I'm new to Model Railwaying - like 60 years late! I am impressed with Hornby's engineering. Your Ringfield Motor conversion using a CD Motor is impressive, especially the slow running. What a coincidence in engineering tolerances that it works. Off to convert my Duchess of Sutherland tender (wish me luck!).
haha thanks Mike - yes the Hornby engineering from this era was second to none - much better than it is today in fact! Good luck with it mate - go steady! ;D Cheers, Sam :)
Absolutely brilliant Sam. I've got an old Hornby Class 86 that I've had for about 15 years. It's never ran well. I was all set to give up an ebay it as spares when I discovered this video. I took an old CD player to pieces but the motors were too fat. However I found 2 suitable ones in a DVD player and it has saved my 86! Thanks!
@@Jack-hl2zqI'm too late to the party, but I can't resist not answering a question I know the answer to! Hot glue melts at around 180-200 degrees Celsius, and the CD motor will burn out and stop way before it gets to those types of temperatures.
Coincidentally I'm planning on doing this to a lovely Mainline Castle Class sometime this week. The motor burnt out a few months ago so I ordered some 'cd' motors from China. Good timing as I now have a reliable guide to refer to if I get stuck. Thanks matey!
Hi David, thanks for the comment mate - I'm not 100% certain whether this will work with mainline locos? They have slightly smaller armatures, and very tightly-fitting bodies - so space could well be an issue! Just make certain the new motor won't protrude from the chassis before you do it, otherwise the body won't go back on! Let me know how you get on mate, Cheers, Sam :)
Thanks to this video I have very successfully replaced the dead motor in my Inter-City 125 from the 80s. I didn't need to use the hammer much in the end - I was able to get a small screwdriver in behind the gear and lever it off with not too much bother.
Hi Sam, great video and an interesting idea to replace the motor that way. With regards to the voltage issue have you considered using a 'buck convertor'? Basically it's a little circuit board that you connect between your power source and in this case the motor and allows you to step down or up the voltage depending on the type you get. The output voltage is tunable on the boards so you can get it to output exactly the voltage required to protect the motor. In terms of motor upgrades have you ever considered trying to replace 3 pole can motors in some models with 5 pole ones? Or even some of the old style triang motors with modern five pole cans? I'm just curious if the latter would be possible and what improvements could be reaped in terms of performance and noise levels? If a new engine mount would be required maybe this is something that could be 3d printed?
Brilliant video Sam! Really informative, thank you for making and posting. The following in jest only mate ...Mine is going to be very similar - we bash the plastic stuff with a screwdriver and large hammer until everything comes away, insert the new motor and then I superglue it all to my hands lol This is why I only have a few subs lol
Great vid again, Thanks Sam, I might try this one day to my 125, but I really like the diode idea too! I might try that idea on some of my trains (like my restored Lord of the Isles) that go like the clappers, in order to slow them down a bit at higher voltages and be able to divert more power to the smoke generator. hmmm, got my brain ticking now. Keep up the great work!
haha, no problem John - it is a dodgy process! It's worth a try with a dead loco though - even I wouldn't do it on a fully working model! Cheers, Sam :)
Thanks very much for the kind words - I'm not too sure how it'd go with a Lima model, sine I've never tried that - but good luck anyways! :D All the best, Sam :)
Hi mate, yes it can be done - but those locos with centre dummy wheels have to have them removed, since they're in the way. You can glue them in as static dummies, but it's not terribly realistic either way! All the best, Sam :)
Thanks very much Dave - yeah it is a great idea - and very lucky that those motors happen to fit! It's definitely worth while, it makes a world of difference! All the best, Sam :)
Nice video Sam!, always enjoy watching all your videos, Thank You for showing this, i ordered some of these rated at 6v from amazon , (the Ucland 12000RPM 6V 0.03 Amp, High Torque Cylinder Electric Mini DC Motor) when using diodes for the pos and neg leads they need to be soldered to allow current flow in both directions, right? As current only flows through a diode in one direction?
Thanks a lot mate - 6v shouldn't be too bad! Yes, so two parallel pairs of opposing diodes in series with the motor should drop the voltage by about 1.5v! I suppose you could use more, but I've never tried it! Thanks for watching - Sam :)
Did a marvelous and intelligent job. But, I think may be wrong the diod make the current one way, how dod you use them as resistance to control the current?? Then with these diods how it moved reverse??
Hi Phil, no worries mate - I'm not too sure how well this might work with the Lima models, since they vary from the Hornby ring-field design, depending on the loco! But yes - this is fine to use with DCC, though I'd recommend omitting the diodes, and setting a maximum speed on the decoder instead, All the best, Sam :)
This is a good way of re-powering old loco's, I've done a couple of HST and they go fantastic, I use some plastic pipe fitted into the housing to fit the motor in ( have to reamer out the pipe to fitting the motor into the sleeve) and use 3 screws - the ones you take out of the cd rom to hold and centre the motor in the housing, then if the motor fails you can replace it and not have get rid of all the glue.....Al
Hi Alan, thanks very much for the comment - yes that is a very good idea, definitely good advice there! I may give that a try, the next time I do this! All the best, Sam :)
That is a very good result Sam. Nice work and very neat. I did the same with the motor out of a playstation controller using a tyco motor chassis. The diesel now moves like greased lightening and far more reliable than the original power torque motor. I might borrow your idea and put in some diodes to tone it down a bit, but then again it is just an old Tyco.
Hi Steven, thanks for the comment! Glad you liked the video - and yes those playstation rumble motors are just the job too! Glad you had good results with them - I can't find a down-side to them really! Yeah - the Diodes are a boring option, but they will help make the motor last much longer, All the best, Sam :)
Hi mate - you just wire one terminal to the motor bogey chassis, and the other to the non-powered bogey chassis! If there's a light, you add that in parallel! Thanks for watching, Sam :)
Interesting use of diodes to achieve that voltage drop. What size of resistor would you have needed if you didn't use diodes? As in ohms and wattage? Are we looking at those chunky ceramic wire wound types?
Hi mate, thanks a lot for the comment - you'd probably want a relatively low value resistor, around the region of 10-15Ohm, and high wattage, probably at least 5 Watts - though these may be quite large, which means you might struggle to fit them inside! Thanks for watching, Sam :)
Great idea and interesting video ... I have a question though ... Could I possibly add a "decoder" in order to convert it for use on a "DCC" layout ? ... In a way as I would convert a "Non-DCC ready" loco ? ... Thanks in advance for any thoughts or suggestions.
Hi Guy, thanks a lot for the comment - yes it'd be very easy to fit a decoder onto this system - you could even choose a decoder that lets you limit the maximum voltage, which removes the need for the diodes! Thanks for watching, Sam :)
Hey Sam! Great video very informal but would this work on diesels with 3 wheels, because my diesel isn't going like it used to and I had a peek under the cover and it looked very dirty! Again great video can't wait for the next one!!
