6110 Help?

My friend called last week to let me know he found the train “outfit” of his youth, and I told him to bring it over so we could check it out. It turned out the locomotive was a 6110 (Scout) steamer. I lubed it, put it on the track, and it ran after sitting in a box for about 50 years. There was even smoke from the old smoke pill residue. However, the reverse unit did not operate properly, so I took off the shell. That’s where my problem started.

When I removed the shell, the brittle insulation on the smoke unit wire started breaking off. This wire leads all the way down to the roller contact strip, so the only way to replace it is to split the motor case. This requires removing the drivers, and I don’t have the tools to do that. I don’t want to run the locomotive with a bare hot wire dangling around inside.

Does anyone have any hints on how I can insulate the wire wihout having to split the motor case?

Well, the best thing would be to replace the wire, but if thats not an option, buy some heat shrink tubing at Radio Shack. Take the tubing and split it open down one side. Then, put the tubing over the wire through the side you just sliced. Then, use a lighter to CARFULLY ‘shrink’ the tubing. If you have a heat gun, that would work better. Just be careful not to melt anything important. If you need anymore help, just ask or send me an e-mail.

Dave