Airfix Royal Scot, depressing service video will she run again?

[@phil36310]

Great job on this lovely old girl, Mike. And she runs very smoothly. Amazing after nearly 50 years ! Thanks for sharing & success. Filip

[@ModelRailwaysUnlimited]

Thanks Filip, should see her running soon

[@guyclark2975]

Brings back memories. My parents bought me the Airfix (GMR) Royal Scots Fusilier which was part of a set one Christmas. Attractive Loco let down by that plastic monstrosity of a ringfield motor.

[@ModelRailwaysUnlimited]

Hi Guy and welcome to the channel. Glad to bring back memories a big part of the hobby. Have you seen the running video for this loco?

[@GrahamFoulston]

Well Mike, despite all the cracks in the plastic along with a few other things then you have managed to get the old girl up and running again to how it should be - well done sir ! 👏👏👏. Cheers. ………..Graham

[@ModelRailwaysUnlimited]

Aww cheers Graham, yes she's back in action

[@kellyashfordtrains2642]

A third success story on your hands. Perhaps Royal Scot could double-head a passenger train with Leander, on the outside line. The Standard 4 tank engine could be on the inside line hauling a brake van special. Thus, you'd have all three engines running together in one video. This calls for a celebration.😂

[@ModelRailwaysUnlimited]

Thanks. Stay tuned for more

[@NWRJ_WStudios]

I didn't know that the Airfix Royal Scott was tender driven. Huh, very interesting ;) Cheers Jasper & Willow

[@ModelRailwaysUnlimited]

Many thanks guys

[@RobA500]

I have a complete collection of Airfix OO locomotives, any cracks in the motor housing screw holes have been strengthened with epoxy glue and so far so good. My Royal Scot needed a new base plate on the locomotive as that had broken into many parts but all the models are running well.

[@ModelRailwaysUnlimited]

Thanks Robin, I was wondering about epoxy. Complete collection well done

[@dj_efk]

I would look out for a good used motor for that as I don’t like all the splits you have. I have the same loco, I may convert to DCC sound as I believe the loco should have enough room for the decoder and speaker with some surgery using the rotary tool. I think your loco has spent some time sitting out of its box unused in a dusty environment with extremes of temperature - and that has hence caused both the dirt and the splits - probably someone’s loft for example?

[@davidwatts1871]

Mechanically better than the Mainline split chassis affair, but I don't think they ever did it in LMS maroon.

[@ModelRailwaysUnlimited]

Okay good 😊

[@neilfarrar6217]

Mike, thanks again for producing this series. At the point where you put her back on the test track, I realised that I needed to take a breath!

[@ModelRailwaysUnlimited]

Lol Neil, yeah a bit like that. Thanks

[@ciaranburke3243]

We'll done mike turned out lovely 👍

[@ModelRailwaysUnlimited]

Thanks very much

[@hotdogpilot6319]

All's well that ends well. It constantly amazes me how things get so far. ATB, Andy.

[@ModelRailwaysUnlimited]

Cheers Andy

[@ausfoodgarden]

With cracked or stripped screw mounts I always find Araldite works far better than superglue. She certainly was a filthy and tired old girl. Great job on getting her back into shape.

[@ModelRailwaysUnlimited]

Thanks Gerry, I use industrial super glue which is very strong however you are probably right.

[@johndrew3202]

Very interesting video thanks. I have one of these and made the mistake of undoing the gearbox, it took a lot of time, effort and frustration to get it together again. Lovely looking engine though.

[@ModelRailwaysUnlimited]

Cheers John, indeed very challenging lol

[@kellypaws]

I’d have been tempted to see if a Lima motor/bogie would have adapted to live in there. They tend to be bomb proof and in my experience, if they’re fettled, they run extremely well. Not yet seen one with degrading plastic.

[@ModelRailwaysUnlimited]

Yes a good plan and one I'd have supported 😁 however she's now a brilliant runner again

[@johnd8892]

Looking at a December 1977 Railway Modeller i have to hand, none of the advertising in it mentions the Airfix Royal Scot. At most they have pricing for the Airfix Prairie Tank and class 31. I think the 1977 on the model is therefore when the tooling on that part was made and the final production model took some extra time to get on sale. This fits in with my memory of new release Airfix puzzling me with an old date on them. Guy Norris said the Airfix 61xx Prairie tank was theur best selling locomotive and priced at 6.50 pounds.

[@ModelRailwaysUnlimited]

Thanks John, I get the feeling she's from 1980 myself. Fascinating facts there.

[@ModelRailwaysUnlimited]

@@kevinblakeman8858 aha that locks it down nicely

[@paulcherrytrains3339]

Glad you got it sorted. I have the same model. It's a good runner if a little noisy. I wonder whether some of today's models will still be running at that age. Cheers Paul.

[@ModelRailwaysUnlimited]

Very good point Paul. Cheers

[@jameshardy4354]

What happened to the airfix royal Scot tooling

[@ModelRailwaysUnlimited]

Good question

[@ajivins1]

Shame about the deterioration. Got me worried, I've got one of these still in the box.