Hi Jack! Well first, I'd say check out my tutorial on servicing the ring field motor (below) a good service could well fix it! Otherwise, yes it will work - but you may need to remove the center wheels. (they can be glued back in later as dummies, but clear of the rails, if you require it)! czcams.com/video/5-qdz06jzSo/video.html All the best, Sam :)
Brilliant Sam! Would it work as well on the lima pancake do you think? I've a couple of real cranky and noisey models I would love to 'cure'! Cheers mate, have a great weekend. Dave
Hi Dave, thanks a lot mate! I'm not no sure - I don't see why not though, as long as there's plenty of space, and it takes the driving gear okay! Best of luck with it, if you give it a go - and let me know yay or nay! Cheers, Sam :)
Thanks for the video Sam, I'm pretty new to this, but bring a bit of experience from other fields. I quite like the idea of a quality superglue, because if the CD motor ever fails, you can remove the glue with Acetone, which caused me use super only near the smily mouth in the ringfield shell. Acetone will also remove the glue for the spindle and drive gear. So its a repeatable exercise. Also, would holding the spur gear on the spindle above the new CD motor with Blutack help. It should seal the CD motor while gluing and allow for positioning of the gear, even with a test fit of the other gears. I have also just done an Intercity 125, the blue grey no stripe unit, it had a raised area of cast metal that had to removed before the motor would sit flush. It was a bit more difficult that the standard Lima/Triang conversion. But it was very enjoyable.. Your Video helped immensely Thanks!!!! BTW My controller has an Voltage and Amp measurement on it, and running the 125 Loco ( CD Motor Converted ) alone and running about the standard running session speed in your room Draws 8 volts and 0.1 Amps with 1.5 Amps to get it going.. That seems about about 1/2 to 1/3 of the Amps of the ol Ringfield, depending on the health of the Magnet... And If I get around to it.. I have a couple Hornby release posters in years you dont have, That I'll try and squeeze in post when I can Spare the Funds...
Hi Marty, thanks very much for the comment - yes those ideas do sound good - it may be handy to be able to easily replace them in the future! Yes the low current draw is a particular advantage with these - it's generally an all-round success! :D Glad you were able to get that sorted mate! Cheers, Sam :)
Thanks again for the reply Sam.... Genuinely good character there mate! Love it.. I have a few more to do for some boys at the club, but I did manage to find a genuine new Armature of the 5 pole variety that I slipped in a 3 pole ringfield... with some secret sauce !!! ;)
Hi Kevin - I'm not absolutely sure what value they were now - but it's not important, all diodes that size should be able to handle 12v, so taking them out of any power supply should be fine! :) Thanks for watching, Sam :)
So...Resistance is not futile!...lol :) Nice one mate! I was thinking about this recently as I remember a past video you made about this. I have a box of CD drives and a bag of adaptors (electrical magpie that I am....lol) I think I'll try this on the old Lima Deltic that runs like a pig. Thanks again for taking the time to produce this. Awesome! Tom
Haha! Nope not futile, lol! Thanks mate - yeah it's worth a try - definitely do your fist one on a truly dead engine - then it doesn't matter too much if anything goes wrong! My first one certainly wasn't as 'clean' as that ;) No problem mate, thanks for watching, Sam :)
haha! Thanks mate - well if I can do it, anyone can - I'm the clumsiest person alive! Like I say - only do it if the loco's dead, that way you can't lose anything! Thanks for watching, Sam :)
Hi mate, no I don't switch the wheels, I just buy the slightly newer ones! You could just swap the wheels, but with steamers it's very difficult to set them properly! All the best, Sam :)
That gear that you hammered out in the vice, is that supposed to be stuck on because mine just pulls off by hand. The loco had power but wouldn't move so I ripped it all apart and put it back together cleaned seems to work now but I'm guessing it's that middle cog that makes it slip?
Generally they're just friction fitted, but they do tend to work loose and slip. You can fix it by dabbing a small amount of superglue on the inside of the gear, thoroughly cleaning the shaft, and then forcing it into place. Just be very careful not to glue up the bearing! Thanks for watching - Sam :)
That's okay! If it has the ringfield motor, then yes absolutely! If it's the modern version with the can motor instead, then no this won't work! Thanks for watching, Sam :)
A fine bit of surgery Sam. Seems to have great results. But as you say only try it out on suitable none runner. Perhaps you need introduce banked curves to compensate for the increased performance! Great video. Oscar
Hi John, no not the Lima ones as they come. If you fitted a CD motor, then yes they would, but I'm not sure it'd be possible to, since their motors are slightly different! All the best, Sam :)
Hi mate - it will work on any model that A, has the correct sized space to house the new motor and B, has a body with lots of free space! But if your loco is fine, I wouldn't do it! All the best, Sam :)
Oi! Sam............you are a "better man than I am".............what a job.......and it worked first time (I believe you didn't edit it?). Well done.........I don't have any ringfield motors so I have no need to do this, but great video; you certainly know your stuff.
haha! Thanks Brian - glad you liked it! Yes it genuinely did work first time - the only thing was I found it was wired backwards, but that's easily fixed by swapping the wires around! It's a good job you don't have any if you ask me - more trouble than they're worth, haha! Thanks again for the kind words mate, Sam :)
Most entertaining. I was sad when it ended. I have a few Ringfield steam locos, and am tempted to have a go. I presume fitting dcc will not be an issue.
Hi William, thanks very much for the comment - yeah give it a go, but don't do your first one on a model of value - try it first with a cheap or broken model! Yes, this will work fine with DCC! You can also omit the diodes, and program a maximum speed into your decoder (I think!) Cheers, Sam :)
Hi mate! Unfortunately I don't think this would work with the Royal Scot - the mechanism is very much different! I have never tried it though - so it may well be possible! :D Thanks for watching, Sam :)
I'll give it a go, I bought on eBay a couple of cd motors that might fit, I'll let you know, It might be a disaster or either a success 50/50 chances but then it wouldn't be the fun without any risk. :) As always, thanks for the reply!
Hello Sam, nice tutorial. If we have to buy the diodes as opposed to salvaging them can you tell me what type I need to buy as I notice they are all different? Many thanks. David.
Hi mate, thanks very much! I'm not too sure which ones to suggest - but you want to buy ones suitable for 12v or higher, and capable of passing 1amp or more, making them 12w minumum. Anything over these values should be just fine! Hope this helps, Cheers, Sam :)
Great idea and video. I've often wondered what type of motor could be used in place of these. Found motors on ebay for $1 incl shipping from China (and they are rated to 9v) so going to give it a go. Thanks
I just installed 2 of these in a class 43 and 86 and they work great (well.... a lot better than before!). The only issue I had, is that the CD motors had a slight bevel around the spindle so I have to use a counter sink to bore out the hole a little on the boogie so the motor was flush and glued down correctly. I installed both with DCC chips which was easy to do at the same time. Overall very pleased with this project and very grateful to your video to show how to do this.
Yeah that's a very good idea actually - though you'd still need a few of them in order to isolate the two track rails! But that's a good thought - I never thought of that, haha! Cheers, Sam :)
Sam, a great tutorial, but could you please do a video on fitting a DCC decoder to the CD motor and if so would you still need the diodes. Keep up the good work
Hi John, many thanks mate! The DCC fitting is fairly simple with this one, it probably doesn't even warrant a video - you just solder the red and black wires on the decoder to the track connections (one from to the loco coupling, and the other to the tender chassis somewhere), then you solder the gray and orange wires to the two motor terminals... and that's it! :D Cheers, Sam :)
Have an old Triang R149? DMU that barely runs, will try this as an ICT Engineer will get a motor OK. You can always buy diodes cheap as chips. Great video Sam.
