Hornby R2426 Princess Elizabeth: Repair Request

I was sent this Hornby R2426 Princess Royal Class "Princess Elizabeth" loco by a chap called Dennis. The drawbar connection is broken and it doesn't run well.
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[@boulecoq1700]

I’ve had a ixion class 46 hard wired to DCC as well as a hornby black 5 and they both run brilliantly. Great videos dood.

[@justinvaleriebrunt5685]

I had the same problem with the drawbar connections on my Princess Royal too. Using your video as guidance I have now fixed it. I also had a problem with the tender wiring in that the red wire although looking fine did not carry a current from the wheels to the draw bar, so I added a new red wire in parallel with the existing one and the loco runs smoother than ever before. Thanks.

[@johnmassey7687]

really interesting video.I like your logical approach to solving the problem. Quite a lesson for all of us in how to diagnose a fault

[@peterm8969]

Nice video Bill! I have encountered reverse polarity quite a number of times in locos with this type of tender coupling. I run a DCC layout so my concern is to hard wire the tender to the loco and sidestep this coupling as its a source of endless shorts on DCC. Thats when I have found that reversing the polarity in the tender is sometimes necessary. My best mate at school had an earlier version of this model back in the early 1970s! You are definitely right about not running DDC wired locos on DC. You did exactly the right thing getting rid of the chip

[@oobill]

Cheers for that. Confirms my suspicions that whoever fitted the chip messed with the tender as well.

[@peterm8969]

@@oobill Ive found that sometimes its been incorrectly wired at the factory as well.

[@ModelRailwayShed]

Bill you are the Jedi Master of Model Train Repairs!

[@petersspares]

Thanks for the mention of our PS117. These older chassis benefit from oiling with Peco Powerlube PL-64 (or other branded) electrically conductive oils. Thanks Peter

[@andressanchez4517]

Recently sold 2 of the original Triang Princess locos...One didn't have a motor but between the two there was one good one for sure

[@maltnz]

I have a Flying Scotsman with one of those silly tender connectors. The wires are so fine they kept breaking at the connector solder joints. I have removed them completely while I am considering permanently wiring the loco to the tender rather than using the connector for continuity. The six loco wheel pickups are working fine at present so I am not rushing anything.

[@guyclark2975]

That must be a very early China Loco drive as it has all the hallmarks of a Ringfield. Outstanding as always OOBill.

[@mytinplaterailway]

That is a very handsome Loco, looks great in black.

[@timgray3491]

Bit of a challenge that one Bill but great work nice to see the locomotive running properly after your work.

[@andrewhead6267]

If servicing these things. Be aware it’s easy to get the drop link to the cross head back to front. This can make the valve gear bend. Overall i find the more modern locos very delicate. A trade off for finer detail.

[@stephenrice4554]

Marvellous job of investigation. She's running smoothly , sounds grand .

[@platformten5958]

Hi Bill. Congratulations on an excellent piece of Sherlock Holmes deduction. I used to own an original green Triang Princess Elizabeth and an original maroon Triang Princess Royal when I was a kid in the 60s. Never had any problems with either. The Elizabeth flew around the track like a Formula 1, and the Royal was a little slower and slightly noisy. It seems to me that the more technologically advanced locos become i.e. DCC, the more problems we seem to encounter. I used to scoff at people with Triang locos, but it seems that when it comes to issues, they are probably having the last laugh. On the Oscar Paisley channel, he concentrates on 1950 to 1970 locos and rolling stock and doesn't appear to have half the problems people have on modern layouts with new locos and rolling stock. His locos are gradually being chipped with the old Zero 1 system which is easier to negotiate than today's DCC. However, you can't have sound installed but at least the problems you get with DCC are minimised. Have a good day Bill and long may your model railway philanthropy continue. Paul. 👍

[@nicholasbishop3300]

Well that was an interesting challenge Great job Nick Australia

[@gerardburton3741]

Hi Bill, This is basically an earlier version of the City of Bristol I mailed you about. It is probably a few years older than the one I worked on, as this one does not have the now standard Hornby DCC Ready fittings. As you have done, I was asked to convert the city to DC from DCC. I rewired it in the same way you have done here and removed all the DCC wiring and fittings. The pickup is just a pressure fit held down by the plastic keeper plate pushing on to the metal stub on the chassis. And yes as you mentioned it is an awful design. I got over it by wiring it directly to the chassis with some very fine wire. As you have noticed, the valve gear is very flimsy, and it caused me no end of problems getting the bent rods on it straight. Well done for being so patient with this engine.

[@Shauniboy1984]

Nice work Bill, I thought it was a ringfield version for a sec - I had an N2 that had been chipped like that, straight in the bin runs fantastic on DC now.

[@Shauniboy1984]

@Aussie Pom 40000 dingo dollaz

[@paulnewnes1921]

Another great job Bill a real test for your patience that one. I had to reverse the polarity of a tender on an A4, strange one really isn't it, although unless your loco is new you never know who has fiddled with them before. Those "forked connectors" are notoriously unreliable they are so delicate, prone to bending and falling of altogether. The newer Hornby connection via the little plug though far from perfect is much better

[@jimcrawford5039]

I remember the old Triang black Princess in the fifties. I had the BR Green one. This one here is a beautiful model. Cheers from Australia.

