Well, I’m not Captain Kirk trying to find a pair of whales, but I do have a Lionel 256 with the older “humpback” motors that need to be rescued for the model’s future. I know where to get a missing brush plate, but both motors are missing their armatures. I’ve looked around at what the parts dealers have, but I haven’t seen any armatures for these so far. Does anyone know if there’s anyone carrying these, or do I just need to keep an eye out for parts on eBay? And is there any specific part number to go with these like some of the other Lionel motors?
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I don’t know for sure if Trainz has them, but I would have gone to Trainz.com first.
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According to the diagrams from the Olsen’s Toy Train Parts library, the ‘humpback’ motor armatures were assigned part number SL-15. The pinion gear on the end of the armature shaft has the part number SL-85.
Hope this maybe helps some. My inclination was that Henning’s Trains or Jeff Kane might have them, but it doesn’t look like either carries the SL-15 armature. They do both carry the SL-85 pinion gear, though.
-El
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If trainz.com doesn’t have the parts they might have a 256 not in the best of shape that could be cannibalized for the needed parts.
I was going to suggest Henning’s but it looks like it’s been tried already without success.
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That’s true–parts engines are always a good way to keep stuff working, because if something else breaks chances are it’s there too!
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@Darth_Santa_Fe found this thread, think it might be useful to your persuit:
https://www.modeltrainforum.com/threads/prewar-motor-armature-gear.201502/
It never progressed to the point of a resolution, but having seen past examples of your resourcefulness I do wonder if you might be able to pull something off using a more common style of armature. I suspect the odds of finding an original SL-15 on its own, in any condition, are very slim.
-El
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Thanks for all the responses! I checked the parts at Trainz, Henning’s and Train Tender and didn’t see any of the SL-15 armatures, so I might just have to take some measurements and adapt something else to fit. As long as I can find the right armature diameter and minimum shaft length, I think I can work something out.
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Could you not machine a proper shaft, cut or etch out the requisite number of laminations for the armature, and then conduct one of the ‘rewindings’ I see YouTube videos demonstrating? Two razor-blade edges carefully leveled would work as well as agate rails to balance the result…
The SL-15 was originally ‘made to a price’ so I doubt there is Packard-Merlin main-bearing metallurgy or exotic commutator fabrication involved.
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I’m open to rewinding and armature for better operation, but cutting out my own plates may be a bit much with the tools I have available. 
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I think I got something figured out! I remembered that there was a good prewar Lionel armature in a bag of parts that came in a lot a while back, and if I remove the damaged gear, it will be a perfect fit! I checked around eBay and found a lot with 1 more of the same armature in decent looking condition, so I’m going to try getting that and then just test, clean and resell the others I don’t need.
For anyone else looking for a replacement armature for one of these humpback motors with the 12-tooth gear, it’s 1.25" in diameter with a total height of 0.78" for the windings and flat commutator, and then the shaft is 1/8" and needs a length of at least 1.25". Not sure if it’s the same for the ones with a 10-tooth gear.
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It took me 5.7 seconds longer than it should have to get that joke.
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Couldn’t have done it without my man Scotty!
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Well, I think I’ve found the rest of the parts needed to get this model restored! There are a couple things I’ll have to make from scratch, but it’s amazing what you can find from old stock here and there. I’m probably spending more on this thing than if I’d bought a restored model outright, but hey, this way I can get the satisfaction of having done it myself and pay special attention to all the details!
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Having this experience with my Payá Santa Fe. Sometimes you just have to do it, even if it’s going to be harder and more expensive in the long run than just getting another one.
-El
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Sometimes the “things” throw a challenge at you that can’t be ignored! I’ve only given up on one article, it had gotten to the point I just wasn’t going to put any more money into it without tangible reults. Some things just don’t want to be fixed. Sounds crazy but I think it’s true.
This is the one I gave up on. The shell of the 33 lost it’s soldering and the motor had probable heat damage to the windings. Plus one of the cast iron wheels had a chip. So I sold it.
Yeah, sometimes a project turns out to be so bad that you just have to set it aside or sell it to someone who can use the parts. My 256 might actually be in worse shape than that 33, but I’m determined to do what I can to get it working and looking like new!
I got lucky with new armature gears for the motors. As is turns out, the same gear part number might have a 0.112" or 0.125" hole depending on if it was before or after around 1930, which of course I found out AFTER ordering, so I was very glad to see that the two gears I bought have the correct size hole for the older motors!
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