Hi Ronald, thanks for the comment - I think the R149 runs on a much different mechanism than this! The motor in those is more similar to the X04 motor, though with a different housing. You might find this video more relevant; czcams.com/video/RKSd8nzEhSs/video.html Obviously it's a different engine- but R149 will work on the same principle! Cheers, Sam :)
Hi Sam great video, been watching a lot of your videos, including the cleaning one which I have used extensively on my older loco's. JUst been given a Hornby HST, where the motor doesn't work, so I think this is an ideal time to try the CD motor. Have got, one and tested just plugging the Transformer to it on low, and works fine. One question though , can you use any diodes? I bought a packet ages ago, of 20, although don't know the spec? Thanks, and keep up the good videos.
Hi, thanks so much for the message - I'm so glad my cleaning videos were useful for you! Good luck with the conversion - I'm sure you'll be fine! And yes any diodes are fine - unless they're super tiny, but most diodes won't have a problem with such low voltage and currents! All the best, Sam :)
Great, many thanks for getting back to me Sam.I will eventually want to make it DCC, which I understand that I will not need the diodes then. Keep the good work.!
nice work Sam, question. What would happen if you doubled the number of diodes to 8? would it degrade over all performance, or just drop the top speed? excuse my ignorance, I'm a complete klutz when it comes to techy stuff
Hi Jon, yeah in theory it should continue to drop the speed! In fact, if available, I'd recommend a combination of 6 diodes rather than 4 as shown here: the speed could do with being dropped a little more! Cheers mate, Sam :)
I know this is quite an old video - but just as relevant today - so don't throw away those old CD/DVD drives when you dispose of old computers!! This has inspired me to get on and convert some of my old tender drive locos that don't have great slow speed performance. My thoughts - diodes are less than about 3p each, so whether it is worth all that hassle ripping them out of old kit is debatable. I am using DCC - I suspect that the presence of the diodes might interfere with the back EMF motor control of good decoders, so I won't be fitting the diodes. I can program the decoder to limit max speed, which also limits the max average voltage to protect the motor (it will likely be getting 12V pulses from the decoder for good slow speed control, but the average should be quite low enough to not overheat the motor - testing will see!). Whilst I have it apart I would be inclined to fit extra pickups so it is no longer just a couple of wheels on each side of the loco - no point in having great slow speed if it keeps stalling! Keep up the great work, Sam!
I have converted a large number of my old locos.Both tender drive steam and diesels.If you by the very slim CD motors you don't need to glue them in.I just packed mine with grey board.And by drilling out the bearing hole in the housing.It allows you to refit the brush housing! When finished.You would never know it had been done? By the way.Replace the spur gear with a plastic one.They are a nice tight press it.I have even managed to obtain some new drive gears too. Don't worry about Diodes! You'll never keep it on the track at full power anyway.I actually run 19 volts through my track and I have never burned a motor out yet ! Touch wood! The pulling power of these little motors is phenomenal ? A Class 52 pulling ten carriages.And I have even ran it as a triple header( 3 engines)
Hi Michael, thanks a lot for sharing this - it sounds as though you've developed the idea quite a bit from my rudimentary efforts! I'll definitely look into your suggestions, and maybe even revisit this topic one day! I agree - the power of them is fantastic - only time will tell how long those motors will last though ;D Thanks for watching, Sam :)
Thanks Graham - these pull just the same as the original, if not slightly more - the reason being that the locomotive weight is the limiting factor - go beyond a certain number of coaches, and you get wheelslip! Thanks for watching, Sam :)
Great tutorial Sam…..a one I’ll be consulting should (when!?) one of my old ring fields expire. Just a question on use of diodes rather than resistors. In my understanding (and Im no expert so what I’m about to say could be complete rubbish!) a resistor should get no hotter than a diode for the same reduction in voltage as this reduction is in fact the conversion of the electrical energy to heat. Resistors on a pcb will feel hotter as they are in place to specifically reduce voltage and usually by a much larger value than you’ve done here, whereas a diode is not designed to reduce voltage, drop/heat is just an undesired, (but unavoidable) side effect from the resistance of the one way only processing within the diode. A benefit of a resistor is you’d only need one as, unlike a diode, current can flow both directions through a resistor and you could select a resistor to drop the voltage by the exact amount you desire (right down to the CD motor design voltage if desired). A bigger voltage drop would of course produce more heat but I believe you could use multiple lower value resistors in series which would allow you to distribute the waste heat between two or more resistors rather than all the heat being created in a single one. A potential downside of a big voltage drop would be the additional amount of amps used to push the current through the increased resistance. Of course the main problem is knowing what value of resistor to use - I for one wouldn’t have a clue!
I to was thinking why dont you use a resistor as a diode is really only used to pass voltage of a certain currant in one direction. Hmm i like the idea of multiple resistors.
Hello! Yes that is an issue, but I've been running mine for a few years now, and with regular lubrication, the brushes don't seem to wear all too quickly! Thanks for watching, Sam :)
Looking at adding a motor and pick up, or modify existing motor of the HO Scale John Bull. Could this CD Motor work as an extra motor to help it in the long run?
Hi Sam....I think a small amount of Super Glue accelerator (weird stuff...smells like strawberries) would really help out with positioning the motor. As soon as you get it centred, one drop of this stuff and its set......no waiting. Might be worth a try. Cheers.
Hi Sam, I have a Lima 09 that has given up the ghost, the motor won't even spin up the wheels at all. It has had a full service, and a spare armature and magnet have been tried, all to no avail. I'm thinking of doing this conversion, as I have some CD type motors from an old games controller. How do you recommend getting the gear off from the pancake motor armateur? It is plastic I believe, so I wouldn't want to damage it.
Hey! Sounds like a good idea, I'm not sure how you'd do that with the LIMA, as the gears are part of the armature. Take a look on Ebay, I think there may be some conversion kits on there! Sorry not to be much more help - I've never tried this with a LIMA one! :( Thanks for watching, Sam :)
Hi Ray, yes some do - but most diodes can handle 12v as far as I know - especially if you take them out of devices designed for the mains! Thanks for watching, Sam :)
I will probably show my ignorance of all things electronic in my next question. Wouldn't a small capacitor on the positive line to the motor permit a loco to traverse points without stalling? The cap would need to be small enough to charge and discharge quickly so controlling the loco would not become a problem.
Assuming I follow this exactly would it be worth converting my Hornby Duchess of Sutherland to have a CD motor instead of the slightly dodgy ring field in the tender?
haha! What a cool dad! ;D No, it will only work for selected Hornby tender driven ring-field units - the earliest possible application being the first 9F, but I'm not sure how it'd fit into there! All the best, Sam :)
I was under the impression diodes are "One way valves" for elctricery normally used for AC /DC rectification, and effectively should NOT drop voltage in a through flow. I used a 150ohm 1/4W. RESISTOR inline to the pos. side of the motor and the voltages I got using a Hornby R911 transformer was , Slow... 4.1 volts, med speed was 6.7 volts and fast speed was 8.2 volts.... all good enough for these motors. Motor feed Voltage check when in the DVD player tray was 5 volts.. AND the resistor mod works both directions.
