Can We Make This Strange Vintage Die-Cast Ho Switcher Locomotive Run Again?

[@battle604]

Model train: (has been thrown down a flight of stairs, set on fire, been thrown in a pool and bombed by a B1.) SMT: (uses a screw diver and rag on it for 20 minutes) Model train: (runs ok) Everyone:👏

[@2048Megabytes.]

Now I want to do that(not the bomber)

[@micoasters]

And you can’t for get running it over with a real Plymouth switcher

[@3ftsteamrwy12]

I could be wrong, but I think this is a Kemtron model from the middle to late 1950's. If I remember correctly they offered this in HO HOn3 and TT . I also think the original drive band was actually a band fabricated from a spring (meaning a coiled band, like a long coil spring formed into a band) You'll need to fiddle and fuss with the band tension till you get it right so as not to overburden the motor, but ALSO remeber in that time period the norm for power consuption was usually 1 AMP . Good video!

[@al7857]

It is from pennline whitcomb 1. Generation with ooen engien at the back

[@appalachianlines2336]

I mentioned this before in one of your videos. Always wanted to try it. My grandfather grew up in Boyertown were pennline was made. He told me years ago that they advertised these little locos running around a half dollar coin with a bit of rail bent around the coin for the outer rail. Would be a neat project to try. Basically a radius of about 1.5 inches. Worked up a bit of penn line locos in my collection. The gg1 is my favorite and the decopod.

[@appalachianlines2336]

Bowser bought pennline..... The band drive was a bad decision. Attempt to quiet down straight cut gears i guess. Think the o ring is a little to tight...

[@Comir727]

Love the look of it

[@quintinbarnhart]

Glad you got her running! She’s a sweet little loco, I’m glad she is in good hands.

[@SMTMainline]

I really like the loco, thanks again to you and your family for sending it. I think it still needs a bit of work but with a little more I think it will become a great runner.

[@RuneTheFirst]

This was made by Penn Line, a small outfit in Pennsylvania that started after WW2. They failed in the early 60s but much of their line is still made by Bowser. Like their name, they specialized in Pennsylvania (PRR) stuff. They offered classics like the K4, PRR turbine, a small 0-4-0, decapod, and others. These came with either a rubber belt, or later, a spring belt. This one appears to have been modified to accept a replacement motor, either a Pittman or Mantua one. The motor magnet does not stick out on an original one. It appears the replace is a bit longer than the original. This loco was their cheapest model, often sold in a small train set.

[@johnnyjames7139]

Mine is original entirely gear drive.

[@broketrainenthusiast4194]

I have one with basically that exact shell but different mechanical parts

[@mattsmocs3281]

It is a moddifed late penn line early bowser version of the same loco you have.

[@TRRailfan]

Very cool! Love your videos and these little 0-4-0 (B) switchers!

[@leverettrailfan5414]

Bit late, but I suspect the excess current draw is because you're using too small of an O ring. Because of how stiff/non stretchy it is, the motor is definitely fighting with it. It seems like the type of open frame motor that shouldn't require too much current, and there's no other parts that could be adding all that strain.

[@shawntl]

very good work

[@oredigger1060]

Me: wants everything Reality: you have $0.22

[@Redjintyman]

Solution: sell some stuff you don’t use anymore

[@Brianrockrailfan]

great video liked 🚄👍

[@shockstrains5077]

Any video you use the Canadian film stick you need to put: “Filmed with iPhone and Canadian Film Stick.” In the description

[@haroldalexis4200]

Has a few teething problems otherwise a good little yard switcher! ️ Good job. ☺️

[@dbtech7914]

It looks a little like a Mantua motor. Cool little engine. Nice job.

[@MattKonsol]

Very unusual switcher

[@williamsantangelo]

They are great little engines have two

[@TheDiamondFish]

Locomotive: *thrown down the stairs, hit by a hammer, set on fire, and drowned* SMT: *takes a screwdriver and some parts and boom it’s fixed*

[@gymsreviews8155]

Great video 👍 keep up the great work 😎.

