Locomotive and stock maintenance: tools, consumables and procedures

[Krizzy]

'Tweak' it by bending downwards with a pair of fine pointed tweezers.

Roger

[rod335]

Once you've done that, you might like to try soldering the contacts on the pickups to the contact points on the motor. I've had trouble with these in the past not making good contact, although they look as though they are, leading to poor running.

Rod

[B.Meldon]

You may find that you have to remove the contact plate from the chassis to bend it back into place on the wheels Bob.

Do not over do the bending though.
Add only enough to hold the wiper on the wheel, all you will do if you over bend it is to slow the chassis down and cause the contact wiper to ware out.

That said the Ibertren chassis will ware out its gears so quickly anyway the contact wipers will probably outlive the rest of it even if you do ov er bend it!

These are very poor quality chassis that at one time were sold new in a plastic bag for

[tedp]

I bend the wipers close to the 'root' using tweezers. During bending you will see the wiper touch the wheel. Bend it carefully but sharply against the spring action of the end of the wiper. That will conserve the spring action after you bent the wiper. Check the spring tension on the wheel. Don't overdo it because you will produce a reverse bend in the wiper and you can start all over again.

[Krizzy]

Brian

The Ibertren chassis may be 'cheap and cheerful' but they are not as bad as you make out. Their real weakness is the motor. I have replaced one or two with 5-pole open frame motors (LH17 or similar) when the Ibertren motor has expired. I find they run fine providing wheels and pick-ups on the wheel interface(!) are kept clean, free from fluff and track dirt.

Roger

[B.Meldon]

I guess it is all down to personal experience.
These days I have about 15 Ibertren chassis in use in 009/H0e locos and we have been using them on Meanderbahn and Pitztalbahn since they became available in the 1980

[berryr99]

Just to add my own experience.

The Ibertren motor now works fine but the chassis is doing everything Brian says - locking up despite modifications to the con rods and a good clean.

The motor is now in my stock cupboard along with a few others.

Not sure what to do with the chassis other than strip parts off it

Bob