EIS2 Here is his original post: srguy: I was running my 2055 PW steamer last eveing and admiring how it performs so well after all these years until it came to a halt with a loud buzz. I shut down the power and and found that the drive wheels jammed however I was able to move them freely in reverse. I removed the shell and didn't find anything obstructing the drivers. As I moved the wheels forward they would jam ... again no obvious obstructions. I put the unit back on the tracks and ran it in reverse no problems. Would occaisionally jam in forward but eventually it seemed to fee up and ran without issues. I reinstalled the shell and ran it around a few times apparently fixed but then it jammed again. At that point I left it .... I have no clue what's causing this jamming. Would appreciate any suggestions to troubleshoot. carlb01464: The next time this happens, just place a drop of oil on each end of the armature shaft. This was your problem all along. It is a very common one. I have seen it many times. The problem we were initially trying to solve was the 'jamming' that he described. After, he apparently corrected the jamming, he then reported a 'grinding noise four days after his initial post and then the replies began to address the grinding noise. So to say that "The next time this happens, just place a drop of oil on each end of the armature shaft. This was your problem all along." is not accurate. Earl
Here is his original post:
srguy: I was running my 2055 PW steamer last eveing and admiring how it performs so well after all these years until it came to a halt with a loud buzz. I shut down the power and and found that the drive wheels jammed however I was able to move them freely in reverse. I removed the shell and didn't find anything obstructing the drivers. As I moved the wheels forward they would jam ... again no obvious obstructions. I put the unit back on the tracks and ran it in reverse no problems. Would occaisionally jam in forward but eventually it seemed to fee up and ran without issues. I reinstalled the shell and ran it around a few times apparently fixed but then it jammed again. At that point I left it .... I have no clue what's causing this jamming. Would appreciate any suggestions to troubleshoot.
I was running my 2055 PW steamer last eveing and admiring how it performs so well after all these years until it came to a halt with a loud buzz. I shut down the power and and found that the drive wheels jammed however I was able to move them freely in reverse. I removed the shell and didn't find anything obstructing the drivers. As I moved the wheels forward they would jam ... again no obvious obstructions. I put the unit back on the tracks and ran it in reverse no problems. Would occaisionally jam in forward but eventually it seemed to fee up and ran without issues. I reinstalled the shell and ran it around a few times apparently fixed but then it jammed again. At that point I left it .... I have no clue what's causing this jamming. Would appreciate any suggestions to troubleshoot.
carlb01464: The next time this happens, just place a drop of oil on each end of the armature shaft. This was your problem all along. It is a very common one. I have seen it many times.
The next time this happens, just place a drop of oil on each end of the armature shaft. This was your problem all along. It is a very common one. I have seen it many times.
The problem we were initially trying to solve was the 'jamming' that he described. After, he apparently corrected the jamming, he then reported a 'grinding noise four days after his initial post and then the replies began to address the grinding noise. So to say that "The next time this happens, just place a drop of oil on each end of the armature shaft. This was your problem all along." is not accurate.
Earl
Not quite, but close.
Next Time, be a bit more descriptive in explaining the symptoms. Had any of us known the grinding/howling issue was there to begin with, and not a "lock and stop", we wouldn't have had folks recommending removal of the armature.
On a sidewinder Lionel, it is good form to suggest a drop of oil on both ends of the armature shaft at any time.
Period.
Rob posted earlier, "The right side rods should be exactly 90° ahead of the left side with the loco traveling forward." As far as the function of the locomotive is concerned, it doesn't matter what the angular ralationship is for a spur-gear driven locomotive. Only those that depend on the side rods to transmit torque to otherwise undriven wheels need to be quartered; and even then the quartering doesn't need to be exact. The only real requirement is that the crank angles between left and right sides must be the same from axle to axle.
The Lionel "Generals" are an interesting example of cranks set identically between left and right sides. Lionel used the resulting synchronized crosshead motion to operate the smoke pump, which was the cylindrical inside of the boiler.
Right-side lead is prototypical for most locomotives; but left-side lead was used, particularly on the Pennsylvania Railroad.
Bob Nelson
Curmudgeon EIS2: Here is his original post: srguy: I was running my 2055 PW steamer last eveing and admiring how it performs so well after all these years until it came to a halt with a loud buzz. I shut down the power and and found that the drive wheels jammed however I was able to move them freely in reverse. I removed the shell and didn't find anything obstructing the drivers. As I moved the wheels forward they would jam ... again no obvious obstructions. I put the unit back on the tracks and ran it in reverse no problems. Would occaisionally jam in forward but eventually it seemed to fee up and ran without issues. I reinstalled the shell and ran it around a few times apparently fixed but then it jammed again. At that point I left it .... I have no clue what's causing this jamming. Would appreciate any suggestions to troubleshoot. carlb01464: The next time this happens, just place a drop of oil on each end of the armature shaft. This was your problem all along. It is a very common one. I have seen it many times. The problem we were initially trying to solve was the 'jamming' that he described. After, he apparently corrected the jamming, he then reported a 'grinding noise four days after his initial post and then the replies began to address the grinding noise. So to say that "The next time this happens, just place a drop of oil on each end of the armature shaft. This was your problem all along." is not accurate. Earl Not quite, but close. Next Time, be a bit more descriptive in explaining the symptoms. Had any of us known the grinding/howling issue was there to begin with, and not a "lock and stop", we wouldn't have had folks recommending removal of the armature. On a sidewinder Lionel, it is good form to suggest a drop of oil on both ends of the armature shaft at any time. Period.
EIS2:
lionelsoni Rob posted earlier, "The right side rods should be exactly 90° ahead of the left side with the loco traveling forward." As far as the function of the locomotive is concerned, it doesn't matter what the angular ralationship is for a spur-gear driven locomotive...
Rob posted earlier, "The right side rods should be exactly 90° ahead of the left side with the loco traveling forward." As far as the function of the locomotive is concerned, it doesn't matter what the angular ralationship is for a spur-gear driven locomotive...
That is how the 2055 is built, and I only brought it up after the discussion devolved into broken gear teeth and the OP questioned the quartering. I had been trying to get him to remove all the valve gear & rods(systemically, hopefully) before diving into the phantom armature-jamming-the-wheels issue(to remove the armature requires pulling wheels). The 2055, as well as the rest of the spur-gear driven locomotives, will run fine as you know without rods and valve gear... it's just all along for the ride for show.
Rob
Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account.
Get the Classic Toy Trains newsletter delivered to your inbox twice a month