Lindberg Lines use a “drive spring” rather than gears for it’s SW 7 switcher. I have run mine since the late 1960’s and have always liked the “soft” starts and stops afforded by that drive system. When I got it, I also got a half dozen spare springs (they were available and cheap). My last one has finally broken beyond my ability to repair. I’d really like to find somebody (or someplace) that could enable me to obtain another half dozen or so of the little jems (actually two or three would probably last the rest of my life!)
Corby9939,
My Lindberg,switcher is sitting in a box,going on 50yrs,now,without a spring,don’t have a clue,where you can find anything that would work…It was a nice running little switcher,but the spring thing,was a are you serious thing…Good Luck,In Your Hunt…
Cheers,
Frank
Maybe a “O” ring of the correct size would work?
It would have to be a pretty slim o-ring and at least,six inches long…The problem with the spring,is the fact that over time it stretches and then becomes useless stretched out…
Cheers,
Frank
Do you have a picture of the broken spring, as a reference?
That sounds to me like a piece of flexible rubber tubing. Try a hobby shop that specializes in RC planes and cars. They might have some fuel line that would behave something like a spring.
I have an old Alco S-2 switcher in N scale that used a spring for a worm…is your locomotive set up the same way?
Small diameter fuel line with something smaller glued in the ends to keep it together (needs to be flexible adhesive) is probably the best bet, ourside of a completely new drive.
Lots of brass trolley and motor cars used a similar drive in the 60’s and 70’s - might be able to find similar parts. I also had an old 8mm projector that used a long spring as the belt drive.
It’s not a spring used as a worm, it’s a pulley on the motor, and a pulley on an intermediate shaft that goes to the worms that drive the axles, connected with a spring looped around the pulleys - sort of like the Athearn rubber band drives but there is a worm and worm gear as well.
An oddball size rubber band or O ring may indeed work, it doesn;t have to be the same diameter as the original spring. Might be too much tension to allow the trucks to pivot though.
–Randy
Speaking for the OP,
There are no worms in the axle’s,there are only two gears,one on the motor,the other being a large diameter gear connected to the motor gear and a pulley on that large gear,the spring goes around that pulley gear set up down to the front truck thru a tunnel shape on the truck,so of like you would see in a roundhouse for steamers,then intern goes around the wheelset,fat looking axles like rubber band drive axles,but these have a groove in them for the spring to ride into…The spring is about 3 times the size of a Kadee coupler spring…They were quiet and smooth runners,but I believe a lot of friction was created by all the loops and parts it had to go around…I’m not interested in fixing the one I have…
Cheers,
Frank
I have looked at the “O” ring idea, and may still find a way to make it work. The spring that Lindberg used as a pulley could be “opened” by unscrewing! The coils at one end of the approximately 6 inch long tightly wound flexible spring were wound so as to taper. This allowed them to fit inside the coils at the other end. If you rotated them counterclockwise about 3/4 of a turn and the slipped them into the other end, they “screwed” themselves in and became a pulley. There is no way to do that with an “O” ring and Lindberg’s design requires that the spring be installed “open” and then closed.
corby
The picture at this site sort of implies that the spring can be repaired by bending new loops on the ends. Is that what you have, or is it something different?
Maxman,
I’ll answer for myself,that is exactly the one I have,but I am not interested in fixing mine…
I’ll let Corby answer for himself…
Cheers,
Frank
Maxman
That’s the one!! Bending new loops works until about the fifth or sixth time and then the whole thing gets so tight it won’t run. I sure would like to find some of those springs, tho…any ideas?
Corby
I don’t know what it would cost, but there’s this: http://www.springsfast.com/custom-extension-springs.php.
And there is a 400 page free catalog available where you might find something: http://www.centuryspring.com/catalogrequest.php
And more info: http://www.drtempleman.com/coil-springs
Although drive springs were way before my time, I know what you’re talking about, and have seen models using drive springs.
Micro-Mark sells a box of assorted springs. Maybe one of those will fit. You also could always get some spring wire and make your own (also available from Micro-Mark.)
I don’t know why springs aren’t usually used instead of worm gears. They are a nice way to smooth operation, and with current spring technology, they could be made to last much longer.
S&S
S&S,
I believe one of the draw backs in the spring system,was the fact that it created more friction on the drive parts,that the spring had to travel on,you could not lubricate them,the spring relied on tension for it to function properly…With gears,you could at least,lubricate them and reduce,some of the friction. I don’t have enough fingers,to count the times that I had to mess with the spring. They were only one truck drive also.
They were better looking,detail wise though,compared to Athearn BB’s.
Cheers,
Frank
I thought the springs were locked in place using pins or something… Oh well, my mistake. If the spring was locked in place, you could then oil it and not have it slip on you… Maybe I’ll check that out someday.
S&S
Surely you jest? That SW1 had so many errors it wasn’t funny…Neither end was long enough,the drive or truck drive spring continually broke.I was never impress with mine.
The BB SW7 was the best switcher made.
Larry,
To each their own,about what they looked like…But I have a question for you,from what you are saying about them and all the things wrong with them,why didn’t you answer the OP. in the very beginning when he asked for help ??
Cheers,
Frank
Frank,At that time I seen no real reason to reply since he was looking for repair parts not operation and detail.
There was no way under the moon and stars that SW1 was better then BB engines since at that time Athearn was the best plastic diesels made.Top dog was the Hobbytown RS3 and RS4/5 or the Athearn GP7 with Hobbytown’s replacement drive-this drive started life as a replacement for Athearn’s Hi Fi drive…For those that may not know that’s what Athearn called their rubber band drive.
Lindbergh did make the best freight car trucks and some of their freight cars was top line for that time.
That SW1 would have been a nice little switcher if and only if they had used a regular gear drive instead of the spring drive.
I liked the SW1 so, I bought one and shortly regretted my purchase.