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Class 58 Problem.


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I have been gifted Class 58 (Hornby R.250) after opening it I was surprised to find what I did. I've checked the service sheet 137B and, even the wiring is different. Has anybody got any ideas of what is what? Thanks in advance. Steve.

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Somebody tinkered with it and fitted a second power bogie?  I'd have at least wired them together to spread the pickup capabilities. You wouldn't want to hit the case where one bogie has lost power and the other is trying to push or drag it.

Edited by ntpntpntp
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Service Sheet 137 is more appropriate for this early version of the class 58.  It was notorious for being very low powered with just one motor bogie because much of the output was absorbed by the gear train, and later versions had an uprated motor and an improved gear train fitted (the motor mounted on its side on the chassis block) as per sheet 137B.

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I would be surprised if it worked at all without joining them together electrically as these bogies have traction tyres on one side and even with pick ups fitted to the insulated wheels they’d be erratic to say the least. The loco originally picked up from one side of the power bogie and the other side of the trailing bogie like most diesels/electrics made by Hornby, Lima etc. at around this time. 

Another thing to watch out for with these motors is the small brass connectors snapping off. I had a few of these locos as they came in several sets with totally inappropriate wagons and were available very cheaply at car boot sales. If the motor bogies were set up and running smoothly they were fine but any dust or grit in the gear train and they were rubbish. I think someone was selling more powerful direct replacement motors for them in Railway Modeller at one point. 

I seem to recall one version had two traction tyres on one axle rather than along one side. But that might be a second hand one I got that someone had messed with. I will see if I have one handy, I think I still have a couple left somewhere that were detailed up. 

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