New Thomas Locomotives Burning and Ceasing to Work

[DaveW123]

Evening all,

I hope someone would be able to give us some advice with Thomas & Friends Locomotives.

In August 2019, we bought my son a new OO gauge Thomas the Tank Locomotive and it worked fine for a couple of weeks. After a couple of weeks, it was going around our track, slowed down, started burning/smoking and then completely stopped. It then ceased to work.

We have sent the locomotive to the Hornby Repair Dept. to be fixed and decided, as Hornby have stopped making them to purchase a second Thomas Locomotive. After about a week of operation exactly the same has happened to the second locomotive and it went very slowly around the track whilst burning/smoking. I have contacted Hornby again about this who have been very good about this first train to date.

Our other trains, like the Hornby Flying Scotsman work fine and have worked fine since we have completed the track.

Is this a common issue with Thomas Locomotives?

We have also purchased Gordon, Edward and Percy, for our son, for Christmas. I have tested them and they seem to work fine but we are very concerned that, after a couple of weeks, these will stop working too. Should we be concerned about this?

 

 

 

[new lad on block]

Hi, DaveW123,welcome to the forum.

To help with your problem, I think we need to know if all the Thomas locomotives are the latest edition.Some of them mentioned have been produced from 1985 so quite a few variations.

If they came in a box could you provide 'R' number usually on side of box. May start with 92 or something like R351.

Also you have not mentioned what type of transformer/conbtroller you are using.

Once again they may be a 'R' number on it.

Also have the units been altered i.e. fitted with a chip after leaving the factory.

Othet members may then be able to give you a link to the correct service sheet, to help in any repairs.

[Burribro]

I'd be really interested in how you got on with this. We bought the Thomas and Friends set R9283 before Christmas. Had it out a couple of times before this morning, when it started smoking and shorting the circuit. Took it back to the model store this morning where they changed the engine but this afternoon the new engine did the same thing.

[Modelnut19]

I do not have any Thomas-based models but they are based on standard ones so should be OK. I have only had one loco burn out on me and that was a Hornby Electrotren 0-6-0 but which used a standard Hornby motor. It had not been used much and started running slowly and then stopped in a small whisp of white smoke. I reckon the motor had burnt out. 

The two referred two in the posts above appear too new not to be warranty repairs.

Hornby are normally very good if things go wrong so soon so, do not be discouraged.

I doubt that is a fault with the supplied controller but that cannot be ruled out yet. 

I hope you both get things resolved.

PS My nephew had a Bachmann Edward from America and that unexpectedly burnt out and none of us could repair it because it came from America.

Model trains can be worst than badly behaved children occasionally!

[Burribro]

Just to update; I've ended up giving up with Thomas locos. Went back into the model shop who bulk bought a load of Thomas locos when it was announced that Hornby weren't going to renew the Thomas license. Of this batch, they've had at least three returned with similar issues that have been listed.

[NWR-Gordon-4]

Burribro, welcome to the Hornby Forum.  😀

 

I suggest try replacing the motor, rather than replacing the locomotive. The motors fitted to the R9287 Thomas' are clearly faulty and I am a replacement motor was probably not made on the same production line as these Thomas' were.

 

Hornby Thomas contains the Type 7 Motor and here is one for on eBay and they are not terribly expensive either: eBay - HORNBY SPLINE SHAFT MOTOR TYPE 7 FITS VARIOUS PACER TYPE MABUCHI NEW.

 

GNR-Gordon-4 (HF)

[Stubaggieboy]

I had exactly the same proble with these Thomas locos! Took three back yes Three with  motors that lasted ten minutes or less. Absolute garbage ! Not fit for purpose! Hornby should be ashamed of themselves for producing such utter rubbish. Only Bachmann for me now.

[NWR-Gordon-4]

I'm sorry to say this Hornby, but I agree with you, StuBaggyBoy. The Hornby Thomas models from 2015 - 2016 are rubbish. They are just good for collectors pieces, but useless for running. There's too many problems, with the motors, conrods, wonky wheels, paint finishes and just general assembly of the models, yet I can't find any Hornby models from their standard range made at that time, with the same amount issues. These Thomas models were based on the RailRoad range, yet due to licensing fees added to the products they costed the consumer more money to buy. The quality should have been no worse just because they are Thomas products. I still can't understand today in 2020, why there's so many problems with the 2015 and 2016 made models, which be probably the last ever made Hornby Thomas products. They may as well had been static display models, without motors fitted.

 

GNR-Gordon-4 (HF)