Evening everyone, I’ve mentioned around here somewhere that I recently purchased three brass locomotives, one from Hallmark and two Nickel Plate Industries. I decided to test them out finally and none of them run. It isn’t that they run badly, they don’t run at all. They’re all dc units and all are getting power but that’s it, nothing is happening. I’ve had the Hallmark apart stripping paint and I made sure not to corrode anything but there’s no motion. Apparently that company doesn’t enjoy a good reputation so I’m not surprised. Not happy either but… The Nickel Plate a/b units are the same though I haven’t taken either apart. None of these have much run time if any based on visual inspection. Could the motors have simply gone bad? I have Tyco locos older than these that run fine. Thoughts? Thanks. Rick H.
The problem with these is that they are brass. The issues plaguing brass models are distinct from plastic and die cast models. You can't treat an old brass model like an Athearn Blue Box. The electrical pathways and method of construction are different than most other types of models, so it takes some finesse to get older brass models working again. Expect to spend some money fixing them. New motors, small parts like washers, and maybe even larger parts like gears and replacement gearboxes can be required. Quality varies widely, and it can be difficult to diagnose issues because of that. Apply power to the motor directly using a battery or some short wires. Does it turn? Get a multimeter and start checking for continuity between components. Once you have established a circuit, make sure the drivetrain is free. You may need to remove some gearing and test to make sure the wheels and valve gear roll freely. Working on old brass is a bit of an art, and requires different tools and skills than your average plastic model. This is probably a good place to learn with; on some relatively simple brass models, but ones that may have potential if you can fix them up.
I bought a brass Alco RS1 a while ago (a decade give or take), and it was running very badly. At least it ran, for a while. Then one day it just sat there, motor running, not moving at all. It turned out that the brass gears inside both trucks were so worn down they didn't mesh anymore. And there was a lot of tiny brass dust and other 360-grit sand-sized particles in the bottom of the truck frames... But the brass H12-44 I bought at the same time runs like a champion, notwithstanding the noise that makes an old-school Athearn sound quiet...
I've worked on quite a few older used brass locos and I can't remember a single one running well upon receipt. As already mentioned, brass is a much different beast than plastic models. They can be prone to short circuit and I've come across many that have been previously fiddled with and not reassembled properly. You've mentioned that you disassembled the Hallmark unit, so that says you're handy enough to figure this one out! I would start with the motors. If you can easily disconnect the motor from the frames, then do so. You can run leads directly to the motor and see if it is working. That way, there is no possibility of a short circuit from the frame or trucks. You may need to clean the commutator and the apply a drop of oil to the bushings. If it doesn't start with the leads attached, try manually turning the motor and see if this possibly "kick-starts" it. If you can't disconnect the motor from the frame, maybe you can at least disconnect the drive linkages so that the motor is not under any mechanical load and try cleaning and starting it. If your motors work, then there may be a pickup issue, short, or binding in the gears. You can try to manually turn the motor or drive train and feel if it is free moving or if there is resistance. A short should be pretty easily identifiable as you will get a spark or overload on the power source. Pickup can be tested with a connectivity meter or touching leads to the the different wheels to see if there is a response. Binding or cracked gears can be a bit tougher as you will have to disassemble the gear towers and trucks to find the area of concern. For what it's worth, my first brass loco was a Hallmark GP7 purchased over 30 years ago and it still runs smoothly and quietly to this day.
Did you read my response on your other post ? I've worked on a few brass locos , mostly steamers , but I've found that they are USUALLY easier to repair than most plastic locos . If you get in too far and need help I will be happy to look at them for you . Mike
Thanks Mike. I finally got time to test a couple of these seriously and it was a let down. First was one of the Nickel Plate units. Power to the wheels gave nothing. I took the shell off and put power directly to the contacts. Sometimes it worked, then nothing would happen and then the power source would shut down from an apparent short. Everything was intermittent and I learned basically nothing except the gear system is good and properly lubricated. I then went to the Hallmark and it was worse. Nothing worked at all, it didn’t even shut down the power supply. I haven’t tried the other Nickel Plate but for now all three will be pushed to the corner until I have time and feel like working on them. For the moment they are front runners for a diorama involving derelict equipment. Rick H.
