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While greasing a 3RD rail cog drive steam locomotive, I noticed a broken rubber belt on the bench, smooth on both sides. It is a lot smaller width than the traction tires, which were still all on the locomotive. Removedg the body and found the belt drive in tack. Could not find where this belt came from but I think it may be part of the drive system. Is there  only the one cog belt for these drives? This belt is about a 1/16 inch wide and about the same belt lenght as the cog belt. 

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Originally Posted by Southwest Hiawatha:

It might be something to hold the wiring in place - maybe wrapped around the motor or something like that. 

Onstead of using the grease port, took the cover off.

The gear box floats, so I had to take the body off to position the top cover low enough to insert the screws. Now the drive shaft is bound and the belt drive slips.

I reassembled the gear box cover making sure everthing was centered and evenly fitted, but no luck.

I dont think anything rotated to get the drivers out of quarter and with this T1 duplex, don't know the procedure to fix that. Both pairs of driver rods are in exactly the same position

Originally Posted by Hot Water:

Yes, only one cog belt in a Sunset/3rd Rail drive system. Plus, for what it's worth, Scott Mann has stated that, since they went to the cog belt "Quiet Drive" design, they have NEVER had a failure of that system.

My 3rd rail S1 has the cog belt drive...quiet too..want to get a bigger motor gear to make my train go faster..lol..it drive 2 gear boxes with U joints on my drive line..

Originally Posted by Norton:

Charlie, I have seen them used like a tie rap or rubber band to just hold the speed sensor to the motor in addition to some adhesive. It might not have anything to do with the motor being bound up unless the sensor is now jammed into the flywheel.

 

Pete

The flywheel area is clear. I can not see what is causing the problem.

What is the chance the belt can stretch as it ages?

I called 3rd Raill today a 2pm PST and there was no one answering phones. I tried to different extensions.

If I have no luck with this i will try again next week.

Thank you for the suggestion.

Charlie,

 

The drive belt can't stretch.  What probably happened is that you've jammed the worm against the worm gear without them being meshed properly when you reassembled the gearbox (or one of the gearboxes if you had them both apart).  The cover will go on but can clamp the gears and prevent the mechanism from rotating.  The belt has nothing to do with it.

 

I always check gear mesh before reinstalling the gearbox cover.  With the shell off and covers off, place the locomotive on your work table with the wheels down.  Apply light finger pressure to the top of the gearbox (both of them for your T1) and turn the motor by hand.  The drivers will rotate if the gears are meshed.  Once this happens, carefully turn the mechanism upside down and install one of the gearbox covers.  Turn the mechanism right side up again and retest.  Finally, turn it over and install the other cover.  

 

Send me a note if you have any trouble.

 

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