Hi Ian, that's true - that's what they do, but in doing so, they also give a voltage drop of approximately 1v each (actually closer to 0.7v!) Thanks for watching, Sam :)
Not sure about the 'diodes' bit. Most will drop 0.7v (0.3 for a schottky which you may find in a reclaimed buck converter) and at a set current they will produce the exact same heat as a resistor. It would be better to use a 12v to 5v buck converter module (up to 90% efficient) for a couple of quid. Except the simple hornby power units are not like the old wire wound ones. They now throw out a switched mess from a thyristor that may stop a buck converter working anyway.
Hi there, thanks very much for the comment - I agree there might be better ways to do this, but with two pairs in series, the diodes actually do the job just fine, and the motor runs much slower at higher speeds. Good idea with the buck converter - I don't know how that'd work with feedback/pulse controllers, but it's worth a shot! Thanks for watching, Sam :)
Not sure that soldering diodes together in parallel will give you a two volt drop, in fact you will probably still only get a one volt drop (or maybe even less), you need to wire them in series for this. You can also get diodes very cheaply from places like Maplin (whilst they are still trading), RadioSpares or CPC Farnell. HTH
Hi Peter - that's true, you'll only get a 1v drop, but you need both in order for the loco to be able to run forwards and backwards. You'll notice that I added two pairs of diodes in series, which should give the 2v drop! Cheers, Sam :)
Good tutorial - however, as you said, risk might be too much. Have a stuttery old Lima J50, worth a go (although I think it was stuttery when it came out of the factory). Alan.
Hi Alan, thanks very much mate! I must admit the LIMA motors don't seem to suffer - I find them to be very good! Perhaps just a good service would fix it? But agreed, they do tend to be a bit stuttery - mine jumps into life at around 1/4 power, and can't go any slower than that! All the best, Sam :)
Thanks David - yes it's definitely a risky one - it's only worth doing if the loco is already dead, or nearly dead - no sense ruining a working model! All the best, Sam :)
I'm new to Model Railwaying - like 60 years late! I am impressed with Hornby's engineering. Your Ringfield Motor conversion using a CD Motor is impressive, especially the slow running. What a coincidence in engineering tolerances that it works. Off to convert my Duchess of Sutherland tender (wish me luck!).
haha thanks Mike - yes the Hornby engineering from this era was second to none - much better than it is today in fact! Good luck with it mate - go steady! ;D
Cheers,
Sam :)
I know I am a bit late on this one, converted one of my HSTs yesterday and couldn't figure out how to wire it, this video saved my day! Thank you
Glad it helped mate, you're welcome! :D
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
Many thanks for making this tutorial I've been stuck for ages trying to figure out the wiring now I can continue with my project top man 👍
Absolutely brilliant Sam. I've got an old Hornby Class 86 that I've had for about 15 years. It's never ran well. I was all set to give up an ebay it as spares when I discovered this video. I took an old CD player to pieces but the motors were too fat. However I found 2 suitable ones in a DVD player and it has saved my 86! Thanks!
That sounds fantastic Will - glad you were able to get the job done! :D
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
Thanks sam.
my ringfeild motor just compleatly died today and will not run. Just orded a cd motor on ebay for about £2.
Great video
Jack:)
Ooh sorry to hear that Jack - good luck with the conversion though! :D
Thanks for watching,
Sam :)
Sam how does the hot glue hold up with heat from CD motor.
Jack:)
@@Jack-hl2zqI'm too late to the party, but I can't resist not answering a question I know the answer to!
Hot glue melts at around 180-200 degrees Celsius, and the CD motor will burn out and stop way before it gets to those types of temperatures.
May have to try this - my uncle's 'Duchess', 'Western' and 'Midland Compound' have stopped working! Oh yes - and loving the membership! 🤣😊
Coincidentally I'm planning on doing this to a lovely Mainline Castle Class sometime this week. The motor burnt out a few months ago so I ordered some 'cd' motors from China. Good timing as I now have a reliable guide to refer to if I get stuck. Thanks matey!
Hi David, thanks for the comment mate - I'm not 100% certain whether this will work with mainline locos? They have slightly smaller armatures, and very tightly-fitting bodies - so space could well be an issue! Just make certain the new motor won't protrude from the chassis before you do it, otherwise the body won't go back on!
Let me know how you get on mate,
Cheers,
Sam :)
Great video Sam.
I will definitely give it a go if I ever need to replace an irreparable ring field motor.
Thanks
Al.
Thanks very much Alan, glad to have been of any help! Good luck with it if you decide to try it! :D
Cheers,
Sam :)
Many thanks for a very informative tutorial. I am now confident that I will be able to repair both of my Hornby HST 125 Power Cars.
That's great to hear Michael - good luck with everything! :D
Thanks for watching,
Sam :)
Handy to know Sam as I reclaim electronics & motors from blown units, boxes, & devices.
Excellent John - well worth holding into diodes! :D
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
Good job and well explained. I´ll try t do this with old Life-like similar motor I have. Thank you very much.
hey Sam, great video, thanks for making this, it will help me a lot with my locos when they get tired, great video Sam,
Chris :)
Hi Chris, thanks very much for the kind comment - glad you found this helpful mate!
Cheers,
Sam :)
Thanks to this video I have very successfully replaced the dead motor in my Inter-City 125 from the 80s. I didn't need to use the hammer much in the end - I was able to get a small screwdriver in behind the gear and lever it off with not too much bother.
Hey Andy - very well done with that - not a very nice job that! Glad to hear you got the job done!
Cheers,
Sam :)
Awesome work! Thanks for the tutorial, very useful indeed.
Thanks very much mate - I finally got around to it in the end!
All the best,
Sam :)
Hi Sam, great video and an interesting idea to replace the motor that way. With regards to the voltage issue have you considered using a 'buck convertor'? Basically it's a little circuit board that you connect between your power source and in this case the motor and allows you to step down or up the voltage depending on the type you get. The output voltage is tunable on the boards so you can get it to output exactly the voltage required to protect the motor.
In terms of motor upgrades have you ever considered trying to replace 3 pole can motors in some models with 5 pole ones? Or even some of the old style triang motors with modern five pole cans? I'm just curious if the latter would be possible and what improvements could be reaped in terms of performance and noise levels? If a new engine mount would be required maybe this is something that could be 3d printed?
Very nice conversion and skills Sam, well produced...Simon
Thanks very much Simon - yeah I enjoy projects like this!
All the best,
Sam :)
1n4001 diodes are a good general purpose diode, also worthwhile investing in a solder sucker makes harvesting components easier
Brilliant video Sam! Really informative, thank you for making and posting. The following in jest only mate ...Mine is going to be very similar - we bash the plastic stuff with a screwdriver and large hammer until everything comes away, insert the new motor and then I superglue it all to my hands lol This is why I only have a few subs lol
Great vid again, Thanks Sam, I might try this one day to my 125, but I really like the diode idea too! I might try that idea on some of my trains (like my restored Lord of the Isles) that go like the clappers, in order to slow them down a bit at higher voltages and be able to divert more power to the smoke generator. hmmm, got my brain ticking now. Keep up the great work!
Thanks Kirk - sounds good mate, best of luck with it, have fun!
