Subject:
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Re: how long do 9-volt parts last?
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.trains
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Date:
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Sat, 1 Apr 2006 03:18:29 GMT
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Viewed:
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1823 times
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In lugnet.trains, Jonathan Wilson wrote:
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I hear all this talk about 9-volt parts “wearing out”.
Which parts wear out?
Is it based on how much they are run or how old they are?
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Jonathan-
Several parts of the LEGO 9 volt train system have wear issues when used for
model railroading (as opposed to occasional under-the-Christmas tree kid usage).
First, the motors units fail in proportion to loading, track grade, and time.
The motor units fail because of problems with the conductive disks and with the
power pickups that touch the spinning wheels. The disk resistance seems to
permantly go up so the motors don’t get enough current. Fortunately, you can
simply remove the disks (if you have reason to open the motors, such as to
convert them to DCC). The pickups bend and then break. Once broken, they make
shrill noises that you can hear and obviously don’t make good electrical
contact. The only fix for broken contacts is to replace them with parts from
another motor unit (they typically don’t both break). Oddly, the motors
themselves don’t fail much.
Track wears out from oxidation and from abrasives used to remove the oxidation.
As the track rusts, electrical connectivity gets worse and the problems occur
rail to motor, rail to rail, and rail to wire.
-Ted
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Message has 1 Reply:
 | | Re: how long do 9-volt parts last?
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| (...) Well I dont use my train parts for very much so I am more concerned about whether they are going to go bad on me over time vs what might happen if I was running them all the time :) (18 years ago, 1-Apr-06, to lugnet.trains)
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