Hi Simon! Glad you got the little Pannier Tank running properly again! As you know, I'm going to service my Dapol 57xx at some point, and my worst nightmare is bits flying all over the place when I undo a seemingly innocent looking screw! The problem being that I don't have the experience to know where all of the bits had come from, so would have no chance of putting the loco back together again - however clean I got it!!! :) All the best, Ian.
Hell Ian, got a phone? Photograph each stage and then you have a record. The most important tool I found is the magnifying light from Hobbycraft. I can't see without it. I'm guessing the latest models with complex undertrays are going to be really difficult. On the other hand coreless motors mean nothing to clean in there. If you have an issue it's going to be the contacts on the wheels at a guess. Cheers Simon
Watch those springs on the couplings when you take the undertray off. But mostly give that commutator a clean. There are number of cleaning solutions out there. You want that copper to shine.
Well done in taking the dive into cleaning a Loco. A couple of hints, if I may. The coupling rods are upside down.. oops... we've all done it, trust me.... so many times. Plus don't use WD40, I suggest strongley to use Isopropyl alchahol (I buy mine off ebay in litre bottles from Hexeal) also go to Aldi and buy some of their puddings which come in glass dishes, ideal for N gauge loco's. Great for holding bits and washing them with Isopropyl, a hogs hair brush works wonders as well. I myself just rip the loco to pieces and wash the lot, a fibreglass pencil is also helpful for cleaning the pickups and backs of wheels, good also for cleaning the armature along with a cocktail stick to dig out the carbon. As for oiling, I only use Peco electrolube on brass bearings and motion gear, for gears I use a silicon PTFE grease which is food safe and 'Plastic Safe' from a manufacturer in the Northwest again off ebay, the tub will last forever and I've used it a lot on club members models and my own. Spares go to the online shop 'Graham Farish Spares' the chap is very helpful and his knowledge is pricless. Don't worry about bits going ping, I'm still looking for a brush spring (The brush and coupling springs are the same) for over two months. look forward to the next job, and keep up the good work.
I spotted I got them upside down. The wheels went everywhere. I'm not going to take that undertray off until I need to so will have to live with it for a while. I've done quite a few service videos. I need a proper bench or table so I can video while I'm doing it but I do it through a magnifying light and it's hard to film. Thanks for the tips on gear to use. Cheers
Hi Simon. Ah the joys of N gauge. I have two of these loco's I think , one green and one in black. They are good runners but yes they do need a service every now and then. I hop that it runs well on the new layout. Cheers pal.
Hello Brian, I was after a black one. There was one on ebay and he wanted £90 which is crazy for a model this old. But then ebay is full of items that the owner is opening their mouth too wide for. I hope I don't have to take off the undertray again, somebody probably over oiled it in the past.
But that's no bigger than your thumb!!!! And you're making films on your phone at the same time!!!! Wow! But it was running so much better once you'd re-lubricated it!!! Silly question. Why would it run OK backwards but jerkily going forwards before you serviced it? Surely the contacts should work the same whichever way you want to go?
It's not very big, quite heavy with the metal body though so it will pull okay. Once I got the communtator clean it ran well and the contacts to the wheels. Not the easiest job taking all the contacts off the wheels. I may of said some naughty words at times. Why would it go okay backwards? Now that's a question. I can only assume that is how it has been worn being run forwards for years. There must be something in that I guess but not sure.
Hi Simon! Glad you got the little Pannier Tank running properly again! As you know, I'm going to service my Dapol 57xx at some point, and my worst nightmare is bits flying all over the place when I undo a seemingly innocent looking screw! The problem being that I don't have the experience to know where all of the bits had come from, so would have no chance of putting the loco back together again - however clean I got it!!! :) All the best, Ian.
Hell Ian, got a phone? Photograph each stage and then you have a record. The most important tool I found is the magnifying light from Hobbycraft. I can't see without it. I'm guessing the latest models with complex undertrays are going to be really difficult. On the other hand coreless motors mean nothing to clean in there. If you have an issue it's going to be the contacts on the wheels at a guess. Cheers Simon
Thanks for sharing. This will certainly go towards a list of do's and don'ts for when I tackle a service
Watch those springs on the couplings when you take the undertray off. But mostly give that commutator a clean. There are number of cleaning solutions out there. You want that copper to shine.
Well done in taking the dive into cleaning a Loco. A couple of hints, if I may. The coupling rods are upside down.. oops... we've all done it, trust me.... so many times. Plus don't use WD40, I suggest strongley to use Isopropyl alchahol (I buy mine off ebay in litre bottles from Hexeal) also go to Aldi and buy some of their puddings which come in glass dishes, ideal for N gauge loco's. Great for holding bits and washing them with Isopropyl, a hogs hair brush works wonders as well. I myself just rip the loco to pieces and wash the lot, a fibreglass pencil is also helpful for cleaning the pickups and backs of wheels, good also for cleaning the armature along with a cocktail stick to dig out the carbon. As for oiling, I only use Peco electrolube on brass bearings and motion gear, for gears I use a silicon PTFE grease which is food safe and 'Plastic Safe' from a manufacturer in the Northwest again off ebay, the tub will last forever and I've used it a lot on club members models and my own. Spares go to the online shop 'Graham Farish Spares' the chap is very helpful and his knowledge is pricless. Don't worry about bits going ping, I'm still looking for a brush spring (The brush and coupling springs are the same) for over two months. look forward to the next job, and keep up the good work.
I spotted I got them upside down. The wheels went everywhere. I'm not going to take that undertray off until I need to so will have to live with it for a while. I've done quite a few service videos. I need a proper bench or table so I can video while I'm doing it but I do it through a magnifying light and it's hard to film.
Thanks for the tips on gear to use. Cheers
Its always the electrical pick, wheels wipers etc
I was glad it ran smooth after. Always with second hand there is a chance of buying a lemon.
Hi Simon. Ah the joys of N gauge. I have two of these loco's I think , one green and one in black. They are good runners but yes they do need a service every now and then. I hop that it runs well on the new layout. Cheers pal.
Hello Brian, I was after a black one. There was one on ebay and he wanted £90 which is crazy for a model this old. But then ebay is full of items that the owner is opening their mouth too wide for. I hope I don't have to take off the undertray again, somebody probably over oiled it in the past.
I bet that was fun when it flew to pieces Simon. I hope there were not any sensitive ears around. Ron
I had a moment when I was worried where the little springs had gone for the couplings. Got them though. Thanks Ron
But that's no bigger than your thumb!!!! And you're making films on your phone at the same time!!!! Wow! But it was running so much better once you'd re-lubricated it!!!
Silly question. Why would it run OK backwards but jerkily going forwards before you serviced it? Surely the contacts should work the same whichever way you want to go?
It's not very big, quite heavy with the metal body though so it will pull okay. Once I got the communtator clean it ran well and the contacts to the wheels. Not the easiest job taking all the contacts off the wheels. I may of said some naughty words at times. Why would it go okay backwards? Now that's a question. I can only assume that is how it has been worn being run forwards for years. There must be something in that I guess but not sure.