Hornby R455 0-4-0 Axle Drive Gear

[rpjallan]

I've been having a look at restoring, or at least trying to get running, some of the old locos my brothers and I had when we were kids.

I have just cleaned up and serviced an R455 loco, which took some time to do a thorough job, only for the drive gear on the axle to break in half after a short time running. This loco would have been purchase around the mid 70's and probably hasn't run since the early 80's (this is the most recent loco of the lot).

Anyway, I have searched high and low for one of these gears to no avail which surprises me a bit because loads of other spare part are available for these.

Does anyone have any ideas where I might be able to find one?

Thanks in advance.

Richard.

[Topcat2018]

The only suggestions I have are:

1. Hornby probably used the same drive gear on several different tank locos but the problem is identifying which ones. What is really needed is a service sheet so you could identify the part number. Having said that I have looked on Ebay and Peter's Spares websites and there aren't that many drive gears of any kind. (have you contacted Peter's Spares as they are very knowledgeable?)
2. There are several R455s for sale on Ebay. They might cost you as much as your loco is worth, but if your loco has great sentimental value they would be a source of a drive gear.

[Simmo009]

Try AC Model Spares, just bought a worm and gear pack for this model myself. Ebay search X8004, but hurry, only 4 left.

[threelink]

You might find a cheap junker at a car boot or toy and train fair, which can be stripped for the relevant parts. I get the majority of my spares in this way.

[P-Henny]

X8004 suggested by Simmo009 is shown in stock [last few left] in the Hornby on-line shop.

X8004 Worm/Worm Wheel 0-4-0

[Brew Man]

Try hornbytriangspares.com, (that might not be exactly the correct name, I'll check later). I've had quite a few bits for locos of a similar age from them.

Edit: it's hornbytriangspareparts.co.uk If you email him, he's quite quick at responding and is helpful.

[Rana Temporia]

If your gear broke in half it will be one of the rubbishy later plastic ones but the worm gear may still be brass. i would try and get a second hand chassis off eBay with the wheels and brass gear in place and swap everything else over. There are lots of versions of this chassis with a number of different motors. If you can post a photo of the chassis without the body on we should be able to help a bit more.

[atom3624]

One of these may be of use: https://www.ultrascale.uk/eshop/products/CAT015#RTRRG

I use them on a couple of my Hornby Coronations - excellent.

Al.

[Rana Temporia]

I just checked mine and it has the plastic cog but a brass worm on the motor which is a can type in a black plastic cradle. The chassis used on all the variants of R355 will fit this loco but won’t have the bright tyres ‘25550’ was supplied with. Early versions also don’t have see through wheels and all may have a different motor. All early ones will have an X04.

There are at least 3 versions of R455. Mine has the silver Lord of the Isles dome, it was also produced with a red dome as per the original R355 and occasionally a gold dome presumably when they ran out of silver?

Those plastic cogs really are a pain and I change mine for brass whenever needed. They either shatter as yours did or break around the splines on the axle so turn with the loco going nowhere.

My first electric loco was a ‘Nellie” and I have a silly amount of them in various forms that need thinning out considerably tired_face

[rpjallan]

Thanks for your replies everyone. I have the part number. It is S.8042. The motor has a brass worm gear. I think it's an X04 motor. It's in pretty good working order. I have searched everywhere I can find for one of these with no results.

Also, I won't deal with Peters Spares any more (they don't have one anyway). I used to buy quite a bit of stuff from them back in the day but being in Australia, for some reason, they want to charge me over £45 to send a small item worth £2.50 that weighs only a few grams!

I tried AC Model Spares but I just keep getting page not found errors. Not sure what's going on there! I have already tried Hornby Triang Spare parts - they don't have any.

I have been looking for an old junker as someone suggested but for the price people want there is no guarantee the gear will be bust as bad as mine.

Anyway, the search goes on I guess...

[Going Spare]

There is an S8042 wormwheel on ebay uk at the moment.

[atom3624]

If unable to locate, try that link I gave earlier - alloy or brass replacement gears - perfect fit.

Al.

[rpjallan]

Thanks atom3624. I'm back onto this now that I have completed the refurb of a couple of Tri-ang Hornby Class 31's.

I couldn't find anything to suit with that link you gave. Their stuff looks high quality. The gear I need is 26 tooth. Maybe it's a bit too old.

[atom3624]

That's a pity. Perhaps you could email them - might be familiar with it?

Al.

[The son of Triangman]

Try Melbourne raceway, they usually have some. They are on ebay. I keep a stock of them, but they aren't catalouged on my system as of yet so are buried in piles of spares boxes and would take a long time to search for. If you can't get one then take it to a friend and get a new gear 3D printed. Keep your old broken gear as a pattern for 3D printing

[96RAF]

Pull Service Sheet 82A from Lendons or Hornbyguide.com which tells of using alternative motor and use of different worm wheels.

[Topcat2018]

Unless professionally printed in metal I'm not sure if a 3D printed gear would be robust enough. It could break or wear down very quickly. A friend has 3D printed parts for me but not ones that have to withstand a significant dynamic load.

[rpjallan]

Thanks for all those suggestions. I'll have a look at them.

[rpjallan]

Still not having any luck unfortunately...