Hi - - Thank You - I really appreciate your type of feedback as it is what keeps me doing hte Tyco videos - My current work schedule has kept from doing new ones - I have many more planned for future - hopefully soon i can get to make a few new ones
I have worked on these for 4 decades and I am glad to see someone with an interest in repair, rather than just tossing it out. I have 2 recommendations that will greatly improve performance and motor life, using existing Tyco Power Torque parts. You will need spare PT motors from diesels or steamers. First, while the motor is out of the frame, get rid of the 4-tire drive axle arrangement. As you may have noticed, the ungeared traction wheels are almost always cracked, so save the tires, and toss the cracked wheels. Install good drive axles from a PT Diesel instead, and here's why. The original 4-Tire drive axle wobbles like hell due to the difficulty of the 4 tires staying perfectly round. They also drag badly in the curves and overload the motor to near burnout in a very short time. The Diesel axle has 1 pickup wheel and 1 geared traction wheel. The pickup wheel will easily slide in the curves to maintain speed and prevent solid-axle-binding. Real locomotives and car axles are also solid and do the same thing, for the very same reason. The 2 extra pickup wheels will also give you better electrical pickup over switches and crossings. You will have no less traction that the PT Diesels, a whole lot smoother tender drive, and 2 extra traction tires for each conversion you perform! Second, snip off the extremely impractical "smoke-plunger" that the Locomotive driver wheels hit. It frequently will bind and even stop the whole 8-wheel set, often causing premature motor burnout, and even derailments. I collect broken 2-8-0 models for parts, especially the valve gear, to add to the 0-8-0 models that came from the factory without, makes them look less toy-like.
Thanks for your informative videos. I can generally take anything apart, fix it, and put it back together. However a heads up video like this is very valuable. I now have two complete Royal Blues. One runs and one has issues..... I think it may be the power torque pinion gear may have come loose as you can hear the motor spinning but the train doesn't move..... also the wheels themselves are free wheeling.......but not for long!
I just watched you Powertorque Mod video, wherein you clearance a Powertorque case to fit the loading-tray motor from a CD-ROM drive within it. One wonders what results could be had from doing the same on a Tyco power-tender locomotive.
Did you ever get it smoking? I bought one new old stock and right out of the box I couldn't get it to smoke with Bachmann smoke fluid. The smoke fluid that came with it was evaporated and very viscous. Directions say only to use Tyco smoke fluid 713 but I don't know what the equivalent of that is these days.
Hey watchnu2, I recently bought a beat up old Chattanooga choo choo for parts to fix my dad's old one. It needs a new tender drive, but the one I bought is missing the wheels on the front truck. Both motor wheels are there and the rear truck as its wheels. Can the motor still run without that front wheel?
Great video... I'm looking for help in a fix. I dug out my old engines a few weeks ago and got them running again but my tyco needed lube bad, so I oiled everything up and it ran great for about an hour until the power torque pinion gear came loose from the shaft! Now the motor just spins freely(!?). I'll give the loctite a try but it seems awful loose. Any tips on how to fix?
+watchnu2 Thanks for the reply. Ours is making an awful screeching racket from the main flywheel. seems like there is some play in there and it might be slipping. Any advice would be equally awesome.
Sir, resurrecting a layout I built in 1975. I have a royal blue locomotive that needs repair. The plastic support that is between the first and second wheel that the drive rods is anchored too is broken. Do you have an out of commission royal blue that you would consider selling me this part. If not could you provide me a contact where I might get the part? Thanks in advance for your help
Hi ...love the video....I have the chattanooga choochoo which is the same locomotive..my problem is that i can't get the back wheels to come off from the tender car. Have a bad wheel and want to replace it but back wheels will not come out as you shoe in video. Appreciate any hel that you can offer. will check back here from time to time.. thanks
Hi -Don - sorry for delayed reply - i don't always get notifications right away - you have to lift up on motor block and you have to easily go up and down to get if off the pin while pulling down on wheels to get free on back ones
hi again....man I tried that...this one is a real bugger butt...have two of them and want to make one good one...the other on came off easy but having trouble with this other one. Want to set up a layout but figured I better get these things running first..thank for your help...I'll keep trying.
Hi David, I hate to bring a reply to an old post as you probably figured this out by now. The tender's silver wheels on the right are logically ground. The Left drivers on the engine are logically hot or positive. Of course the direction of motive depends on how your power and track are wired. Hope that helps. (tested out my theory on my '75 Chattanooga by directly connecting d/c current to the wheels).
