Hi Bill. Stephen here (the chap for whom you fixed the Hornby Doublo crimson Princess Coronation class loco a few weeks ago, which is running perfectly, thanks very much). I just wanted to say that after watching several of your videos on how to repair/service Ringfield type motors, I decided to have a go at my own Lima Fife & Forfar Yeomanry class 55, which I purchased off a school friend back in about 1979. I experienced the exact same issues as you faced, and using the tips and techniques learned from your videos fixed them, turning my example from a 100% non-runner into a smooth(ish) & quiet(ish) cruiser. So, once again, thanks very much!
The old Lima pancake motor is one of the most reliable and easily repaired model train power units ever. This is why there are still so many old Lima trains out there and running. Was never given the credit it deserved back in the day. But now it has become kind of legendary and for good reason. Also Mazok Rot and Zinc Pest will never be a problem for Lima locos.
Thanks for the Video. I just purchased the same train but still have to test it. Recently purchased another Lima year of 1976 D6542 That is running slowly, probably the same problem! I had this train as a kid which my mother purchased as a Birthday present. Bought it again due to memories of her. Thanks for the motor strip down video ! Great & very informative...
Thanks very much for making this. My brother and I both got one of these each in the late 70's as a Christmas present from my grandad. It got used lots. It was also quite noisy even from new which I actually like as it added to the realism or so I thought as an eight yr old. I've now been given it back from my dad after sitting in his loft for about 38 years. It also has the buffers missing now. It did still run a bit like yours but I'll need to follow your guide and get the old girl running again. Thanks very much again.
Just watched this again, great job. I have noticed many of the models’s gears have those circles. Moving forward as I go through the process of servicing them I will pay attention to these.👍
I just got a good one on eBay too I was after the same one for a while most have buffers missing I was lucky it had them all ,Lima models respond well to a good service I followed your posting it runs like a Swiss watch cheers and thank you mate much appreciated for sharing 👍🏻😊
Another very useful video. I've a few of old Lima diesels which I'm servicing to bring them back to life after many years of sitting unused in a box, although I've not yet had the courage to disassemble the trailing bogie with pickups as I've never seen it done on a youtube video before. So your video has given me the confidence to try it next time - thanks! And yes, I've heard several people on RU-vid say those Lima gears often have remnant plastic from the moldings which are best filed or sanded off smooth so I do that as a matter of course now. And on a positive note, I always liked the Lima UK outline diesels, they were well detailed for their time, often better than the Triang/Hornby diesels of the time (though those too have their own charm) and in particular the matt paint finish on the Limas was more realistic that the rather shiny finish on some of the Triang/Hornby locos. Thanks again.
I am very surprised that the small amount of work you had to do to those gears made that much of a difference. Thank you for the tips, will certainly be doing this for all my Lima locos. 👍
Thanks for this video very helpful. Surprised at the difference removing the flashing from the gears has made to my two Deltics. They now run quieter, smoother and can now run slower than before. By the way, your layout is a pleasure to watch. I have just started to plan my first layout and would be pleased if it came out half as good as yours!
Well done, Bill. These LIMAs usually respond well to some TLC. Just the kind of repair I like doing, too. (Wish I had a second-hand shop like that near me!) Cheers, Jim L
Cor I could right do a Forfar bridie right now, when I went to visit my daughter in Dunoon last year the local shop stocked up with two per day I was there and the scotch pies, bit of brown sauce or pickle on the bridies and in the oven for the pies... bliss :)
great video bill. I've had one of these for thirty years at least bought second hand.I've always been a bit nervous taking them apart so never did until your video.It's running really well now apart from slowly over points.More pickups required.
Yep ,, i was the same too but thanks to bill and oscar paisely and sams trains I have given the x03 and x04 motors a crack at getting them running anf the xo3/4 i got running nicely since they were not running for over 40 years they run like a clock but the ringfield motors well thats a different story but it was totally dead but now goes but quite jerky so Im getting some new brushes and springs as the original springs went boing and took off and I haven't seen them since hahah. Anyhoo give a crack at fixing them as you never know unless you give a it a go. Cheers from John in Australia.
I am amassing a collection of deltics and I would love to get my mits on one of these. I have bought a LIMA Royal Scots Grey and needed a little video on repairing if things were bad, cheers Bill, Theo C.
So did I, But I have seen another video, and the guy pointed out Injection moulding 'pips' on the teeth of the gears, as well as the circles on the faces of them. The ones on the teeth (if any) need to be very carfuly trimed off.
At 4.28 you took off the gear retainer. Check this and rub your finger over the holes that fit over the gear spindles as Lima punched these very coarsely and on my Lima Western there was so much metal sticking into the gears the motor strained to get going. The solution was to gently file the excess metal from around the hole and now my Diesel runs perfectly!
Lima wheels, were probably made with the same recipe, as the bodies of Fiat Cars! The words of my father were, "Great engines, shame about the bodies" :)
Hi You may disagree with me but never use a scratch brush on a commutator or wheels as it does it says scratches your commutator and wheels treads. This leads to the carbon wearing on the brushes embedding themselves in the scratches and bungs up the commutator and wheel treads. I have learned over many years that T-Cut for car paintwork cleans and brings your motor commutator surface up like a mirror surface which is what you want. All I ask is try it as see for yourself
In LIma locomotives, the black wire they used is rubbish quality full of impurities and steel not copper. Replace and re-solder with some decent purer SWG copper wire. Lima wheels were chemically blackened at the factory. *edit* just re-watching this as its cold outside....just occurred to me as the body is big inside, it would amplify any noise. Wondered if there would be scope to add some sort of sound-deadening material. Not bubble wrap, but as packing I have received a dense, white sheet about 3-4 mm thick. It was this video that inspired me to acquire a Meld 'non-runner' - and infact it ran just needs this sort of TLC, so I will see if can actually shoehorn some insulation in
Bill, I thought the sound was the way it was supposed to be. Now I will go in and fix those gears. On my little Lima Shunter Of the unnamed variety I cannot get the gears to turn even after cleaning and oiling, maybe it is the same problem
Re the Lima gears, I have seen another video, and the guy pointed out Injection moulding 'pips' on the teeth of the gears, as well as the circles on the faces of them. The ones on the teeth (if any) need to be very carfuly trimed off.
Hi Bill ,, Do you have any idea of where they get the names for these loco's from by any chance ? I bought one from the same as yours but its a (and 2 others of the same class from the uk when it was reasoably cheap to send here to oz but thats out of the question nowadays lol) and they are great runners but I will be pulling them down and servicing before i run them. Ialso have lots of other ringfield motors and they are quite easy to service once you have done a couple of them.. Thanks again for the good info there Bill. Cheers from John in Australia.
Strangely enough I did same as this to my Lima Class 42 today. Sadly after doing 27 miles round & round my garden it's got a damaged tooth on a gear. I wish I knew how to get replacement gears other than buy a donor loco. I've never seen any info on what all the Lima gears are (part no., modern alternatives, etc.), does anyone know? With those pesky springs, the way I do it is use a straightened paper clip and thread it through them plus a finger on their side when putting them in or out - helps stop them bouncing off to who knows where.
Is just one tooth damaged? Maybe file it? Remove it? Depending on which gear one tooth may not really affect the running. My Class 156 has damaged teeth on one gear that makes it click a little. Failing that eBay Lima non runners, motors or motorised chassis. 27 miles aint bad tho!
@@oobill Amazingly it's been clonking around the garden for 6 years. I got it secondhand and did file that deformed tooth then, which proves what you wrote! But it's getting worse now. Oh well.
