Tri-ang R.354 "Lord of The Isles" Dean Single : Repair Request

I got sent this old Tri-ang "Lord of The Isles" by a chap called Bernard who was given it for his 65th birthday. It has been a non runner for 8 years.
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[@stephenrice4554]

Lovely repair , nicely sorted with the weight and the bush , smooth as a cashmere codpiece . 👍🇬🇧

[@bernardshieldstysonfive1009]

Hi Bill brilliant video thanks for getting it running again for me and for servicing it and cleaning it is running better with the lead in the tender once again thanks very much and keep your brilliant videos coming Bernard

[@garyburford5774]

On the more recent Railroad version of Lord of the Isle, Hornby has fitted pickup’s to the front bogie. It makes a great difference.

[@richardsweeney197]

Yes, and you can get the pick up for the bogie from spares suppliers

[@andrewpalm2103]

A very nice solution to the primary problem without having to add metal wheels and pick-ups to the tender, Bill. I watch all your videos and enjoy them very much indeed. As I've mentioned in older comments, all though I am "mechanically challenged," you have given me the confidence to do engine servicing and modifications. In one case a display shelf queen became a good runner and in another I successfully replaced a lousy DCC decoder with a good one. I wish you good luck on the new layout, and I think the modular approach is a good one. As for the track layout, I'd urge you to ponder it a good bit before committing, and emphasize flexibility in operations, especially in the connections between the two main tracks and the branch. Cheers from Wisconsin!

[@gordanmilne7034]

Another great resurrection video Bill, as a side note I think the police need to check the vehicles in the car parks for tax as they haven't moved in a long time (LOL).

[@christopherhill3302]

Thanks to your advice I have managed to get my Hornby R3070 Tornado to run around my layout (2nd & 3rd radius Hornby Track!!) without falling off. The solution was 45 grams added inside the smokebox and 2 washers added to the front bogie. (in 1980 Mainline used the same type of bogie, but they added a spring, on their Scot/Patriot chassis). Thanks again and keep up the good work, Kindest regards.

[@bigmac60]

A very elegant solution to the problem. Well done.

[@johnstephens649]

Nice one Bill! My old Lord of the Isles runs generally really well but is very “stumbly” as you accurately describe. Everything else spot on in servicing and set-up but not thought of a bush and some weight in the tender! Job sorted for the weekend…

[@dansmodelrailways7886]

One thing to bear in mind with the motor is there are two very tiny ball bearings each end of the motor shaft. I lost one when i repaired one of these and it took an age to find! So when taking the motor apart be mindful not to loose them. When you take the motor apart in the video you can see the bearing in the hole when the magnets removed.

[@nicholasbishop3300]

Nice work Bill It looks as though it runs even better pulling the coaches Nick Australia

[@DaiElsan]

I have one of these. It has serious repair work needed to it. It was damaged a longtime ago. Hopefully in the not to distant future I'll drag it out and check it over once more. Great video as always.

[@TimsBitsnPieces]

A great success there Bill. I know this is a video from over a year ago but I am wondering if you have ever made a video of your repair area and the tools you use etc.. I am very curious to see what your workbench looks like... I love your channel and have found it very helpful when repairing locos myself, and I've sub'd to your channel a while ago. Cheers from Melbourne Australia, Tim.

[@donniblanco5239]

Brill! - just the info I needed, Great tips - many thanks 🙏🏻✨

[@pierslindley]

A nice job and a fine vintage runner from the looks of it. Very handsome on the Western Express.

[@dfishpool7052]

Well done Bill - liked your solution to the sticky running.

[@chrissouthgate4554]

Hi Bill, good video as always. Hornby's (pretending to be Tri-ang) Victorian Train Set might be worth a look. The Lord of the Isle Loco has wired connections to the lead 4 wheels, traction tyres on the 2 Main wheels & pickups to them and the 2 trailing wheels. The tender wheels are still plastic. The thing you may not like is that the motor is said to be a Maintenace free sealed unit.

[@charlesemerson6763]

There is another single wheeler out there. It's the Great Northern Stirling single wheeler as preserved at the NRM. The model was made by Rapido, a Canadian company, and while not exactly what you'd like it is an excellent model. It was marketed through the NRM and I think Rails of Sheffield. This is very modern model with DCC and sound and lots of tricky little features all packed into a very small model.

