Lionel Switcher - Hums but doesn't move

I had a very similar issue with a F3 brand new sealed and the same vintage as yours. I had to completely disassemble both motors, thoroughly clean and lube, one of the motor shafts was rusted to it's mating bearing in the brush housing. It's not that complicated and there's plenty of "how to" videos.

Top suspect is indeed motor maintenance.  I suspect that's all it'll take.

I've been looking for YouTube videos on what to do and what not to do but haven't yet found one that matches a pullmor motor with a set screw. I can probably figure it out but would be nice not to do something stupid my first time.

Should the wheels be able to be moved with my hand if everything was working ok with the motor or them not moving isn't any specific problem?

No, the wheels won't turn.  I could be mistaken, but I think small motorized units like your switcher were among the few locos that don't have back drivable gears.  So, the motor can turn the wheels, but the wheels can't turn the motor so I advise you not to force them.

After 30 years on a shelf, there's a good chance your motor is bound up by dried grease.  Arm yourself with information, work slowly, take photos as you go.  Good luck!

Attempt #1 - No success but nothing worse.
I removed the 2 screws on top of the brush plate and could move the plate enough (no slack in wires) to remove the armature assembly. The grease was pretty solid on the bottom screw portion of the armature and the gear that it drives. I cleaned both as best as I could and put on new grease, got the armature assembly back in and the brush plate back in place.

With the armature assembly out, if I roll the wheels, the gear the armature assembly connects with turns easily.

Put it back on the tracks and the same behavior - hum but no motion.

There are a lot of wires between the car and the body. It would be nice if it was a single connector to remove so I could have the car on thee tracks without the body to see what might be happening

Any suggestions what to try next, or do I need to try and do a better job on what I already tried as that is the problem area?

Thanks all
David

@David_NJ posted:

Attempt #1 - No success but nothing worse.
I removed the 2 screws on top of the brush plate and could move the plate enough (no slack in wires) to remove the armature assembly. The grease was pretty solid on the bottom screw portion of the armature and the gear that it drives. I cleaned both as best as I could and put on new grease, got the armature assembly back in and the brush plate back in place.

With the armature assembly out, if I roll the wheels, the gear the armature assembly connects with turns easily.

Put it back on the tracks and the same behavior - hum but no motion.

There are a lot of wires between the car and the body. It would be nice if it was a single connector to remove so I could have the car on thee tracks without the body to see what might be happening

Any suggestions what to try next, or do I need to try and do a better job on what I already tried as that is the problem area?

Thanks all
David

You may have an armature winding "open." Check for continuity on the commutator for each of the three windings. An open winding will give the behavior you mention if the drive mechanism turns freely.

Hi David,

I recently had a similar situation.  The grease was rock solid.  Even after cleaning out all the grease in the gears it wouldn't run.  I finally fixed it by pulling the armature completely out and degreasing where the shaft went through the motor body, spraying in WD-40 Degreaser and running a Q-tip through.  Hard to believe that the shaft was so bound up but once cleared, the engine now runs like a rocket.

Depending where you are in NJ, there may be a forum member around that can help you out.  I'm in Morris County.

@David_NJ after hardened grease, my next suspect would be the electronics.  (Except for the worst kind of abuse, it's unusual for an armature or field winding to fail.)  The only way to know for sure would be to disconnect all electronics and attempt to operate the motor directly from transformer power.  That would tell you if the basic electrical and mechanicals are sound.

If you're not comfortable unsoldering wires, etc., then you should definitely enlist the help of someone in your local area who is experienced with this type of troubleshooting.  My $.02.

Thanks everyone for the suggestions on what might need attention. I'm new at this and a little reluctant to do any major surgery. I wouldn't mind having someone who is proficient at this take it on.

I'm in Northern NJ / Bergen County. If anyone has a suggestion on who to reach out to, that would be fantastic!

Don't think anyone is recommending major surgery.  Stuff like checking the armature windings is pretty straightforward.  Given the symptoms, that would be something that sure merit's a try.

Given the fact that this is an early TMCC model with the LCRU2, a failing board is a real possibility.  It is possible to temporarily wire the motor direct to track power and see if you're dealing with an electronic failure or a mechanical failure.

I have the same engine and several years ago the same thing that happened to you happened to me.  Turned out to be a bad board.  Gunrunnerjohn did the repair for me.  

As it turns out, I happen to have the same engine in a later generation, mine is the Picatinny Arsenal model.