[@VintageRenewed]

Depending on the design of the motor and the age it might just require a lot of power. I recently picked up some old british 3 rail stuff which it runs on dc but those motors are known to require a lot of power. Like around 1 amp each motor

[@VintageRenewed]

David Andrew One of the engines may have a weak magnet but the other one doesn’t. If you look up hornby dublo you will see other people say the motors require a lot of power. I’m pretty sure it’s just the design of the motor

[@SMTMainline]

It's certainly not uncommon for engines of this age to require more power then their modern counter parts since the magnets get weak and things wear out however most motors of this type usually draw around a quarter of an amp and this one is doing almost 1.5 amps so I think something is wrong.

[@dr.trains119]

That one is so tiny at first I thug it could not be fixed 🚂

[@dalecherne5377]

@SMT Open-frame motors generally draw more power before they start moving. Thats why people have to sometimes re-motor locomotives before adding DCC to them, or else they could risk blowing out the decoder due to the high power draw.

[@mlw2613]

Smt that engine could be used in the Hershey plant taking cars into the building and then the bigger switchers to make up the trains in the yard as the little thing is at a good industrial switcher speed.

[@crsrdash-840b5]

Great work. I like to know if you had a chance to save those down horses at the farm near the train station - lol.

[@dirtydanstrains1414]

Nice! Quite an interesting engine

[@Petemonster62]

Back in the 1930s, 40s, & into the 50s, most HO locomotives had a metal body. The " piece of fabric ", on the motor bearing, is called an " oil wick ". Some motors on Marx O gauge locomotives use oil wicks on the armature bearings.

[@mercuryoak2]

My mantua steam engines do too they have that oil wick . still intact as well I was shocked

[@OpCrossRoads]

You gotta do more switcher videos

[@warbabyproductions]

The motor is similar to the Chesapeake and Ohio locomotive you got ( the Chesapeake and on fire loco that had its coils burned)

[@clearcreek69]

Since I'm a beginner in this hobby I usually take photos of locomotives before I start working on them, so I know how to put it back together & connect the wires in the correct spot

[@SMTMainline]

That's wise. Even though I do these video for fun they can be good to refer to in the same way if I'm having trouble putting something back together.

[@kensbackshop6399]

Try some bands made for the old athearn hi fi drive or the stronger colered bands for athearn the band you put on it is straining the motor you can find them on ebay ,,i use the colered bands on my RDCs and never had a problem with over 25 hours of run time,,,Ken

[@danielramsey1959]

Needs a more elastic band or a softer o ring. Try slicing sections of silicone electrical cord, or even surgial tubing.

[@mistermadmachine6311]

You can buy a band replacement like that 😮

[@GleasonB]

Yea, like you surmised, band is way to tight/too much tension IMO. Oring like thats going to be waayy to much tension. Need some sort of elastic band.

[@piedmontrailfan81]

I was watching this in the morning and the music was making me fall asleep until a trump ad came up

[@MoosesWorkshop]

Another nice job! If I may ask, does the body say who makes that train?

[@SMTMainline]

I didn't spot any branding on the loco.

[@MoosesWorkshop]

@@SMTMainline ok. Thanks. :)

[@pieseasmyseas]

Do not use the O rings for this stuff it puts to much tension on the motor berings thats probably is what is causing the high draw

[@SMTMainline]

Yeah, I'm gonna try replacing that and see if it solves that problem.

[@mercuryoak2]

@@SMTMainline long shot here. I have them no named branded band drive plastic trains my uncle gave me . I used a no kidding a red or any color will do hair tie elastic the type you had in hand before its small but it worked for what i needed and not to much tention on the motor

[@gloriousleaderstalin6289]

Weird Switcher

[@goodmorningyou2944]

Hi can you show us an update on the Hershey factory

[@rj29productions]

You might want to try a slightly longer and thinner iring, most hardware stores have large selections of them

[@SMTMainline]

Sounds like a plan.