[@johnstephens649]

As an update to my last comment, rather than a nice metal bush and lead weights, as a temporary measure to see if this works for my loco I just cut the top off a small raw plug for the bush and found a heavy screw that fitted inside the tender… My 50 year old Lord of the Isles is no longer “stumbley!” Will improve the fittings however thanks for the idea Bill. Easy result!

[@oobill]

Excellent bodge. Rawl plugs have many, many uses...

[@martinhall60]

I've just watched your video about your repair to the Tri - Ang Lord of the Isles single wheeler and what an interesting video, and what a great layout you have as well. Is your layout based on a Scottish branch line or just free lance, either way it's a great layout. Well done Sir. 👍

[@ciaranburke3243]

Good job bill, turned it into a nice little runner 👍

[@ianhaynes5898]

I have one of these. It was running terribly when I had it and I found that the wire pickup had one broken end. I made a new one out of some wire and it works quite well now. I have been thinking about putting some metal wheels on it as the plastic ones are not that good.

[@ModelRailwayShed]

Another great video 👍

[@peterm7548]

I have got the newer Railroad version of this one. Im yet to upgrade it. It is DCC ready with the decoder socket in the loco. I have already added metal wheels to the tender but need to add pickups and wire them to the decoder socket to make it even barely viable as a runner on my layout. I also agree that a retooled version of this and the Cali single would be great with the decoder socket in the tender, more pickups in the tender plus a more realistic coupling between tender and loco. But I expect it wont happen!

[@AndrewH561]

I have a Lord of the Isles (Dean Single) in which I have installed a decoder. Everything works as expected except when in reverse the loco now screams. I am assuming that I have somehow made the body catch a wheel but have no idea what my next steps should be :-)

[@gerardburton3741]

Hi Bill, Just for info purposes, the engine body is missing 2 sets of leaf springs. One on each side of the engine cab. Not sure if you can buy them separately from Hornby. If you really wanted to make a tender drive Dean single, you could take the tender from the Mainline Dean goods, (Not sure if the original Hornby Dean goods were still a tender drive and work from that. It is the same style of tender.

[@garethparkin9498]

Bill I have the newer addition of this however they are a pig to run properly mine needs to be repaired as the base keeper plate I managed to melt as the pickup wires were never connected properly from new which caused it to intermittently stutter on the track.

[@mrstude]

Can anything be done to quiet down the engine. Seems to be coming from the body once installed. Thanks

[@t147han]

I would have tried cutting a rectangle of lead and put longer screw through lead and draw bar then painting lead black..Not having to put so much lead in tender.

[@darrenrogers7891]

Hi Bill , yet another great refurb and interesting vid. My I ask what is the grease you use when servicing and could you explain the reasoning and need for re-magnetising? How do you know if this is necessary? Look forward to your reply and your next vid. PS. Good luck with the new layout idea...go for it !! Cheers Daz

[@PeterJewell2]

The magnets lose power over time. (The old Tri-ang 'spider' motor bogies were even worse: taking the magnet out of its keepers caused it to lose power!) The quick test is with a screwdriver, as he showed (afterwards) on the video. If the screwdriver cannot pick up the motor, the magnet is weak. It's also a case that once you have bought a magnetiser, you might as well use it every time! The grease is a mixture of Hob-e-Lube Gear Oil and something else (which I have forgotten) that is supposed to stick better to the worm than gear oil alone. Bill mixes it himself. (Try looking at videos from about a year ago, before he started with the mixture and you might be able to work it out).

[@greatnorthernrailwaytother4711]

Hi Bill, what is your preferred contact cleaner (scoops can) please. Cheers Peter.

[@PeterJewell2]

WD40 Contact Cleaner (not the oil!). Brilliant stuff. And the term is 'Scoosh!' (Waiting to see a T-shirt with 'Give it a wee scoosh'!)

[@arrow1414]

Nah, keep the motor inside the locomotive itself. My bias is for the locomotive to be the actual one doing the pulling. At least if you put the motor in the tender, have a universal joint (or flexible silicone hose) drive shaft running from the tender motorshaft to a gearbox shaft that is connected to the loco's driving wheels. I would replace the pilot wheels with conductive ones (if available) and install wipers. The same for the trailing wheels. And the tender wheels too. I just despise tender powered locomotives. I can think of only one American made locomotive that had it: Tyco Chattanooga Choo-Choo" 2-8-0 and 0-8-0 locomotive trainsets. 🤮