Model Railway Forum

Next up are two side shots and one of the top. Note that the double sided tape is holding this motor down for now. Also that the only thing you might consider as a clip is where the copper connectors are pushed in at the brush holders. I think that is for electrical connection only, not to maintain the motor in position.

In those pics you can also see the copper strips that sit behind the wheels.

The plastic chassis is in three pieces - two sides and then a sliding plate underneath that holds the sides together. Once I've slid the bottom plate off the wheels and axles are released. Then you can see more clearly the drive gears on the front and rear axles, and also the worm drives for them on the longitudinal drive shaft.

Not clear on these pics is that one of the axle gears is spinning loosely so as is this loco will only be one axle drive.

But now you can see more clearly how the copper fingers should spring out and rub on the inside of the front and rear wheels on each side. These ones do look quite dirty, and don't seem very springy.

This is as far as I can strip this one as the tape under the motor holds the two chassis sides together. On the first loco I dissected with the motor having dropped off I could then complete the strip down of the two sides. I'm not sure I would choose to remove those copper strips though.

Looks like a cat has been sleeping on it. Needs completely dismantling and cleaning. Good idea to take pictures so you know what went where.

Have you confirmed whether the motor turns when power is applied directly to the motor terminals?
If the motor doesn’t turn then any other issues are completely immaterial at this stage.

No, I've got five of these to do, so it will be bit at a time from here. I was really waiting for someone to advise that my Father in Law got duped all those years ago and that these are some pirated Chinese copies.

That loco in the pics is certainly very grubby compared with the first one I opened up.

I'd be tempted to solder those joints at the motor brushes but I guess it's all fairly delicate in there.

Who would I go to for spares for these if required?

Those are old locos likely dating back to when Graham Farish made them in Poole, Dorset, nothing to do with Chinese copies.
This is the ‘go to’ place for older Farish parts, run by a former Poole employee.

https://www.farishnspares.co.uk/

OK thanks. I've dropped them an email for now.

I think I'll have to set up a proper test area and disassembly bench to progress with these before I do any more damage.

Seems my locos are all pre '77 and as such are obsolete and so probably junk.

Not so. My dad had an N gauge layout with pre 77 locos and they were fine. You just need to give them some TLC.