcohol works so much better.
The advice about adding more pressure to the wheel pickups is a good one. The addition of the magnet replacement is also good. Cleaning the armature and brushes will help. Check the spring pressure on the brushes. Too much pressure is not good and leads to over heating the brushes. Also check the two motor plates are parallel to each other over the armature windings. You may have to shim the magnets with a steel shim for the plates to be parallel.
Pete.
Well, myou have looked at the electrical.
Now look at the mechanical.
Is there a burr or some dented gear tooth?
This is a little four wheeler, sooo... Is it mechanically heavy enough to make firm contact with the rails? Place something HEAVY on top of the locomotive, if this solves the problem you must decide how you can put as much weight as you can inside of the locomotive.
It may be that a goblin has taken up residence inside of your locomotiver.
The Route of the Broadway Lion The Largest Subway Layout in North Dakota.
Here there be cats. LIONS with CAMERAS
Do you have the ability to feed DC directly to the motor with test leads and/or alligator clips?
-Photographs by Kevin Parson
That would be my first step, to see if it had the problem independent of the locomotives own electrical pick-up.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
Victory! I found a cold solder joint in the motor wiring. Reheated same and it runs good.
Yay. Very nice. Thanks for the update.
dstarrVictory! I found a cold solder joint in the motor wiring. Reheated same and it runs good.
Great News!
dstarr Victory! I found a cold solder joint in the motor wiring. Reheated same and it runs good.
Some things like that are very hard to find. Great job beating that gremlin at his own game.