I’ve been off the forums lately, building a 1:1 project. I’m just getting back to trains.
I’ve been meaning to post this helpful hint for some time.
Most electronics are so inexpensive that when they break, we just buy a replacement rather than seeking repairs. The benefit to us is that the motors in old DVD and CD players can be useful. Many of the motors look like this:
Here’s an example of how I used one:
I have this 50-year old Olympia model and I love the way it looks:
But it had 2 speeds - Fast and Stop.
So I did a little motor change-out, using a motor salvaged from a DVD player:
Now it has a smooth speed range and much more realistic starts. Best of all, the motor was free.
I think these motors are coreless. They are quiet. and powerful. I’ve found some really tiny ones in old digital cameras. Those run on less voltage, so you need to use resistors to keep them from over-reving/over-heating.
EXCELLENT,job, like the engine, when looking at the engine,for the first time,a thought came to mind… By any chance,is that engine called a ‘‘Birdie’’?. somewhere in my old brain,that’s what popped in…
Zstripe, It took me a while before I noticed that those two posts were not an “Old-timers brain F_rt”; or, simply a repeat of the first; but, actually two separate posts with the second a clarification of the first!
Was this an intentional trap for us older types of “Model Rails”?
This brings up a thought: “Getting old is not for wimps”!
And you forgot to mention, Phil, that that locomotive can now record up to 2 hours of your favorite TV show or movie. And, nice retro-fit. [tup][tup] Make sure you post that in this coming week’s WPF thread.
This brings a few questions to mind for me as I am waiting to re-motor a RR Pacific I posted about a while ago.
I have a motor from an old automotive radio/cassette player, obviously 12 volts. I’ve never re-motorored anything before, but from what I see here, it is straightforward enough- make the motor fit, hot glue or silicone it in, and hit the road!
When I hooked the motor up to layout power, it ran variable speed up to about 1/3-1/2 power, than was constant RPM after that- no increase in RPM regardless of throttle. My power records 16 volt at maximum throttle, the motor has a label on it stating “2400 RPM”.
My questions are: is this a high enough RPM motor for this type of project, and, would I need to resist it down? Any help you all can offer is greatly appreciated!
The typical replacement motor from PPW and NWSL are rated between 8,000 and 12,000 RPM. So that motor is pretty slow. Might be useful for a street car or animation so hang on to it.
Phil,
Excellent job on the repower, it looks like it came from the factory with it.
I go to hamfests regularly. (amateur radio flea markets)
Hams are like all other “tech” hobby folks. They have about 6 or 8 hobbies in the air at one time and 4 others that are moribund. As such, you can find most anyhting there. I have purchased 30-06 ammunition from WWII, CO2 lasers, computers, nuclear instrumentation, old model trains, radio controled tiger tank, airplanes, etc., and, yes, even radio-electronics stuff, like LEDS, resistors and other train related electronics goodies!
Recently there was a guy selling surplus solar panels. at the Timonium hamfest, cow palace, which took place one week before the Great scale model train show at the same location. He had about 100 new, tiny “can motors” in a foam shipping box. (probably OEM surplus) They were touted to start to run at 1 volt. (this is important for solar folks as one or two solar cells will make the motor go. They were 2 motors for a buck and I bought 10. These are not cheapo, junk motors, either! Once I got home I discovered that I should have bought them all! They are perfect and rather powerful at full RPM (~8000) around 12 volts.
At the Timonium Great Scale Model Train show, two weekends ago, I found and bought some old WWII radium tipped toggle switches and about 50 Estes model rocket motors, so train folks can be as diverse in their hobbies as the hams.
I will be attempting a few retro fits of motors in some older engines. I know the solar panel guy from many hamfests and he will certainly be at the Memorial Day hamfest at Howard Co. fairgounds. I’ll pick up some more motors next month. (hopefully)
Motors can be costly if purchased new, but free to almost nothing if you salvage old ones as in the original posting here or stumble onto a source of NOS (new old stock) motors like I did.
Very cool. Be careful though…I once made the comment on this board about doing the same type of thing. I purchased a motor from an electronics dealer to repower an old brass steamer, and I got hammered. I even got a pm concerning it, and not a good one either. Personally, I like what you did. Good job!
Thanks for the positive comments and additional insight. To answer a few of the questions: Yes, the loco was marketed as a “birdie.” I’ve found an ad for it in a 1962 MR. The widening of the cab floor was part of a previous re-motor job. That motor was much larger and less controllable that the new one. Someday I’ll replace the floor sections. Obviously, I don’t concern myself with the effect that alterations have on resale value. The next time this loco will be on the market will be after my ashes have been scattered in Wyoming. Whoever buys it will get a great deal on a less-than-pristine, good running, good looking brass loco. For as long as I’ve been in the hobby there has been a debate about keeping brass equipment pristine, even if it didn’t run very well, or making improvements to make the models operate well. I’m in the “it’s my loco; I’ll do what I want.” camp. In fact, I have a brass loco that once belonged to Linn Westcott; my favorite part of that loco is the custom drawbar that Westcott made (brings tender and loco closer together - more realistic). If he could do that, I can certainly change to a better motor.
Thanks for bringing this up! A few of us have known about the motors in old electronics, but it’s always good to bring it up again for those who don’t know.
Those round motors turn very smooth with a flywheel-like motion, so they’re easy to mistake for coreless motors. If you open one up though, you’ll find a flat 3-pole armature surrounded by a ring magnet. Flat 3-pole motors get a lot of hate it seems, but when they’re made right, they’re every bit as good as the top-end stuff! They’re especially good for small to medium AHM/Rivarossi steam, and it’s also possible to use them in the old Lima and Tyco side-winder drives.
I’ve gotten quite a few motors from old computer CD drives. The old laser motors are especially good for long, narrow spaces, like where a smaller Pittman motor would normally fit.
Ken Kidder had a similar, but not identical, looking engine in brass that they sold, circa 1962, for $9.95 RTR and as a kit for $8.95. The two axle tender alone was $1.95. I think they called it a plantation locomotive.
But unless I am confused – and I do NOT rule that out, ever – I think the “Birdie” came from International, and possibly later from Gem.
I tried twice to reply by clicking “reply”, not quote.
I agree, and keep a sharp eye out for motors everywhere they may be found. A week ago, I rediscovered this motor from an old Canon film camera. Having taken an interest in my RR recently, I wondered if it would fit in this Tyco 2-6-2? I once remotored it with what’s left of that Rivarossi motor, they’re not much better than the gutless original open frame.
Here you can see where part of the original open frame is soldered to the camera’s removable mounting plate.
This motor works as well as anything ever will in these ol’ Tyco-Mantua locos. I’m satisfied with the performance, and will move on to cosmetics on this engine. (anyone have an original cab they can spare?)
So yeah! Keep an eye open for those motors.
I learned the hard way, never open up a good running can motor to see how it works.It never will be the same.
If I was you, I wouldn’t let the slow speed of your motor keep me from seeing how she’ll do with it. That would not be a fast loco anyway, and you just might be surprised at it’s low speed performance. You may not, though too. Only one way to find out. [:)] Dan S
What struck,me when I first saw the photo,was the style,of the engine,more so than the,manufacturer of it… I was a senior in high school, in 62… I also believe you are, correct, about it being, a ''Plantation,also…
