TGV Not Working

[Anonymous]

I have a Lima Ho scale TGV. It worked fine for a little while and I shut down my layout. I came back later and turned my comtroller back on and it would not work. Only the lights work but the motor does not. Help me please!!!!!!!!!![%-)][%-)][%-)][%-)]
-Jordan

[mcouvillion]

train80,

I haven't seen one so I don't know what the guts look like. Have you pushed it gently with the power on? It might be stuck and need a little persuasion. I don't know if the motor is three pole or five pole, but I'll bet its three pole. There might be a loose connection to the motor (or a broken wire). Did you happen to remove the wires from the transformer when you "shut down the layout"? You might have re-connected them to the fixed AC outlet rather than the Variable DC, which would make the lights go on but the motor won't run (it would vibrate back and forth (hum) but not move the train). Without more info, it is hard to speculate. Can you post a picture of the inside of the engine?

Mark C.

[Anonymous]

I have tried to give it a push and the motor truns but still will not run. Also I can't figure out how to take the top off.
-Jordan

[mcouvillion]

Jordan,

Is the motor turning all the time and the set not moving, or does it turn only when you push it? If the motor turns all of the time, the gears between the motor and drive axle may not be engaging or may be stripped.

Did someone else (i.e., a small, interested child) have access to the layout when you were away???

Mark C.

[Anonymous]

The Motor turns only when I push it and it turns the wheel set but it can not run under its own power. No one had access to it.

[Anonymous]

hello,
dismantling this tgv:
http://www.rmf-magazine.com/media/article/12/16.pdf
ok,it's in french but the pictures should help you.
maybe try a translation tool for further details.

regards,

nick

[Anonymous]

Thanks
-Jordan

[mcouvillion]

Jordan,

That's a very nice engine. It is probably a 5-pole motor. If the motor turns only when you "help" it, it may be that the connection to the drive shaft (universal joints or worm gears) are stripped and/or broken, causing excessive slip that the motor can't overcome. The power is not getting to the wheels. You might check the contact brushes on the back side of the wheels to see that they are making contact. They could be bent or not tensioned as tight against the back of the wheels as needed.

Does yours have the decoder in it yet? If not, this would make troubleshooting easier. Can you run it on the bench? Hook up wires to the motor directly from a transformer. See if the motor turns, then if the wheels turn. Then, while the wheels are turning, apply finger pressure against the turning wheels and see where the movement stops. Is it the motor, the drive shaft, the worm gear, the universal, the ??? This should help you identify where to focus your attention.

If the plastic junction between the motor armature and universal is broken, it may not be fixable, since it is very difficult to repair a split piece of plastic in the drive line. Good luck.

Mark C.

[Anonymous]

The TGV Runs now but it is still not running as fast as it used to. Also the motor is mounted to the rear wheel set. It does not have a decoder yet.
-Jordan

[mcouvillion]

Jordan,

I'm glad the train is running. You will need to give me a little more description of what you observe for me to be able to help you figure out what is wrong. Since I can't hold it and flip it over or open it up, you are the eyes and ears. Describe everything you see and hear. Good luck.

Mark C.

[Anonymous]

In Oz, most of us "older" modellers have had a lot of practice at reviving Lima mechs, and most of us wi***hat we hadn't!!!

1. Clean the wheels. They are brass, and will polish up well with a hard pencil eraser.

2. Oil the motor bearings: a bee's whiskers worth on the end of each side of the motor spindle.

These engines (Lima ones...) are subsonic, but otherwise are very fast. They are a pancake motor with three "poles" and will not run at all if any wiring is burned out.

[Paul Milenkovic]

What about the possibility of carbon motor brushes? I have had an Athearn go bad, and replacing the brushes made it right.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Paul Milenkovic

What about the possibility of carbon motor brushes? I have had an Athearn go bad, and replacing the brushes made it right.

Not likely with these motors: the brushes have a very, very long life...