[@ModelRailwaysUnlimited]

You saw I got her fully running again? So there's reason to be hopeful

[@piers995]

A great video. She runs lovely. I bought my Airfix Royal Scot second hand and am very happy with her. She squeeled horribly and the engine wheels would stop turning on curves, but with a light service, some lubrication and a little adjustment of the back to back guage of the wheels, she runs very nicely. Fortunatly I had no issues with cracks or splits.

[@ModelRailwaysUnlimited]

Thanks Piers, glad yours is sorted. Does yours run a little warm?

[@piers995]

@@ModelRailwaysUnlimited Hi, I hadn't noticed her running noticeably warm, but i'll give her a run out tomorrow, and let you know.

[@ModelRailwaysUnlimited]

.

[@hamshackleton]

Scottie was a challenge!

[@ModelRailwaysUnlimited]

Haha certainly was

[@MrSnooze]

I've got one of these and there are a few cracks but it still runs well like yours. Hopefully the plastic is stabilized now. I bet it will look great on the layout and they are smooth. I look forward to seeing it pulling some coaches. All the best to you

[@ModelRailwaysUnlimited]

Hi thanks very much, she'll get her chance later today. Does yours pull around 250mA and gets a little warm?

[@MrSnooze]

@@ModelRailwaysUnlimited a bit more than mine Mike, I get a reading of around.18 with a few coaches on. I didn't worry about the cracks in my motor, I took it right apart and it went back together fine. Tip I would pass on, spend a little time ensuring the black course screws that hold the motor together go back in the original thread. Otherwise it will force the plastic apart as it cuts a fresh thread. I also use a thin bit of cotton through the brush holder to hold the brush while I reassemble, makes the job easy, pull cotton to release brush when done. Great video I think your loco will be fine 🙂

[@ModelRailwaysUnlimited]

@@MrSnooze many thanks, I'll need to look again I think

[@gs425]

Hi Mike. I have worked on many of these (some videos on my little channel) but I have never seen one as bad as this. Loft temperature range maybe? Or perhaps bad lubricant back in the day? Yes that extra hidden gearbox on the motor shaft is fiddly to rebuild at the best of times, but without going in its hard to get oil to the faster moving bearing points. I'm a firm believer that unless it's a real issue (normally only when excess lube has got in) to leave the commutator well alone. Carbon dust is just what happens. Can motors run just fine after all!!! There are servicing channels on KZbin, one in particular, that scrub every piece of copper in sight and often with a fibreglass pen. What happens is the soft brushes will wear down twice as fast in time.

[@ModelRailwaysUnlimited]

Thanks. I agree with your observations. Oh tell me about it, the com polishers lol all they do is make scratches that get filled with carbon lol. I'll check your videos later. I also wonder about the loft

[@gs425]

@ModelRailwaysUnlimited that's right. And commutation segments will soon get carbon in the gap. I don't consider myself an expert and am always learning,but I did work in dc motor mechanism design. My servicing consists of cleaning wheels and tiny drops of oil on bearings. Check pickups make contact when axles are pushed each side, and that works 99% of the time. Hornby ringfields work like a charm when you put light oil on the axle bearings, that's just because it stops the differing metals oxidation. The latest myth is when people state insulating or conductive lube must be used depending on location. Trust me the spindles don't run anywhere near the surface speed to build up a barrier film to prevent conducting the juice. What really grinds my gears us when Bill arrogantly slates a manufacturer by saying "what were they thinking!".... He is not a design engineer.

[@ModelRailwaysUnlimited]

@@gs425 oh yes, we are one on all that

[@Night_Ferry]

That's a bit of a bummer. It gets to the point when a full disassembly could be fatal. I have a couple of models like that still running as patch jobs. But just to give the age some perspective... this was manufactured the same year as the last execution via guillotine in France! Could it have become damp during the flood at your dads? Perhaps it slipped through the net when cleaning everything?

[@ModelRailwaysUnlimited]

Thanks, blimey I never knew that. No she was already here at the time of the flood but good thinking

[@stephendavies6949]

PS: I have some 1970s vintage locos, but they're of the Triang/Hornby sort and seem a little more robust, if not as detailed.

[@ModelRailwaysUnlimited]

Many thanks Stephen, yes Triang stuff is certainly robust, love it

[@stephendavies6949]

That was a true Labour of Love! Do you watch OOBill? He is always very reluctant to dismantle old Airfix & Mainline locos too for the same reasons as yourself. He uses WD40 contact cleaner quite liberally when servicing locos. Have you considered / tried it? Finally, I'm sure those Deltics I voted for would've been much easier to service 😀

[@ModelRailwaysUnlimited]

Thanks Stephen yes it was. I did but no longer watch him. Use of WD40 is a very bad idea even the manufacturer says to use something else on our application. The only exception might be when trying to free a stuck fixing

[@stephendavies6949]

@@ModelRailwaysUnlimited He uses the contact cleaner, not the "original" WD40. Anyway, whatever you use, it's great to see these old locos being given a new lease of life

[@gs425]

@@stephendavies6949 I'm with Mike on this. Bill is very arrogant and doesn't listen to advice, yet some of his methods and opinions make me switch away from his channel.

[@ModelRailwaysUnlimited]

My mistake sorry, yes I use the contact cleaner

[@ModelRailwaysUnlimited]

💯

[@RaggyAl1971]

Mine runs equally as good.

[@ModelRailwaysUnlimited]

Great to hear