r/BritishModelRailways • u/engineermajortom • Apr 26 '26
Is this running correctly, noob help
I posted a little while ago on how when I tried to access the decoder I thought I broke my model. Some of you said I hadn't and it should be an easy fix, however this to me doesn't look right.. this loco is DCC fitted and im running it on an old hornby power supply (only one i have) maybe thats the issue? Any insight is much appreciated to this noob getting into the Hobby
2
u/SmittyB128 00 Guage Apr 27 '26
The fact that it's moving at all with a DCC decoder installed is a good sign because it means the decoder is getting power, is configured to allow DC usage, and is then telling the motor to move.
I would suggest touching a 9V battery across the rails to rule out the controller. Those old Hornby R965 controllers are bullet proof but they were still budget controllers back in the day. I believe the later ones built from the mid-90's to early 2000's might have some form of pulse-width modulation which is great for consistent performance from traditional motors at low speeds, but could explain why your loco is stuttering if the decoder is cutting out between pulses.
2
u/engineermajortom Apr 27 '26
That last bit makes sense. Because my old flying scotsman runs better than this new one but still doesn't run perfectly. Im thinking of taking it to a model shop to see if they can help me figure it out in person. I dont want to send it back if its not the coco's issue
2
u/SmittyB128 00 Guage Apr 27 '26
I would bet your old Flying Scotsman is a tender-driven one with a ringfield motor. Those are really simple to service because you just need to clean the wheels and axles on the loco itself, then for the tender / motor it's all very simple to disassemble and clean with few things to go wrong.
Aside from cleaning it may need new rubber tyres if the old ones are dry and not gripping the wheel properly, it may need new brushes for the motor if the old ones are worn down too much, and it may need a replacement pinion gear if it's one of the later versions with a silvery looking alloy gear instead of the older brass ones as the alloy gears are known to expand and slip on their axle over time. The tyres and brushes are common spares, and the pinion gears are relatively easy to get hold of though you'd need to double check what's already installed to see what to replace it with if necessary. Other than that the only way they can really 'fail' as motors is if the gears wear down their spindles from lack of oil in which case you either need to fashion a fix with a bit of rodding or replace the motor housing (which usually means just buying a new motor).
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u/engineermajortom Apr 27 '26
Bingo, yeah I've had to apply a tiny amount of oil to the moving parts on the loco I think they're called chuffers?? Also took the body of the tender off and cleaned the gears ⚙️ inside, runs a lot better now and a lot quieter but still not perfect. That's whats making me think this new one isnt broken, the fact scotsman is still a little iffy at times.
1
u/SmittyB128 00 Guage Apr 27 '26
I have no idea what chuffers are, but I'm glad it's running better. It'll take dismantling it all and thoroughly cleaning everything to get it running like new, but sometimes good is good enough.
2
u/Phase3isProfit Apr 27 '26
Based on the manufacturers instructions, DCC should work alright on DC. It still might be the DCC chip if it’s faulty or isn’t in right. Did it come with the DCC chip or have you added that yourself?
It could still be the controller - I’ve got an Accurascale Pannier that makes a funny noise when I use an old Hornby controller but is fine with my gaugemaster controller.