I hate locos with tender drives. I am even on the fence about the older Bachmann/Mantua/Cary Old time 4-4-0s because they have the motor in the tender, but through universal shafts the drives wheels are in the loco. Model Steam engines should always be loco driven/motor in loco. I always HATED that Tyco had a meeting on this and just slapped a powertorque in a tender and said "Oh let's just cheap out and have a big huge tender push the locomotive." And at that meeting, instead of everyone saying "What a stupid Idea, GTFO".... Everyone nodded and went "Hmmm, powertorque in the tender...great idea".
Very helpful video. I watch it every time I have to service one of these locomotives.
Your restoration
Videos are very informative. I've repaired all my childhood train engines and cars just by watching your channel.
Hi - - Thank You - I really appreciate your type of feedback as it is what keeps me doing hte Tyco videos - My current work schedule has kept from doing new ones - I have many more planned for future - hopefully soon i can get to make a few new ones
Great Video! The Tyco 2-8-0 Royal Blue is one of my favorite steam locos. I appreciate your time, effort, and knowledge. Thank you.
I have worked on these for 4 decades and I am glad to see someone with an interest in repair, rather than just tossing it out. I have 2 recommendations that will greatly improve performance and motor life, using existing Tyco Power Torque parts. You will need spare PT motors from diesels or steamers. First, while the motor is out of the frame, get rid of the 4-tire drive axle arrangement. As you may have noticed, the ungeared traction wheels are almost always cracked, so save the tires, and toss the cracked wheels. Install good drive axles from a PT Diesel instead, and here's why. The original 4-Tire drive axle wobbles like hell due to the difficulty of the 4 tires staying perfectly round. They also drag badly in the curves and overload the motor to near burnout in a very short time. The Diesel axle has 1 pickup wheel and 1 geared traction wheel. The pickup wheel will easily slide in the curves to maintain speed and prevent solid-axle-binding. Real locomotives and car axles are also solid and do the same thing, for the very same reason. The 2 extra pickup wheels will also give you better electrical pickup over switches and crossings. You will have no less traction that the PT Diesels, a whole lot smoother tender drive, and 2 extra traction tires for each conversion you perform!
Second, snip off the extremely impractical "smoke-plunger" that the Locomotive driver wheels hit. It frequently will bind and even stop the whole 8-wheel set, often causing premature motor burnout, and even derailments. I collect broken 2-8-0 models for parts, especially the valve gear, to add to the 0-8-0 models that came from the factory without, makes them look less toy-like.
are you still fixin train stuff? hope so??? lol thx
Can you send me pictures of what you are describing? Or make a video?
Thank You so much for posting this I collect old Tyco steam engine's and I have 3 or 4 that need traction tires
your welcome
Thank You Elroy - glad my video was of help to you
Thanks for your informative videos. I can generally take anything apart, fix it, and put it back together. However a heads up video like this is very valuable. I now have two complete Royal Blues. One runs and one has issues..... I think it may be the power torque pinion gear may have come loose as you can hear the motor spinning but the train doesn't move..... also the wheels themselves are free wheeling.......but not for long!
Thank You Randel - I appreciate your feedback - is why I have done the Tyco videos -
I just watched you Powertorque Mod video, wherein you clearance a Powertorque case to fit the loading-tray motor from a CD-ROM drive within it. One wonders what results could be had from doing the same on a Tyco power-tender locomotive.
coat the wheel shaft pickups with OXGARD. It lubes and keeps good power flow.
Having just picked up a Royal Blue myself, I’ll keep this vid handy. She runs just fine for now which is nice
Awsome video
Rodney
I'm missing the pinion gear on my Tyco 638 Chattanooga locomotive. Any idea where I might find a replacement? Hope you can help. Thanks
Bill - I have some - i normally don't sell any - send me a message to purchase
Daniel - which wheels are you Needing - the front pilot wheels? / the geared axle wheels ?
Awesome thanks
Thanks....very good info. Could you tell me where the red wire gets connected to motor? I see three brass tabs on the oposite side of gears...
Man those royal blues are sooooo hard to find!
Did you ever get it smoking? I bought one new old stock and right out of the box I couldn't get it to smoke with Bachmann smoke fluid. The smoke fluid that came with it was evaporated and very viscous. Directions say only to use Tyco smoke fluid 713 but I don't know what the equivalent of that is these days.
Good video.
Thanks for sharing.
your welcome
That is a gorgeous train. Did you restore/repaint that, or did you find it in that condition?
It is mint Devillin 😉
Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaang!!!
+watchnu2 They are very nice colors.