All the best,
Sam :)
Really interesting video, I doubt I would ever have the courage to try it though. Cheers John.
haha, no problem John - it is a dodgy process! It's worth a try with a dead loco though - even I wouldn't do it on a fully working model!
Cheers,
Sam :)
Great video Sam. Will probably try this in my Lima HST. Cheers. Jim.
Thanks very much for the kind words - I'm not too sure how it'd go with a Lima model, sine I've never tried that - but good luck anyways! :D
All the best,
Sam :)
Hi Sam, Great video. Could the same procedure be done on a tender drive loco, my duchess is not very well!!
Hi mate, yes it can be done - but those locos with centre dummy wheels have to have them removed, since they're in the way. You can glue them in as static dummies, but it's not terribly realistic either way!
All the best,
Sam :)
Very helpful tutorial sam
Thanks mate! I'm very glad you thought so! :D
Cheers,
Sam :)
super job Sam !! I think its a brilliant idea ..don't feel I have the skill.. but my local model shop is prepared to have a go !! great stuff dave
Thanks very much Dave - yeah it is a great idea - and very lucky that those motors happen to fit! It's definitely worth while, it makes a world of difference!
All the best,
Sam :)
Nice video Sam!, always enjoy watching all your videos, Thank You for showing this, i ordered some of these rated at 6v from amazon , (the
Ucland 12000RPM 6V 0.03 Amp, High Torque Cylinder Electric Mini DC Motor) when using diodes for the pos and neg leads they need to be soldered to allow current flow in both directions, right? As current only flows through a diode in one direction?
Thanks a lot mate - 6v shouldn't be too bad! Yes, so two parallel pairs of opposing diodes in series with the motor should drop the voltage by about 1.5v! I suppose you could use more, but I've never tried it!
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
What a great how to video I've a hst that I was going to buy a motor for I'm going to try this now
Thanks
Hi Steve, that's good to hear - best of luck with the conversion, let me know how it goes! :D
Cheers,
Sam :)
Hi Sam great video
I now understand why you were reluctant to do this video
haha - was it that bad?? ;)
But, thanks yeah - it does work okay with some luck! :D
Cheers,
Sam :)
Did a marvelous and intelligent job. But, I think may be wrong the diod make the current one way, how dod you use them as resistance to control the current?? Then with these diods how it moved reverse??
Thanks for making this video as i have a lot of lima loco's to convert :)
so this motor set up be ok to use with Digital Decoder's ?
Hi Phil, no worries mate - I'm not too sure how well this might work with the Lima models, since they vary from the Hornby ring-field design, depending on the loco!
But yes - this is fine to use with DCC, though I'd recommend omitting the diodes, and setting a maximum speed on the decoder instead,
All the best,
Sam :)
Great video Sam!
Thanks Roy! :D
Cheers,
Sam :)
This is a good way of re-powering old loco's, I've done a couple of HST and they go fantastic, I use some plastic pipe fitted into the housing to fit the motor in ( have to reamer out the pipe to fitting the motor into the sleeve) and use 3 screws - the ones you take out of the cd rom to hold and centre the motor in the housing, then if the motor fails you can replace it and not have get rid of all the glue.....Al
Hi Alan, thanks very much for the comment - yes that is a very good idea, definitely good advice there! I may give that a try, the next time I do this!
All the best,
Sam :)
That is a very good result Sam. Nice work and very neat. I did the same with the motor out of a playstation controller using a tyco motor chassis. The diesel now moves like greased lightening and far more reliable than the original power torque motor. I might borrow your idea and put in some diodes to tone it down a bit, but then again it is just an old Tyco.
Hi Steven, thanks for the comment! Glad you liked the video - and yes those playstation rumble motors are just the job too! Glad you had good results with them - I can't find a down-side to them really! Yeah - the Diodes are a boring option, but they will help make the motor last much longer,
All the best,
Sam :)
Great tutorial. Have you got a photos of the wiring on the motor? I can't understand how t wire it.
Hi mate - you just wire one terminal to the motor bogey chassis, and the other to the non-powered bogey chassis! If there's a light, you add that in parallel!
Thanks for watching,
Sam :)
I will give that a try. Thanks.
Good Job Sam
Interesting use of diodes to achieve that voltage drop. What size of resistor would you have needed if you didn't use diodes? As in ohms and wattage? Are we looking at those chunky ceramic wire wound types?
Hi mate, thanks a lot for the comment - you'd probably want a relatively low value resistor, around the region of 10-15Ohm, and high wattage, probably at least 5 Watts - though these may be quite large, which means you might struggle to fit them inside!
Thanks for watching,
Sam :)
Great idea and interesting video ... I have a question though ... Could I possibly add a "decoder" in order to convert it for use on a "DCC" layout ? ... In a way as I would convert a "Non-DCC ready" loco ? ... Thanks in advance for any thoughts or suggestions.
Hi Guy, thanks a lot for the comment - yes it'd be very easy to fit a decoder onto this system - you could even choose a decoder that lets you limit the maximum voltage, which removes the need for the diodes!
Thanks for watching,
Sam :)
Thank's Sam ... you made my day _.... I am going to try and let you know he outcome .... Cheers _ :)
Hey Sam! Great video very informal but would this work on diesels with 3 wheels, because my diesel isn't going like it used to and I had a peek under the cover and it looked very dirty! Again great video can't wait for the next one!!
Hi Jack! Well first, I'd say check out my tutorial on servicing the ring field motor (below) a good service could well fix it! Otherwise, yes it will work - but you may need to remove the center wheels. (they can be glued back in later as dummies, but clear of the rails, if you require it)!
czcams.com/video/5-qdz06jzSo/video.html
All the best,
Sam :)
Brilliant Sam! Would it work as well on the lima pancake do you think? I've a couple of real cranky and noisey models I would love to 'cure'! Cheers mate, have a great weekend. Dave
Hi Dave, thanks a lot mate! I'm not no sure - I don't see why not though, as long as there's plenty of space, and it takes the driving gear okay!
Best of luck with it, if you give it a go - and let me know yay or nay!
Cheers,
Sam :)
this is really helpful , thanks, oskar
Thanks Oskar, I'm glad! I hope it can help you if you ever need it! :D
All the best,
Sam :)
Thanks for the video Sam, I'm pretty new to this, but bring a bit of experience from other fields. I quite like the idea of a quality superglue, because if the CD motor ever fails, you can remove the glue with Acetone, which caused me use super only near the smily mouth in the ringfield shell. Acetone will also remove the glue for the spindle and drive gear. So its a repeatable exercise. Also, would holding the spur gear on the spindle above the new CD motor with Blutack help. It should seal the CD motor while gluing and allow for positioning of the gear, even with a test fit of the other gears. I have also just done an Intercity 125, the blue grey no stripe unit, it had a raised area of cast metal that had to removed before the motor would sit flush. It was a bit more difficult that the standard Lima/Triang conversion. But it was very enjoyable.. Your Video helped immensely Thanks!!!! BTW My controller has an Voltage and Amp measurement on it, and running the 125 Loco ( CD Motor Converted ) alone and running about the standard running session speed in your room Draws 8 volts and 0.1 Amps with 1.5 Amps to get it going.. That seems about about 1/2 to 1/3 of the Amps of the ol Ringfield, depending on the health of the Magnet... And If I get around to it.. I have a couple Hornby release posters in years you dont have, That I'll try and squeeze in post when I can Spare the Funds...
