R380 school class ringfield motor tender driven

[mickhere]

I am trying to release the motor from the chassis, the chassis is metal and there doesn't appear to be any means of getting the two apart

I'm guessing that near to the pin that connects to the loco there is a gap l have tried with a flat blade screwdriver but can't separate these items

Help please if anybody as a idea

[Rog RJ]

See the service sheets

[ColinB]

I am sure when I did mine it was from the back, not the front.

[Topcat1707821625]

@mickhere

The best tool is a jewellers' screwdriver with a blade slightly narrower than the rectangular hole and a fairly sharp end to the blade so it won't slip out. With the tender upside down and the cover removed, push the screwdriver 3 or 4 mm into the hole and press the handle of the screwdriver down, letting the blade push the lug at the end of the chassis. This will press the chassis back and at the same time pull the plastic underframe towards you slightly and the chassis should drop out.

It make take a few attempts to get it right but after the first time you've done it it's easy.

You don't do it from the back for two simple reasons:

1. when the chassis is put into the tender the back lug is hooked into the hole in the plastic underframe at the back first, then when the front of the chassis is pressed down the curved lug on the front allows it to slide into the hole at the front of the underframe, so removing it is the reverse procedure.
2. There is no significant gap at the back to get a screwdriver in and no way to exert leverage to move the lug at the back out of its hole.

[ColinB]

I just checked mine again, generally Topcat you are right as the front tab is smaller but if you lever from the front there are lots of plastic bits as you lever that will break. I did mine from the back and yes I did it with a small flat bladed screwdriver. Yes there is a gap, well on mine there is, it is the same motor on all 3 of my original 4-4-0 locos. When you put it back Topcat is right, put the front in first then the back. I let the originator decide which is the best way.

[Topcat1707821625]

@ColinB

Sorry but I didn't say that on reassembly you put the front lug in first. I said that on dismantling you take the front lug out first, that reassembly is the reverse of this process, and that you put the front lug in last. This is because it has a curve on the front that allows it to slide in more easily.

On the Chinese-made ringfield tenders I am talking about there is absolutely no gap to get a screwdriver in at the back, so maybe we are talking about something different. British ones have a much smaller lug at the back than the Chinese ones. However the British ones have a much bigger lug at the front with a slope that is clearly intended to facilitate inserting the front lug after the back lug has been inserted.

The service sheet that Rog posted appears to show a later (Chinese-made?) tender and I am not familiar with these.

[Going Spare]

Both R380 and the related service sheet 133 as posted are UK production dating from 1981/2.

[Topcat1707821625]

@Going Spare

I've never seen that one. I think my tender-drive locos must all be later.

[Going Spare]

@Topcat

Yes, yours would have to be, R380 Stowe was the first of the class from Hornby.

[mickhere]

Thanks all for your reply, I finally got this apart using some brute force and it was from the back. There was a bent piece of metal on the chassis that was stopping me from levering with a screwdriver blade but once straightend it was easy.

I was then able to give it a good clean probably not been touched for 40 years new brushes fitted regapped the wheels and now runs perfectly even really low speed what a difference.

Thanks again

[mickhere]

Roger, where did you get the service sheet from l have looked on the Hornby Web site but can't find it

[P-Henny]

Hornby site service sheets at the present time only in principle cover the later models. For SS133 shown above, go to the top of the "General Discussion" forum and open the "Useful Links" sticky thread. Scroll down to the 'Service Sheet' section and follow the link to the "Lendons" service sheet site.

Once the Lendons page opens scroll down to the Hornby Service Sheet branch, then open that to see the link to SS133.

[Seacommander]

I sought similar advice here some years ago for my tender drive Schools. I did eventually release the motor but a considerable and frighteningly large force was required to prise the motor out of the metal chassis. To make things easier for future maintenance I filed away a small amount of the lug on the motor block.

[mickhere]

Thanks PH, I would never have found this page. You live and learn.

[P-Henny]

@mickhere

Glad to have been of assistance.

Regardless of the forum you connect to, it is always worthwhile looking at the sticky threads and posts. Particularly FAQ and 'Useful Links' indexes. Nearly every question raised on forums has typically been asked before. A wealth of information is stored in the stickies on this forum and worth browsing.