[@mercuryoak2]

I honestly think I seen this type of loco at a local flea market I went to Sunday. The guy must be desperate to get rid of stuff he had things marked $5 for steamers. A parts bin $1 each one was a chassis had some odd motor on it a shell for a Marx switcher which looked like this. I seen 0-6-0 switchers for $5. I couldn't get something then but I may look this weekend . same guy i bought that Bachmann split chassis prairie from I have been thinking send to bachmann see if they can honor the warranty just to ease my mind to have a runner not a shelf queen . I'll let you know if i do i may take some pictures. They hadpassenger cars $10 each but freight for like 2 to 3$ I swear he wants it gone quick I could cut a deal lol if I have the right cash on hand . good work on restoration. If I bought the locos I seen is have some restoration of my own lol.

[@CR7659]

I'd have bought the whole lot without blinking twice at those prices.

[@mercuryoak2]

@@CR7659 I was wrong about prices they varied from 25 to 30 on up. I went this sunday There was a 5 dollar one said as is.and another thats 8 and was a mantua 0-6-0. As is . now I did make a good buy. $3 freight cars. 4 for $10. 10 for $20 but I think cause guy knew me that bought a loco that had a split frame type axles and we'll that loco is a shelf queen but i got 5 cars for $5 . no joke. And couple of them are vintage.

[@trainstorm1225]

A die-cast switcher? That’s odd. Didn’t know they made die-casts for small locos like that.

[@BlaxlandRidge3]

back in the 50's, yes.

[@MarkAnderson-iv1zt]

I remember my father had one years ago.

[@samsstrasburgrailroad8427]

I've seen a real one of these in person

[@samsrailroadproductions1454]

Interesting music 🤔

[@jamessnyder3896]

That motor draws alot current there is nothing you can do to stop that i have one that does the same thing only way you can fix that is to change the motor

[@SMTMainline]

Well I could try changing the O ring for something else and I could also buy it neodymium magnets so it's not hopeless yet.

[@RailBrothersProductions]

Cool

[@Uptownloki47]

And the wizard does it again

[@jpbx_902]

well folks in today's video

[@krisschaut2298]

SMT please comment and say hi I’m your biggest fan ever

[@boiseeas237]

No

[@boiseeas237]

No

[@boiseeas237]

He doesn't even have vedios

[@boiseeas237]

Well you do have a point

[@TonyFleetwood]

It kind of looks like a plymouth?

[@aerodisfunction9896]

yes you probably can

[@sfm_ferguson5033]

The screws kinda look sus

[@jack-o-lantern5274]

I have 2 possibly dc motors. Do you know where i can buy spare parts to scratch build a locomotive with the motors i have.

[@theoldbayrailfan]

That is one ood locomotive

[@MMRails]

I may have made this comment before, but do you ever finish putting a train back together and have one screw leftover? And you’re like, huh, I wonder where that goes? But you never find out and then it goes into your parts bin? Great ending. I thought maybe you actually didn’t fix it. Silly me.

[@warbabyproductions]

Noice

[@TheAtlantaRailfan]

In the first minute, there are 12 comments

[@evanj2400]

That thing is tiny

[@Eastkentuckysirensandtrains]

Hi

[@fanofblueshockey107]

Because I said are you Canadian

[@WesternOregonRailfan]

Fix The southern Pacific black widow or give it a new motor

[@fanofblueshockey107]

So if you’re from Switzerland how are you speaking English

[@SMTMainline]

I'm not from Switzerland, where did you get that idea? Lol

[@fanofblueshockey107]

I knew it because somebody told me in another video that you were from Switzerland but you’re really Canadian And I was right the whole time

[@thiruraj3866]

You can fix it your to train doctor

[@Sin_Teoria.]

Long live Meghan Trainor!!!.🚂🖤

[@safetran50]

Imagine getting pinned by SMT mainline

[@OfficialMilkyFoxChannel]

I got a lil diesel too, but it runs alot more different than you expect. kzbin.info/www/bejne/sHWbgHSpjauUgq8

[@molliemagill1069]

I thought Canadians have an accent but you don’t

[@Austintmg23472]

Hi