Absolutely agree.👍I have a few, from approx 1972 and they run perfectly.

strange you say that, i love the X04 for its simplicity. Non-worn bearings and a good greasing keeps them beautiful. I find the controllability quite good too. A good dublo challenge is always fun, and they're built to last too, if a bit too over the top for their job

Good to hear you got your Barnstaple running Mon. Best regards to you

These loco's are built to last, not as detailed as modern loco's however, at least you can pick them up without fear of everything dropping off! I have many Wrenn and Hornby Dublo loco's. They are repairable to. Just look at the 3 rail system, ok, not realistic but by god well built and durable. 57 years since the 3 rail system left Binns Road in Liverpool. I have boxes of it. Just sorting the space to set it up. Take a look at Ronald Dodds KZfaq channel, amazing.

@@petey6415 Dont get me wrong. I acknowledge Wrenn's place in model Railway history. I was just commenting on the motor design. I've seen 17,500hp 240v DC motors running but they were built to do serious work. That motor in that loco was in my opinion over engineered. It stole space out of the cab. Yes in the day the detail on the loco was very good, so why couldn't they think of a less complicated more compact motor that didn't detract from the otherwise great design. ( just reading Wrenn bought out all Hornby designs after Triang took over. So that motor we see may have been a Hornby original.) My first Triang transit back in the 60s had a 0-6-0 tank engine in it. The motor in that while still encroaching into the cab was way smaller than the Wrenn motor, and it lasted for years despite the abuse it got. A much simpler design and did the job perfectly well. Just saying.

It's the same as the motor in my Dublo Cardiff Castle so yes it is a Hornby or Meccano design. I wouldn't say it's complicated really it's actually quite a simplistic ringfield design. It's just crude, too long and temperamental. When it works as it should it's actually a good motor.

@@oobill I've never found them to temperamental, unless you alter the brass bearing at cab of the motor...... I've spent many hours fiddling around with both Hornby Dublo/Wrenn for that horror! However, with patience the bearing can be adjusted to work well. Just reguires time/patience and a methodical approach.

Where do you get Wrenn/Dublo spares from? I've a Wrenn R1 (0-6-0 tank) that needs new pickups. They're as rare as hens' teeth!

@@henrybest4057 Ebay

I actually think this is a manufacturing error by Wrenn. On my Dublo Cardiff Castle the threaded outer part of the bearing is pinched in to hold the insert in place. On this one the little indents on the insert were there but not pinched in. I wasn't going to attempt it as it was probably done by a special tool in a bench press or something. It would be interesting to see other Wrenn and Dublo locos to compare.

it's a Yamaha SLG200S

A complete replacement motor can be had on ebay but you'd be cheaper buying another loco. The motor in the R751 Class 37 will also fit. You can also get parts on ebay and from Peters Spares

I'm not familiar with Peco points but I file the frogs deeper on my Hornby points to avoid older locos stalling and stumbling on them because of the larger flanges. Also you probably want to set your back to back a bit narrower than modern standards as the old wheels are slightly wider and flanges thicker. On my older locos the wheel spacing is 13.6mm between the inside of the flanges.

@@oobill Thank you!

Yes

WD40 Contact Cleaner

Bill did remagnetize the magnet and he also mentioned that he adjusted the brush pressure, although this was not shown in the video.

@@markroberts6491 Hi Mark ok well that's covered then.

Er.... I did re-magnetise it and I did mention adjusting the brush springs. Only I increased the pressure. Too little pressure can cause lumpy running.

@@oobill why do I get the feeling my offer to assist has not been well received. Ah well I'm delighted you have everything covered.

firstly is it shorting? secondly try to power the loco with the motor but don't connect the brush clip, just apply power to the brushes, then you can isolate the issue to maybe the soldering to the capacitor but hard to hazard a guess. So long as it is oiled you know you're not damaging it

Sounds like a short. First thing to check would be the insulating sleeve on the positive side of the brush retaining clip. Using a multimeter is the key to sorting an issue like this out.

Not having a multimeter isn't going i help. I've gotten round i checking the parts you guys have suggested as best as I can, and nothing. :Update:;I wired up a separate motor, and it runs on battery power applied directly to the bushes,nbut not from the track, so I think the chassis has a short. Incedentally, the original motor I wired up to a (confirmed working) chassis, and it has the same problem

Furthermore, after some fiddling about, I have it to the stage where it can run without being wired in , but the motor is in situ. When power is applied directly without being wired in it runs, but if wired in it sparks massively, I don't even hear a hum. It's definitely not something to do with the motor or chassis, just that dang wire.

Email me details and pics. Address in the About tab on my channel.

There is a company called Scalespeed who can rewind the armature which will get your motor working like new . I’ve used them , they do a good job . David .

Does the motor run if you apply power directly to the brush holders?

Thanks for replying, Bill. Well, the wiring was a bit loose looking so I tried to re solder it but I think the resistor has been compromised somehow and the integrity of the conductivity has been compromised. As I said there was intermittent power getting through initially the brushes and springs were a bit shagged so I got new ones but it has remained powerless since I started remedial works. I think it is the wiring and resistor that might be the weak link.‘I’ll persevere with it. Would the company you mention have resistors ? I don’t even know what the resistor is for.

@@scottmcneil1150 The resistor is really a suppressor to prevent interference with older TVs and certain radio frequencies. The loco will work just fine without it and unless you have a very old telly or listen to long wave radio I wouldn't worry about it. Replacements can be found if you hunt around on line. But to test the loco just take a wire from the pickup direct to the brush holder and see if it works. If it does then it suggests your wiring loom is dodgy and it's as likely to be a broken wire as anything else. If it doesn't work then there may be an issue with the armature. A multimeter would be your friend with an issue like this.

@@oobill is the wiring loom you refer to part of the resistor ?’it does look a tad unravelled. The armature looks reasonable. I’ll give it another go. I agree a multimeter would be useful to familiarise myself with having seen how effectively you demonstrate it’s usefulness. I’ll give it an hour or two again on Sunday and see how i go. Thanks Bill

Either or really. To be honest silicon grease is probably a better choice.