Hi Marty, thanks very much for the comment - yes those ideas do sound good - it may be handy to be able to easily replace them in the future! Yes the low current draw is a particular advantage with these - it's generally an all-round success! :D
Glad you were able to get that sorted mate!
Cheers,
Sam :)
Thanks again for the reply Sam.... Genuinely good character there mate! Love it.. I have a few more to do for some boys at the club, but I did manage to find a genuine new Armature of the 5 pole variety that I slipped in a 3 pole ringfield... with some secret sauce !!! ;)
Hi Sam, good video, but what was the value of the diodes that you used. Kevin
Hi Kevin - I'm not absolutely sure what value they were now - but it's not important, all diodes that size should be able to handle 12v, so taking them out of any power supply should be fine! :)
Thanks for watching,
Sam :)
So...Resistance is not futile!...lol :) Nice one mate! I was thinking about this recently as I remember a past video you made about this. I have a box of CD drives and a bag of adaptors (electrical magpie that I am....lol) I think I'll try this on the old Lima Deltic that runs like a pig. Thanks again for taking the time to produce this. Awesome! Tom
Haha! Nope not futile, lol! Thanks mate - yeah it's worth a try - definitely do your fist one on a truly dead engine - then it doesn't matter too much if anything goes wrong! My first one certainly wasn't as 'clean' as that ;)
No problem mate, thanks for watching,
Sam :)
Seems interesting enough, though what is the pulling power like? Like what is the Midland compound like with X amount of coaches?
Yeah it's excellent actually, just as good as before! :D
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
hi great video was wondering would this be compatible with dcc
Hi Andrew, thanks for the comment - yes absolutely, you could quite easily wire a decoder into this!
All the best,
Sam :)
where did you get your pulley puller from do you have a link
Genius. Now back to my knackered 125.
haha good luck with it - I can do it for you as part of my maintenance service, if you're interested, drop me an email!
Cheers,
Sam :)
very helpful sam !! I'm not sure I would trust myself though haha but you seem you seem to have got it right -all the best
haha! Thanks mate - well if I can do it, anyone can - I'm the clumsiest person alive! Like I say - only do it if the loco's dead, that way you can't lose anything!
Thanks for watching,
Sam :)
Sam'sTrains well I beg to differ I get it from my dad though!! but if I ever get the opportunity I might give it a try :)
Sam do you switch the wheels on older locos like triang or do you just buy the ones which have modern wheels ?
Hi mate, no I don't switch the wheels, I just buy the slightly newer ones! You could just swap the wheels, but with steamers it's very difficult to set them properly!
All the best,
Sam :)
That gear that you hammered out in the vice, is that supposed to be stuck on because mine just pulls off by hand. The loco had power but wouldn't move so I ripped it all apart and put it back together cleaned seems to work now but I'm guessing it's that middle cog that makes it slip?
Generally they're just friction fitted, but they do tend to work loose and slip. You can fix it by dabbing a small amount of superglue on the inside of the gear, thoroughly cleaning the shaft, and then forcing it into place. Just be very careful not to glue up the bearing!
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
thanks Sam I might have a go, thanks for the information
No problem mate - good luck with it! :D
Cheers,
Sam :)
Sorry the question, can I use this motor to Hornby Virgin 125 too? Thanks the video Sam
That's okay! If it has the ringfield motor, then yes absolutely! If it's the modern version with the can motor instead, then no this won't work!
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
Hi Sam, could I confirm that without the Diodes it will still run, but it will run too fast? I'm going to attempt this on a non working one. Thanks
Nice work and a much quieter alternative to the ringfield motor in my opinion :).
Thanks very much! That's a good point too - much quieter really!
Thanks for watching,
Sam :)
wow that is one fantasic motor conversion gets a lot more running time out of a loco
Thanks a lot mate - yeah I was worried about making a tutorial, in case people had trouble - but it's always worked perfectly for me!
Cheers,
Sam :)
I shall use a term that was common in my younger days --- "AB-FAB". Thanks Sam. Great video well made.
haha thanks mate! It's not a nice job - but I've been very lucky with it personally.
All the best,
Sam :)
Superb I'm going to do this to all of my broken ring field and pancake motors they run so smoothly and are so quite
Awesome! Very good luck with that! :D
Thanks for watching,
Sam :)
Hi Sam,
Thank you for your video. But I have a question which diode did you use? And can you also use the motor without a diode?
Kind regards Bir boy
My pleasure mate - you can use virtually any diode, as long as it's capable of passing say 500mA or more!
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
Sam'sTrains thank you,
Can I also use the motor with out the diode? Or wil it damage the motor or someting like that.
Thank you for your answer🙂
A fine bit of surgery Sam. Seems to have great results. But as you say only try it out on suitable none runner. Perhaps you need introduce banked curves to compensate for the increased performance!
Great video.
Oscar
haha! I could build the first 00 gauge roller coaster you mean?? Thanks for your comment though - glad you liked the surgery!
Cheers,
Sam :)
Hi Sam
I forgot to ask does a Lima HST motor also need diodes to prolong motor life and if so where do they fit to?
Hi John, no not the Lima ones as they come. If you fitted a CD motor, then yes they would, but I'm not sure it'd be possible to, since their motors are slightly different!
All the best,
Sam :)
Thanks Sam I needed to do this to my old intercity 125
Okay mate - good luck, and take your time with it! :D
Cheers,
Sam :)
well do it then! lol
would this work on a airfix large Prairie tank engine? i ask because i own one that runs very well and probably wouldn't need a deferent motor
Hi mate - it will work on any model that A, has the correct sized space to house the new motor and B, has a body with lots of free space! But if your loco is fine, I wouldn't do it!
All the best,
Sam :)
Oi! Sam............you are a "better man than I am".............what a job.......and it worked first time (I believe you didn't edit it?). Well done.........I don't have any ringfield motors so I have no need to do this, but great video; you certainly know your stuff.
haha! Thanks Brian - glad you liked it! Yes it genuinely did work first time - the only thing was I found it was wired backwards, but that's easily fixed by swapping the wires around! It's a good job you don't have any if you ask me - more trouble than they're worth, haha!
Thanks again for the kind words mate,
Sam :)
Most entertaining.
I was sad when it ended.
I have a few Ringfield steam locos, and am tempted to have a go.
I presume fitting dcc will not be an issue.
Hi William, thanks very much for the comment - yeah give it a go, but don't do your first one on a model of value - try it first with a cheap or broken model!
Yes, this will work fine with DCC! You can also omit the diodes, and program a maximum speed into your decoder (I think!)
Cheers,
Sam :)
Hi Sam! Nice work! WOuld the same method work on tender drove Airfix Royal Scott? My motor it's stinky and it overheats
Hi mate! Unfortunately I don't think this would work with the Royal Scot - the mechanism is very much different! I have never tried it though - so it may well be possible! :D
Thanks for watching,
Sam :)
I'll give it a go, I bought on eBay a couple of cd motors that might fit, I'll let you know, It might be a disaster or either a success 50/50 chances but then it wouldn't be the fun without any risk. :) As always, thanks for the reply!
