Live Steam mallard Problems

[danholbrook]

I have today acquired a Hornby live steam mallard set.

 

I got it steamed up etc with the red light. I set away with the green light but after stopping the green light wont change back to the red light so when i turn it off and re steam it the green

 

light stays on and moves off without warning.

 

What should i do?

 

Thanks

[doublecee]

heres a list of what to do. Some may be obvious, and apologies if you already know this.

 

1: Read the instructions. Videos on You Tube also help

 

2 Steam with the regulator closed. The regulator control is the larger Left / Right control. If

 

its in the green, rock it back till you get to red. You should hear the motor inside opening and closing the red.

 

3: If you go through the entire sequence and the green is on, then off, but with no red light, then you have a contact problem with the

 

LED contact strip which operates as part of the rgulator. This does not affect he opening and closing of the regulator. Its probably due to an accumulation of oil on the contact strip. Electical contact cleaner helps, but if your new to live steam, best not

 

dabble

 

4: When you steam, with the regulator closed (RED LED), you wait until the pressure is release by the saftey valve. This sounds like a fart.

 

5: When that fart happens, then push the regulator control over to the right, and again, and again

 

and again until you hear the whistle.

 

6: When you hear the whistle, then continue to open and you will find (with care) that your loco should now move under steam.

 

7:IMPORTANT. Only use distilled water. IONISED WATER for the iron and car batteries

 

is NOT distilled water. Ionised water and tap water (even boiled water from a kettle) will not only clog up the pipe work, but will also break all the silver solder in the engines boiler and valves, rendering your loco nothing more than a blue brick on wheels.

 

8:

 

IMPORTANT. Use only the recommended oil, and oil as directed. Do not over oil.

 

9. Hornby Service Dept are amazing with Live Steam. Their man down the (John, or The Wizard of westwood, as I like to call him) is a genius with Live steam.

 

When it

 

works its great, when you get a bad one from Ebay, he will bring it back to life.

 

[doublecee]

heres a list of what to do. Some may be obvious, and apologies if you already know this.

 

1: Read the instructions. Videos on You Tube also help

 

2 Steam with the regulator closed. The regulator control is the larger Left / Right control. If

 

its in the green, rock it back till you get to red. You should hear the motor inside opening and closing the red.

 

3: If you go through the entire sequence and the green is on, then off, but with no red light, then you have a contact problem with the

 

LED contact strip which operates as part of the regulator. This does not affect he opening and closing of the regulator. Its probably due to an accumulation of oil on the contact strip. Electrical contact cleaner helps, but if your new to live steam, best

 

not dabble

 

4: When you steam, with the regulator closed (RED LED), you wait until the pressure is release by the safety valve. This sounds like a parp.

 

5: When that parp happens, then push the regulator control over to the right, and again, and

 

again and again until you hear the whistle.

 

6: When you hear the whistle, then continue to open and you will find (with care) that your loco should now move under steam.

 

7:IMPORTANT. Only use distilled water. IONISED WATER for the iron and car

 

batteries is NOT distilled water. Ionised water and tap water (even boiled water from a kettle) will not only clog up the pipe work, but will also break all the silver solder in the engines boiler and valves, rendering your loco nothing more than a blue brick

 

on wheels.

 

8: IMPORTANT. Use only the recommended oil, and oil as directed. Do not over oil.

 

9. Hornby Service Dept are amazing with Live Steam. Their man down the (John, or The Wizard of westwood, as I like to call him) is a genius with Live

 

steam.

 

When it works its great, when you get a bad one from Ebay, he will bring it back to life.

 

[Go_West]

[reply]danholbrook said:

 

Hi

Your problem sounds like a faulty regulator system what you need to do is remove the body by removing the 2 screws on the underside by the front buffer beam then lift it away from the chassis a little and back towards

 

the tender this action will disengage the body from 2 dowels by the cab floor.

 

Now place the engine on the track and with the power switched ON looking at the electric motor move the regulator leaver on the controller first left and see if the motor

 

turns it may turn just a small amount then stop if you hold the leaver in this position for a few seconds the controller should trip and the power ON light will flash if so turn OFF the power to reset then ON again now try moving the regulator lever to the

 

right still watching the electric motor to see if it turns it may turn a little then stop again.

 

Faults in this area are…

 

The pivot screw holding the gear that moves the regulator rod loose

The black plastic gears one small one large have

 

poor bearings or missing teeth

The motor it self has poor operation

The gasket under the supper heater is jamming the valve.

 

Check out and get back but if all this is more than you are able to test then send it back to Hornby they will give it

 

a good over haul and service at a good price and will check out your engine and return it in A1 condition.