[@martinbrain3372]

Although I model in N gauge, I find your channel informative. I have several hard wired dcc locos running on dc, and I have had no difficulties. In some cases, it can improve the running by counteracting some of the tendancies of some locos to take off like a rocket with minimal power. E.G Lima pancake motors and Tomytec chassis. Great videos. Martin.

[@mickboakes7023]

Well done Bill. Admire your patience.

[@jeffreysmith156]

Very useful and informative.

[@ericmakinson4651]

As a youngster I had the Princess Elizabeth in my Triang train set. loved my train set, wish I still had it now, even though I am in my seventys.

[@doonhamer252]

As was mine

[@lauriepocock3066]

Can I make an observation. I dont think you use enough flux when you are soldering. You need a small pointed paint brush and you need to flux every time you solder plus wipr the solder iron tip between each application on a damp sponge or a pan cleaner ( search on solder iron tip cleaner) Sometimes when the solder does not appear to be taking a little more flux will help. You then need to clean the joint with a little IPA to remove the residues.

[@dansmodelrailways7886]

The princesses are huge locos! I believe you got the drawbar wiring the wrong way around. The screw acts as an insulator to the chassis. The tender didn’t need to be dismantled. Done this mistake myself with the duchess which has the same type of chassis

[@andrewrice6596]

Another top class repair Bill !

[@jeffreysmith156]

I agree that generally a hard wired or even a chip-fitted loco runs better without the chip on DC.

[@User-3O3]

Never stop being a legend, Billy-boo.

[@AdiPullen]

Hi bill Hope you are well? This is a fantastic limited edition model It was a very interesting video Them loco and tender contection get mixture results of some people. What a smooth runner at the end Keep safe arp

[@charlesemerson6763]

Some DCC decoders will cause the the loco to run in reverse when enabled for DC. The decoder that was in that model is a very basic Hornby bit of rubbish that really is not worth the effort. On the more advanced decoders there are a number of settings that can be tuned to make the loco respond better but for that you would need a DCC system. R2426 was a limited edition model produced by Hornby that pays homage to Triang's first Princess Royal model of the 1950's.

[@doonhamer252]

My very first train engine when a boy, in early-mid 60s

[@RobA500]

Running a DCC fitted loco on DC shouldn’t be a problem but some chips handle it better than others. The fact the loco ran the wrong way is because the chip was wired with the motor positive and negative reversed. If the loco is only ever to run on DC then it’s better to remove the chip. I don’t like hard wiring I will always fit a socket so a blanking plug can be used for DC, it’s easy to go either way then and also makes trouble shooting a loco easier if problems arise.

[@TheMusicalElitist]

Great video and nice Fender Jazz!

[@Mookie1340]

Nice work. Lovely looking loco.

[@rikmorley6469]

Eee what a job, that would have me reaching for the malt 😁👍

[@shedhead00]

Brilliant repair bill

[@jimmyeatshoe]

Yes! Another OOBill video! ☺️🚂🚂 Nice guitar!

[@roberthocking9138]

Great work bill 👍

[@killakanzgaming]

A first... I don't think I've seen a DCC DE-conversion video before...

[@johnwalker9750]

If you were a DCC loco repair expert as well I doubt you would ever be short of business!

[@garethparkin9498]

Nice model that Bill

[@anfieldroadlayoutintheloft5204]

good vid on your channel thanks lee

[@stephenmarshall9574]

All that was wrong was that the wires soldered to the drawbar were the wrong way round. You didn’t really have to dismantle the tender. Hope this helps you in the future. Personally I would have hard wired the tender to the locomotive with a micro socket. It makes it much more reliable. Anyway, hope this helps.

[@oobill]

No. The drawbar itself passes current through the chassis as well as through the wires. Swapping the wires to the drawbar over would cause a short. Unless the wires to the motor are swapped as well but then the polarity would be wrong.

[@frankwhittle4364]

There is a way to run DCC on DC but you need a DCC controller to change the CV. I wouldn't reccommend it but people do, do it. Frank

[@deanbriggs9214]

Hi Bill, would it not been easier to have turned the tender wheel sets the other way around? Sorry mate I'm not sure myself help ma Bob.

[@thedepot7416]

Tender drive ringfields so much easier to look after and run

[@ironman1294]

Hiya OOBill! My best mate has just bought a Loco that's a none-runner and needs help. If its possible what does the process involve in getting it to you for repair? Best regards.

[@paultagg5589]

Hi Bill, I have a class 43 with a cd motor and cannot get it to run. Please can you help please

[@mikeking2539]

DCC is not really good for using "Normal" DC electric! I have mixed results when running my DCC fitted locos, on DC power, some seem fine, and others don't like it at all!

[@kevinwilliams1602]

I don't subscribe to dcc, it just complicates matters and solid state electronics are notoriously unreliable anyway, just so you can run two engines on one track? Not even the real thing does that!