Very interesting video. Just subbed your channel.
Hello Sam, nice tutorial. If we have to buy the diodes as opposed to salvaging them can you tell me what type I need to buy as I notice they are all different? Many thanks. David.
Hi mate, thanks very much! I'm not too sure which ones to suggest - but you want to buy ones suitable for 12v or higher, and capable of passing 1amp or more, making them 12w minumum. Anything over these values should be just fine! Hope this helps,
Cheers,
Sam :)
Brilliant thanks!
Great idea and video. I've often wondered what type of motor could be used in place of these. Found motors on ebay for $1 incl shipping from China (and they are rated to 9v) so going to give it a go. Thanks
Thanks David, ooh that sounds brilliant - good luck with them mate! :D
Thanks for watching,
Sam :)
I just installed 2 of these in a class 43 and 86 and they work great (well.... a lot better than before!). The only issue I had, is that the CD motors had a slight bevel around the spindle so I have to use a counter sink to bore out the hole a little on the boogie so the motor was flush and glued down correctly. I installed both with DCC chips which was easy to do at the same time. Overall very pleased with this project and very grateful to your video to show how to do this.
Great stuff Sam, I wonder if a W02 or 2WO2 bridge rectifier would be a good plan? about 30p each
Yeah that's a very good idea actually - though you'd still need a few of them in order to isolate the two track rails! But that's a good thought - I never thought of that, haha!
Cheers,
Sam :)
Got a few laying about I think, if you are in need?
Thanks mate, that's very kind of you, but I did buy some for my lighting actually!
:)
@@SamsTrains Bridge rectifier? It will drop some voltage as intended, but it will only run in one direction!
Sam, a great tutorial, but could you please do a video on fitting a DCC decoder to the CD motor and if so would you still need the diodes. Keep up the good work
Hi John, many thanks mate! The DCC fitting is fairly simple with this one, it probably doesn't even warrant a video - you just solder the red and black wires on the decoder to the track connections (one from to the loco coupling, and the other to the tender chassis somewhere), then you solder the gray and orange wires to the two motor terminals... and that's it! :D
Cheers,
Sam :)
nice vid I think it helped a lot of ppl make it run good again. still not me because I haven't got hornby
Well thanks a lot for watching anyway mate - much appreciated! :D
Cheers,
Sam :)
Have an old Triang R149? DMU that barely runs, will try this as an ICT Engineer will get a motor OK. You can always buy diodes cheap as chips. Great video Sam.
Hi Ronald, thanks for the comment - I think the R149 runs on a much different mechanism than this! The motor in those is more similar to the X04 motor, though with a different housing. You might find this video more relevant; czcams.com/video/RKSd8nzEhSs/video.html
Obviously it's a different engine- but R149 will work on the same principle!
Cheers,
Sam :)
Hi Sam great video, been watching a lot of your videos, including the cleaning one which I have used extensively on my older loco's. JUst been given a Hornby HST, where the motor doesn't work, so I think this is an ideal time to try the CD motor. Have got, one and tested just plugging the Transformer to it on low, and works fine. One question though , can you use any diodes? I bought a packet ages ago, of 20, although don't know the spec? Thanks, and keep up the good videos.
Hi, thanks so much for the message - I'm so glad my cleaning videos were useful for you!
Good luck with the conversion - I'm sure you'll be fine! And yes any diodes are fine - unless they're super tiny, but most diodes won't have a problem with such low voltage and currents!
All the best,
Sam :)
Great, many thanks for getting back to me Sam.I will eventually want to make it DCC, which I understand that I will not need the diodes then. Keep the good work.!
That's great news mate, no problem - I'll check that out! :D
nice work Sam, question. What would happen if you doubled the number of diodes to 8? would it degrade over all performance, or just drop the top speed?
excuse my ignorance, I'm a complete klutz when it comes to techy stuff
Hi Jon, yeah in theory it should continue to drop the speed! In fact, if available, I'd recommend a combination of 6 diodes rather than 4 as shown here: the speed could do with being dropped a little more!
Cheers mate,
Sam :)
Sam'sTrains How would you use 6 like that? Currently they’re in pairs so feels like it needs to be a multiple of 4?
I know this is quite an old video - but just as relevant today - so don't throw away those old CD/DVD drives when you dispose of old computers!! This has inspired me to get on and convert some of my old tender drive locos that don't have great slow speed performance. My thoughts - diodes are less than about 3p each, so whether it is worth all that hassle ripping them out of old kit is debatable. I am using DCC - I suspect that the presence of the diodes might interfere with the back EMF motor control of good decoders, so I won't be fitting the diodes. I can program the decoder to limit max speed, which also limits the max average voltage to protect the motor (it will likely be getting 12V pulses from the decoder for good slow speed control, but the average should be quite low enough to not overheat the motor - testing will see!). Whilst I have it apart I would be inclined to fit extra pickups so it is no longer just a couple of wheels on each side of the loco - no point in having great slow speed if it keeps stalling! Keep up the great work, Sam!
I have converted a large number of my old locos.Both tender drive steam and diesels.If you by the very slim CD motors you don't need to glue them in.I just packed mine with grey board.And by drilling out the bearing hole in the housing.It allows you to refit the brush housing!
When finished.You would never know it had been done?
By the way.Replace the spur gear with a plastic one.They are a nice tight press it.I have even managed to obtain some new drive gears too.
Don't worry about Diodes! You'll never keep it on the track at full power anyway.I actually run 19 volts through my track and I have never burned a motor out yet ! Touch wood!
The pulling power of these little motors is phenomenal ? A Class 52 pulling ten carriages.And I have even ran it as a triple header( 3 engines)
Hi Michael, thanks a lot for sharing this - it sounds as though you've developed the idea quite a bit from my rudimentary efforts! I'll definitely look into your suggestions, and maybe even revisit this topic one day!
I agree - the power of them is fantastic - only time will tell how long those motors will last though ;D
Thanks for watching,
Sam :)
Slow speed and high speed performance looks great, but what about pulling power??
Thanks Graham - these pull just the same as the original, if not slightly more - the reason being that the locomotive weight is the limiting factor - go beyond a certain number of coaches, and you get wheelslip!
Thanks for watching,
Sam :)
Great tutorial Sam…..a one I’ll be consulting should (when!?) one of my old ring fields expire. Just a question on use of diodes rather than resistors. In my understanding (and Im no expert so what I’m about to say could be complete rubbish!) a resistor should get no hotter than a diode for the same reduction in voltage as this reduction is in fact the conversion of the electrical energy to heat. Resistors on a pcb will feel hotter as they are in place to specifically reduce voltage and usually by a much larger value than you’ve done here, whereas a diode is not designed to reduce voltage, drop/heat is just an undesired, (but unavoidable) side effect from the resistance of the one way only processing within the diode. A benefit of a resistor is you’d only need one as, unlike a diode, current can flow both directions through a resistor and you could select a resistor to drop the voltage by the exact amount you desire (right down to the CD motor design voltage if desired). A bigger voltage drop would of course produce more heat but I believe you could use multiple lower value resistors in series which would allow you to distribute the waste heat between two or more resistors rather than all the heat being created in a single one. A potential downside of a big voltage drop would be the additional amount of amps used to push the current through the increased resistance. Of course the main problem is knowing what value of resistor to use - I for one wouldn’t have a clue!
