Hornby Class A4 "Golden Plover" 60031 : Repair Request

[@piers995]

Great video. She runs very smoothly and quietly for a tender driven loco. Spot on about people trying to service and repair their locomotives. It's great when a repair goes well, but sometimes even repairs that might seem reletivly simple can turn out to be devilishly difficult to put right. Sometimes you need three hands and xray eyes.

[@markread5723]

Just an idea, get a low loader for engines so when they are dead you can move them into the shed with a shunter. without pushing it

[@marcdempsey5850]

Yet another great video; always good to have a go and try; if unsure try take couple of pics so can see where and how things go togther. I have the same set and mine to makes a different noise to other A4 ringfeild motors… Looking forward to the layout update video; so good to see glimpses at the newly revived models move around the layout. The very best; Marc from Leighton Buzzard

[@stephendavies6949]

Yep. The advent of digital photography has been a godsend to people like me!

[@attuslebeard5133]

Looks great hauling those blood and custard coaches. My sympathy in dealing with those pesky bearings! - I remember doing the same with my St. Simon A3 which was even worse as it had the 2 piece keeper plate with loose pickup strips. I tried vaseline to tack the bearings in place but ended up using a tiny dot of super glue gel - desperation after 3 days of failed attempts.

[@CraigMacfarlane-r3m]

Really enjoying your videos Bill. Started watching them yesterday. Always satisfying to get an old loco working.

[@astolatpere11]

Can't blame a guy for trying, but you make the repairs look easy. Layout is looking fine! Thanks for your passion.

[@stephendavies6949]

One of the massive changes to the hobby between when I left it in about 1980 and returned to it a couple of years ago, is the massive amount of online resources related to loco repairs & maintenance. It was just not available 45+ years ago! It has allowed people like me to "have a go" at fixing our models.

[@delphjunction1168]

Hi Bill. Although I watch your vlogs I don't usually comment, because you must get inundated. But had to on this one to say thanks for detecting the problem. My A4 tender driven one is one of my favourites never derails on my vlogs, unlike the Bachmann ones, think the hornby wheels are more forgiving, bit more movement. Thanks again buddy. DELPH Junction (Pete)

[@MrAlphafang]

Hi Bill. Noticed that the Doctor didn't stay around long by the tower. Great video thanks ATB.

[@David-cq2mz]

Lovely locos those A4s…always fancied one when I was a lad ,but they were the dearer ones if memory serves me. I remember watching in awe as the Sir Nigel Gresley steamed over the Tay Bridge on one of her special trips. Well done again Bill……..

[@stephendavies6949]

You can't beat he sight of an A4 in full flight, whether that's in model form or real life.

[@thestocktonflyer4059]

Great job bill 👏 👍the loco runs lovely to. The layout is looking amazing. Keep up the good work bill 👍

[@That_1ModelTrainGuy]

Lovely loco, infact my only loco at the moment! Thanks for taking time to make this video it’s amazing!

[@michaelwolak3098]

Hi bill I think your comment in the previous repair about a video on the difference in ringfield motors was a great idea

[@ModelRailwayShed]

Great video Bill, nice repair and your layout looks amazing.

[@ianhaynes5898]

Good to see it back in running order again. I like the look of the A4 and would like to get a model of the only one I have seen in real life - 'Dominion of Canada'.

[@mikeking2539]

The layout is coming along nicely, they can't be too much more to be done on it.

[@oobill]

Much more. Much, much more....

[@donniblanco5239]

Fiddley Design! Or a marketing ploy to get us to throw them away and buy new ones 🤔 - Great Result in the end tho, and as much as I like the Blue Ones, the Green of Golden Plover looks an absolute picture pulling that fine Rake of Coaches 👏🏻 Layout is Looking Fantastic mate - Awesome 🙌🏻✨

[@roberthocking9138]

Nice work Bill, when the vision went to your work bench, it looked like there was a bloom on the camera lense or it was fogged up ?, it was fine in the opening & closing sequence 🤔

[@oobill]

Different room, different lighting, different time of day. Sometimes happens when I shoot in the early mornings for some reason even with black out blinds.

[@peternorris6438]

Patience is a virtute

[@stephendavies6949]

Yeah. There's no such thing as a "quick service & repair." Not in my house anyway...

[@andrewclegg6541]

I used to use bees wax to hold small screws when fixing transistor radios.

[@stephendavies6949]

Very good tip.

[@jackstrains4468]

Great video bill!

[@timgray3491]

Great video Bill runs a treat now, those picks ups are a bot of faff to get right. incidentally where did you get your filling station / garage from is it a Metcalfe?

[@oobill]

It's the Gaugemaster Fordhampton kit with a set of modern pumps and a Jet totem from ebay.

[@dansmodelrailways7886]

Bill, do you use the WD40 contact cleaner to clean your track also? I’ve read various reports and some say its excellent for the purpose.

[@oobill]

I've used it to clean rails when I want to solder to them. It will be a very good track cleaner but a bit expensive for a lot of track. I just use a track rubber.

[@charlesemerson6763]

Use kapton tape to secure things. Works a helluva lot better than standard electricians tape.

[@ferrettkitt]

I've not seen the bearings on an A4 if they look similar to the Triang / Hornby 9F could you not dab a bit of Vaseline on the bearings to make them sticky so that they hold the bearings in place?

[@saltspringrailway3683]

Some graphite powder on the pickups would help.

[@mynx_uk]

i recently got back a loco from my brother and it stinks of 3 in one and wd40, any idea how i can safely remove it from the motor? its a lima n scale ringfield, so i am worried about the motor being fubar from the wd. thanks Bill.

[@oobill]

Give it a good blast of WD40 Contact Cleaner. Let that evaporate then relube with appropriate oil.

[@mynx_uk]

@@oobill thankyou

[@stephendavies6949]

Hi Bill. I noticed you oiled the bearings. I would normally use silicone grease to do this. Do you have any "rules" as to where to use either oil or grease? Thanks.

[@oobill]

Silicon grease is OK but watch out if using on conductive axles. I tend to grease gears and oil everything else.

[@stephendavies6949]

@@oobill Thanks for the advice.

[@thedepot7416]

What’s the best thing to clean the traction tyres with? I use IPA alcohol for the wheels but not sure if that is good to use on the rubber tyres

[@stephendavies6949]

I use IPA on both. Fingers crossed, but it doesn't seem to have had any detrimental affects yet...

[@oobill]

Never been a fan of IPA. Contact Cleaner is much more effective I've found.

[@stephendavies6949]

@oobill Yeah. I bought some contact cleaner after watching you use it to good effect, and will start using it for wheel cleaning too once my stock of (99.9% pure) IPA is exhausted.

[@thedepot7416]

@@oobill thanks, will start using that then

[@monsvillerailways5736]

Does Hornby make locos that aren't supposed to be stripped to service? Locos like this certainly look that way. Shame. Simple designs are still effective.