Hey watchnu2, I recently bought a beat up old Chattanooga choo choo for parts to fix my dad's old one. It needs a new tender drive, but the one I bought is missing the wheels on the front truck. Both motor wheels are there and the rear truck as its wheels. Can the motor still run without that front wheel?
Daniel / Hi - just now seen your comment - yes they will run without front pilot wheels
Great video... I'm looking for help in a fix. I dug out my old engines a few weeks ago and got them running again but my tyco needed lube bad, so I oiled everything up and it ran great for about an hour until the power torque pinion gear came loose from the shaft! Now the motor just spins freely(!?). I'll give the loctite a try but it seems awful loose. Any tips on how to fix?
***** - loc tite should fix - if not you may have to solder by applying a small dab on end of shaft with gear already on
I got some JB weld for it and it seems to have fixed it. Running good so far! Thanks for the reply.
you are welcome josh100f - glad my video was of help - Brian
What kind of Smoke solution can we use?
Thanks so much for this video. So what's the trick for getting the motor clips back on? :)
i place them back with needle nose or place flat and push with flat blade jewelers screw drivers
+watchnu2 Thanks for the reply. Ours is making an awful screeching racket from the main flywheel. seems like there is some play in there and it might be slipping. Any advice would be equally awesome.
place a drop of oil on bearing - where the silver gear - use only approved model train oil and don't over oil - drop on a tootpick is suffecient
Sir,
resurrecting a layout I built in 1975. I have a royal blue locomotive that needs repair. The plastic support that is between the
first and second wheel that the drive rods is anchored too is broken. Do you have an out of commission royal blue that
you would consider selling me this part. If not could you provide me a contact where I might get the part?
Thanks in advance for your help
Hi ...love the video....I have the chattanooga choochoo which is the same locomotive..my problem is that i can't get the back wheels to come off from the tender car. Have a bad wheel and want to replace it but back wheels will not come out as you shoe in video. Appreciate any hel that you can offer. will check back here from time to time.. thanks
Hi -Don - sorry for delayed reply - i don't always get notifications right away - you have to lift up on motor block and you have to easily go up and down to get if off the pin while pulling down on wheels to get free on back ones
hi again....man I tried that...this one is a real bugger butt...have two of them and want to make one good one...the other on came off easy but having trouble with this other one. Want to set up a layout but figured I better get these things running first..thank for your help...I'll keep trying.
great info you still fixin stuff?
Never could figure out why they put the motor in the tender.
there is a real frisco locomotive painted just like that. its not operational though.
Y u no replace the couplers
Where does the tender get its power ? Which wheels ? I do not see to have power (good connection ) for the red wire while engine is on the track .
Hi David, I hate to bring a reply to an old post as you probably figured this out by now. The tender's silver wheels on the right are logically ground. The Left drivers on the engine are logically hot or positive. Of course the direction of motive depends on how your power and track are wired. Hope that helps. (tested out my theory on my '75 Chattanooga by directly connecting d/c current to the wheels).
+watchnu2 Could you please do a video showing how to remove the shell of the locomotive and get to the smoke unit?
will try to - have to see if i have one that is parts or damaged to do
Thank you! :) I've got one that needs it's smoke unit replaced and I can't figure out how to get the shell off.
what is voltage on the head light bulb thanks
can you post pictures of this trains wiring please?
Please, please i need the gears for the motor in the tender, do you know where i can get them?!!
Hemson / Hi / just now seen your question / message me - I think I have those gears you need
+watchnu2 great, do you have an email?!!
+Hemson Jordan - brianandginger@bellsouth.net
Where could I possibly get a new gear for mine?
I need the "power torque pinion gear"
how much did the steam engine cost?
Back when they were new in the 70s the MSRP was around 30 USD for the set.
I hate locos with tender drives. I am even on the fence about the older Bachmann/Mantua/Cary Old time 4-4-0s because they have the motor in the tender, but through universal shafts the drives wheels are in the loco. Model Steam engines should always be loco driven/motor in loco. I always HATED that Tyco had a meeting on this and just slapped a powertorque in a tender and said "Oh let's just cheap out and have a big huge tender push the locomotive."
And at that meeting, instead of everyone saying "What a stupid Idea, GTFO"....
Everyone nodded and went "Hmmm, powertorque in the tender...great idea".
Mine works it's just to damn dusty...can baraly get a connection
lol that is NOT how you identify craftsman screwdrivers
Lol
Hemson Jordan - send me a private message
watchnu2 any chance that you can take the tender box off and take some pictures of the wiring setup?
thanks, you took way too much time on this total shitter of a loco, the absolute worst ever HO product