I to was thinking why dont you use a resistor as a diode is really only used to pass voltage of a certain currant in one direction. Hmm i like the idea of multiple resistors.
What was the width of the cd motor? You tend to see two widths available on eBay.
I'm not sure actually - I'll double check for you, but it is the common one anyway!
Thanks for watching,
Sam :)
Hello
the disadvantage of the motors that are worn very fast are with copper brushes
I'm trying to put coals ...
Hello! Yes that is an issue, but I've been running mine for a few years now, and with regular lubrication, the brushes don't seem to wear all too quickly!
Thanks for watching,
Sam :)
hi sam where is a good place to buy the motors
Ebay is a great place Jack - I got mine there! :D
Cheers,
Sam :)
Looking at adding a motor and pick up, or modify existing motor of the HO Scale John Bull. Could this CD Motor work as an extra motor to help it in the long run?
I'm not absolutely sure about that Brendan - I don't have any experience with the John Bull :/
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
@@SamsTrains its a small tender with a tiny old motor.
Hi Sam....I think a small amount of Super Glue accelerator (weird stuff...smells like strawberries) would really help out with positioning the motor. As soon as you get it centred, one drop of this stuff and its set......no waiting. Might be worth a try. Cheers.
That's a very good idea - I would love to give that a try! :D
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
Hi Sam, I have a Lima 09 that has given up the ghost, the motor won't even spin up the wheels at all. It has had a full service, and a spare armature and magnet have been tried, all to no avail.
I'm thinking of doing this conversion, as I have some CD type motors from an old games controller.
How do you recommend getting the gear off from the pancake motor armateur? It is plastic I believe, so I wouldn't want to damage it.
Hey! Sounds like a good idea, I'm not sure how you'd do that with the LIMA, as the gears are part of the armature. Take a look on Ebay, I think there may be some conversion kits on there! Sorry not to be much more help - I've never tried this with a LIMA one! :(
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
@@SamsTrains Thanks for your help & advice, Sam, I'll try eBay then. : D
thanks for this helpful video :)
No problem mate - hope it's useful for you! :D
Cheers,
Sam :)
Do diodes have a rating or something? Or can you use any old diode?
Hi Ray, yes some do - but most diodes can handle 12v as far as I know - especially if you take them out of devices designed for the mains!
Thanks for watching,
Sam :)
Thank's Sam. They seem to be pretty cheap on ebay and have specific voltages incl 12v
Done mine but motor jumps stop start so on with tts decoder like it's pulseing
Very clever I'd say. If I ever have to replace a Ringfield, (Or, more importantly, find something with a broken one) I'll look into this!
Thanks a lot mate - yeah it's worth a go, it really does work wonders!
All the best,
Sam :)
+Sam'sTrains No problem!
Especially since I'm an electric loco nerd and that class 91 looks particularly dashing in the Swallow livery...
Can't you use a 9v battery to test the direction the CD motor turns before completing the wiring?
Yes that would work very nicely!
Cheers,
Sam :)
I will probably show my ignorance of all things electronic in my next question. Wouldn't a small capacitor on the positive line to the motor permit a loco to traverse points without stalling? The cap would need to be small enough to charge and discharge quickly so controlling the loco would not become a problem.
Assuming I follow this exactly would it be worth converting my Hornby Duchess of Sutherland to have a CD motor instead of the slightly dodgy ring field in the tender?
It depends how badly it runs, and you may need to remove the centre wheels on the tender - but yes it should work!
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
@@SamsTrains Alrighty I'll probably pick up a spare Dutchess tender (Just in case) and try this upgrade!
can you do a layout tour?
Hi mate, I really like that idea - thanks for that, I've noted it down!
All the best,
Sam :)
I have a ringfield motor that can do the same slow speeds as the cd motor in it but mine has its original armature
That's very cool - you sometimes get some that really do run beautifully - I have one or two! ;3
Happy New Year,
Sam :)
haha my dad has that hammer no idea hwy that's important and will it work work for triang locos ??
haha! What a cool dad! ;D
No, it will only work for selected Hornby tender driven ring-field units - the earliest possible application being the first 9F, but I'm not sure how it'd fit into there!
All the best,
Sam :)
Sam'sTrains haba okay thank you I only asked as I got a old triang class 37 and it doesn't run anymore :/
I was under the impression diodes are "One way valves" for elctricery normally used for AC /DC rectification, and effectively should NOT drop voltage in a through flow. I used a 150ohm 1/4W. RESISTOR inline to the pos. side of the motor and the voltages I got using a Hornby R911 transformer was , Slow... 4.1 volts, med speed was 6.7 volts and fast speed was 8.2 volts.... all good enough for these motors. Motor feed Voltage check when in the DVD player tray was 5 volts.. AND the resistor mod works both directions.
Hi Ian, that's true - that's what they do, but in doing so, they also give a voltage drop of approximately 1v each (actually closer to 0.7v!)
Thanks for watching,
Sam :)
Not sure about the 'diodes' bit. Most will drop 0.7v (0.3 for a schottky which you may find in a reclaimed buck converter) and at a set current they will produce the exact same heat as a resistor. It would be better to use a 12v to 5v buck converter module (up to 90% efficient) for a couple of quid. Except the simple hornby power units are not like the old wire wound ones. They now throw out a switched mess from a thyristor that may stop a buck converter working anyway.
Hi there, thanks very much for the comment - I agree there might be better ways to do this, but with two pairs in series, the diodes actually do the job just fine, and the motor runs much slower at higher speeds. Good idea with the buck converter - I don't know how that'd work with feedback/pulse controllers, but it's worth a shot!
Thanks for watching,
Sam :)
great vid
Thanks a lot! Glad you liked it!
Cheers,
Sam :)
Not sure that soldering diodes together in parallel will give you a two volt drop, in fact you will probably still only get a one volt drop (or maybe even less), you need to wire them in series for this. You can also get diodes very cheaply from places like Maplin (whilst they are still trading), RadioSpares or CPC Farnell. HTH
Hi Peter - that's true, you'll only get a 1v drop, but you need both in order for the loco to be able to run forwards and backwards. You'll notice that I added two pairs of diodes in series, which should give the 2v drop!
Cheers,
Sam :)
Amazing tutorial sadly I don't have any model trains
Thanks! Well not to worry - if you ever get one, you could use this one day! :D
Cheers,
Sam :)
Interesting tutorial. I doubt I'd be brave enough though! :)
Thanks mate! Well it's only for emergency - it's worth a try if a loco dies completely!
Cheers,
Sam :)
Good tutorial - however, as you said, risk might be too much. Have a stuttery old Lima J50, worth a go (although I think it was stuttery when it came out of the factory). Alan.
Hi Alan, thanks very much mate! I must admit the LIMA motors don't seem to suffer - I find them to be very good! Perhaps just a good service would fix it? But agreed, they do tend to be a bit stuttery - mine jumps into life at around 1/4 power, and can't go any slower than that!
All the best,
Sam :)
Great tutorial Sam, don't know if I'd risk it though. Cheers, David.
Thanks David - yes it's definitely a risky one - it's only worth doing if the loco is already dead, or nearly dead - no sense ruining a working model!
All the best,
Sam :)