Lionel O Scale Engine Repair

Had a new guy stop by the Club a couple of Saturdays ago with his childhood railroad train, a 3 rail O scale Lionel from about 1949.  It had bounced around the family for years and finally returned to Harvey.  He had a couple of boxes of cars, track, transformer with reverse and horn buttons.   We tried getting it to run but mostly it would just hum.  Having never worked on O scale before I was interested in getting into the workings, so with Harvey's permission took it home for a better look-see.

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This is the Lionel O scale "Scout" locomotive with the rear truck removed.   The 3 rail track is O gauge, 1.25" center to center of the outside rails.  The two long screws that hold the motor/drive assembly are at the end of the track.

Dis-assembly is rather straight forward, one screw on the bottom removes the trailing (rear),  truck, and two small screws on the bottom remove the lead truck, headlight assembly and piston guides.  The motor/drive assembly is held in place by two long screws located on the side of the engine.

The "Motor/Drive Assembly" is shown removed for service.  The motor itself sits crosswise in the engine and drives a gear train to the drivers.  The connecting rod between the drivers is for looks only, the drivers are geared together.  The copper windings in the center are the electromagnet that forms the motor "Field", the vertical coil on the left is the "E" "Reversing Solenoid" with the three position "Reversing Lever" at the rear.  Lionel locomotives used 10 to 18 volt AC current, no + or - polarity to the rails as in HO scale DC operation.  In "Normal" operation each throttle "Off/On" operation would reverse the direction of the locomotive.  A "Second" position would allow constant one way direction in forward or reverse.  The "Third" or "Off" position, would disconnect the locomotive from the power, allowing it to remain on the track while other locomotives operated.
                 

This left side view shows the motor "Brushes" between the drivers and the motor shaft between the brushes.  The unpainted plate above the rear driver has a slot that guides the "E" Reversing Solenoid. 

Armchair      Sept. 6, 2011
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