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Class 50 locomotives


Mulsanne88

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Other manufacturers have had issues with Cardan shafts, too rigid and they can snap if there is any pick up between cup and ball, personally I’d like see some grease in there, just a tiny bit and plastic friendly, red or clear suitable for rubber and plastics in automotive. Too flexible and they can spring out if there is any resistance. Not sure they would be the same part as in the HST, class 50 is much longer loco. 

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Okay - some findings

It was the same bogie as the first time it came out. The other bogie seems reliable.

I’ve just refitted it and used a 9V battery to test it in situ… and with barely any bogie movement it popped out again.

Clearly there must be a specific way to refit these that I haven’t spotted on my own. Any thoughts? 

IMG_0974.jpeg.92a632fb99ed9f99c3c1bb2693e832e1.jpeg

Will draft an email to Hornby now with my photos.

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Okay I’ve fitted it again but this time, and perhaps this is what I forgot last 2 times, after getting it into the plastic cup on the bogie I’ve then pushed it back into the cup as it’s popping out of there rather than the other end.

Lets see if that works.

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My class 50 arrived today fitted the decoder ran it in. Then it started to get slow and make a noise. The cardan shaft had popped out. Will be sending back for Hornby to fix.

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11 minutes ago, Artyp said:

My class 50 arrived today fitted the decoder ran it in. Then it started to get slow and make a noise. The cardan shaft had popped out. Will be sending back for Hornby to fix.

I feel for you, at least I know it's not just me having issues. Hopefully they'll look into this and sort something out.

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40 minutes ago, Silver Fox 17 said:

I just wonder if the brass fitting has been pushed on a little further than it should be?  Possibly just 0.5mm might be enough to give issues?

I was going to suggest it may be the pocket on either the motor or the gear tower pressed in a little too far during assembly.  I've had that with N gauge locos. As you say, shifting it by half a mm usually sorts it. 

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Very fine tolerances, if nothing is loose than as @Silver Fox 17 and @ntpntpntp suggest that’s the next logical conclusion. 
When I replaced the dead motor in my Roco BR108, the coreless upgrade kit (not from Roco) had very very specific dimensions for fitting the drive cups on the new shafts, they specified 10ths of a mm. It’s basically the same system used in many models. 

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@moawkwrd In my experience with various locos running central motor and cardan shafts to gear towers on the bogies; there is a keeper plate over the worm drive on the top of the gear tower, releasing that allows the worm gear to come out and release the cardan shaft. Take care as there are often thrust washers as part of the worm gear assembly. Or you can release the motor itself and as it comes up it pulls the shafts out, obviously refitting is reversal. It can be tight and fiddly. 

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Posted (edited)
28 minutes ago, Rallymatt said:

@moawkwrd In my experience with various locos running central motor and cardan shafts to gear towers on the bogies; there is a keeper plate over the worm drive on the top of the gear tower, releasing that allows the worm gear to come out and release the cardan shaft. Take care as there are often thrust washers as part of the worm gear assembly. Or you can release the motor itself and as it comes up it pulls the shafts out, obviously refitting is reversal. It can be tight and fiddly. 

Not sure what you mean by this? There’s no plate on top of the bogies I can see. I couldn’t even work out how to remove them from the body to be honest and I refuse to start desoldering to remove the PCB to get better access.

I won’t be doing any more faffing about if it comes out again, it’ll be going straight back to Hornby. 

Seems okay now - in contrast my new HST set is running around beautifully with no issues.

Edited by moawkwrd
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I was describing various set ups I know, I don’t know what’s inside this loco, sorry. They are all pretty similar so it will be one or the other. I agree a return is probably the best, Hornby get to see the issue and you don’t have the worry of doing something that might work or not and it’s absolutely reasonable to worry what ever we do to try and fix something might void the warranty. Hornby do look after their customers well. 

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How slow is the 50 meant to be? I'm running mine in now using the app and on half speed but it's crawling round the track. Not sure if something wrong or this is how it's meant to be?

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5 minutes ago, SimonF80 said:

How slow is the 50 meant to be? I'm running mine in now using the app and on half speed but it's crawling round the track. Not sure if something wrong or this is how it's meant to be?

Mine would go quite fast but not gone over 50% on the controller and that is too fast really, mind you I am on plain DC. 

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OK, I've refitted driveshafts that's dropped out on other makes of locos but it doesn't look easy on the 50s with a possible risk of accidentally breaking wires off the PCB.

It'll be better if they've returned to Hornby so that they're aware of the issue. 

I suspect it's an assembly issue, maybe one or both of the cups which hold the drive shafts on the bogies and the motor could have been fitted fractions of millimetres further away from each other.

Under varying track conditions, especially curves or slight sudden changes in track level, this might have been sufficient for the driveshafts to pop out.

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Yup, me too. Was hoping for sooner, but at least its come in. For any not yet committed today an eBay seller has the 50s for a very good discount. Too late for me (and no link to the seller) but thought some who were on the fence might find it worth looking up. 

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3 hours ago, Artyp said:

Arranged the return of mine to Hornby. The person I spoke to claimed he wasn't aware of any problems with the driveshafts coming out!!

That’s BS. I told them it was a drive shaft issue when I sent mine back. I guess they’re not aware of any official drive shaft issues. 

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To be fair, no manufacturer would confirm an issue until they had investigated it and it depends who you actually speak to. I appreciate any issue is disappointing but Hornby never leave customers high and dry, tbh I have never had any of the British model railway brands give less than excellent service. 

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Not only the Mk2's, 

31/05/2024
7:14

Looks like my class 50 is now delayed!  Maybe I should have kept my pre-order from Germany. 🙄


Due to operating conditions, your package may be delayed. / Your delivery will be rescheduled.
Castle Donington, United Kingdom

31/05/2024
6:56
Due to operating conditions, your package may be delayed.
Castle Donington, United Kingdom
31/05/2024
3:58
Export Scan
Castle Donington, United Kingdom
31/05/2024
3:26
Arrived at Facility
Castle Donington, United Kingdom
31/05/2024
2:50
Departed from Facility
Tamworth, United Kingdom
30/05/2024
23:40
Arrived at Facility
Tamworth, United Kingdom
30/05/2024
20:00
Departed from Facility
Paddock Wood, United Kingdom
30/05/2024
16:51
We have your parcel
Paddock Wood, United Kingdom
29/05/2024
8:24
Label Created
Shipper created a label, UPS has not received the package yet.
United Kingdom
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Yay! After an extended period of running in I can confirm (in the correct thread this time and not accidentally in the class 50 coupling thread) that both my Class 50's are running well in conjunction with the MK2Fs. The next step will be fitting the decoders but that's a job for another day!

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Finally got around to opening the 50 parcel up. Like others, it arrived with no padding around the inner box - unless that was the intention of the leaflet wrapped around it with an elastic band!

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Decoder installed (screws a bit fiddly for a numpty like me) but could not reattach one of the cab end pipes (though think it was unattached when I received it) and on one end the pipe on the other side has come out. Managed to retrieve the tiny orange and black piece but couldn’t reattach - not sure if it’s broken off or just pushes in, but I haven’t got the dexterity to reattach and it’s gone into the accessories bag for now.  Not the end of the world on either count.

Fabulous looking and sounding model though and crawls nicely on step 2 in the app. Will run it in later and have fingers crossed that it behaves.

It has 3 Mk2s, bought with reward points, to play with if it survives being run in. 

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