US truck

[Tanker man]

I got this for my wife some years ago, from GRS ( seemed a fair exchange, at the time!) it has a small motor and pick ups on all 4 wheels. Of late, the drive slips. I had it to bits this afternoon and tried to wedge the motor down on the gear, it ran for a while, quite well, actually, then started to slip again. It was rather hot, when I picked it up, I run DCC and am wondering if it is meant for 12v , it is analog. It is quite well made being of heavy cast material , it has a name inside the chassis which appears to be 'The Yorkshire co' of Illinois , ( I think! )
Anybody know anything about them? Can I get a spare gear for the drive?
Thanks
Dave

 

[dunnyrail]

View attachment 237994

I got this for my wife some years ago, from GRS ( seemed a fair exchange, at the time!) it has a small motor and pick ups on all 4 wheels. Of late, the drive slips. I had it to bits this afternoon and tried to wedge the motor down on the gear, it ran for a while, quite well, actually, then started to slip again. It was rather hot, when I picked it up, I run DCC and am wondering if it is meant for 12v , it is analog. It is quite well made being of heavy cast material , it has a name inside the chassis which appears to be 'The Yorkshire co' of Illinois , ( I think! )
Anybody know anything about them? Can I get a spare gear for the drive?
Thanks
Dave

I think I would be tempted to Chip it up. A small LGB 55022 would help you. Though you would probably need to sort the drive train. I have a couple if we can come to a deal? Chip could fit in a box on the open area at the back, would look like a cargo box if made correct.

 

[tac foley]

View attachment 237994

I got this for my wife some years ago, from GRS ( seemed a fair exchange, at the time!) it has a small motor and pick ups on all 4 wheels. Of late, the drive slips. I had it to bits this afternoon and tried to wedge the motor down on the gear, it ran for a while, quite well, actually, then started to slip again. It was rather hot, when I picked it up, I run DCC and am wondering if it is meant for 12v , it is analog. It is quite well made being of heavy cast material , it has a name inside the chassis which appears to be 'The Yorkshire co' of Illinois , ( I think! )
Anybody know anything about them? Can I get a spare gear for the drive?
Thanks
Dave

Pal of mine over the way has one of these - it runs on about 6V. Your DCC feed of around 19V or more is going to fry it pretty soon. Why are you running an analogue vehicle on DCC anyhow?

tac

 

[Tanker man]

Pal of mine over the way has one of these - it runs on about 6V. Your DCC feed of around 19V or more is going to fry it pretty soon. Why are you running an analogue vehicle on DCC anyhow?

tac

I bought it second had, no instructions with it at all, it has 4 pick ups, one on each wheel, why would I think it was not to be track powered??????! ........ Anyhow,my main problem is with the drive train. ....... I have several yet to be chipped locos which I run on analogue, one at a time, which is what my system is designed to allow.
Does you neighbour know anything about the little truck, who made them etc??
Dave

 

[Tanker man]

I think I would be tempted to Chip it up. A small LGB 55022 would help you. Though you would probably need to sort the drive train. I have a couple if we can come to a deal? Chip could fit in a box on the open area at the back, would look like a cargo box if made correct.

Jon
Thanks for the reply, how do you run yours? I think chipping would not be so easy as the wheel pick ups and motor are all connected via thin brass bus bars, would take quite a bit of 'surgery' to alter especially as the motor seems to be held in place by the bus bars.
Tac seems to think that they should run on 6v , what voltage does yours run on?
Dave

 

[tac foley]

I bought it second had, no instructions with it at all, it has 4 pick ups, one on each wheel, why would I think it was not to be track powered??????! ........ Anyhow,my main problem is with the drive train. ....... I have several yet to be chipped locos which I run on analogue, one at a time, which is what my system is designed to allow.
Does you neighbour know anything about the little truck, who made them etc??
Dave

Nobody said it wasn't track-powered, certainly not me. All that I asked is why you are running an analog model with a teeny motor, probably designed for running at between 3 and 6V DC, on a DCC track at 19V? Just a reminder of what you wrote - It was rather hot, when I picked it up, I run DCC and am wondering if it is meant for 12v , it is analog.

I can't offer any help to you, just advice - if you intend to run this little rail-truck stick to less than 12V DC and not DCC. Perhaps an H0 DCC chip might help you.

tac

 

[PhilP]

You will fry the motor if you continue like this.. Please don't, it will ruin a nice model!
Could part of the problem be expansion when it gets hot, perhaps?

 

[David1226]

Dave

That does appear to be a very nice highly detailed rail truck, far superior to the LGB offering. It would be well worth the effort to find a mechanical and electrical problems posed to make it a runner.

David

 

[Zerogee]

The description of the brass bus bars inside the motor block, with the comment about them locating the motor in place, makes it sound very much like the design of the Hartland (HLW) gearboxes....?
I also know that HLW make (made?) a "Woody" railcar to run round their loops of barrel track, the front end of which looks rather like this little truck - could this model be in some way related?

Jon.

 

[Paradise]

The description of the brass bus bars inside the motor block, with the comment about them locating the motor in place, makes it sound very much like the design of the Hartland (HLW) gearboxes....?
I also know that HLW make (made?) a "Woody" railcar to run round their loops of barrel track, the front end of which looks rather like this little truck - could this model be in some way related?
Jon.

No, I think it's an entirely different beast. Below is a Hartland woody.

 

[Greg Elmassian]

I read this several times... just not sure of the answer.

Dave, you said you run DCC, but then you said analog.

Are you running this on a DCC layout, with a DCC controller, but in "analog" mode (zero stretching, nasty, heats motors), or did you disconnect your DCC and connect analog DC to run it?

Greg

 

[dunnyrail]

Jon
Thanks for the reply, how do you run yours? I think chipping would not be so easy as the wheel pick ups and motor are all connected via thin brass bus bars, would take quite a bit of 'surgery' to alter especially as the motor seems to be held in place by the bus bars.
Tac seems to think that they should run on 6v , what voltage does yours run on?
Dave

Do not have one but was a possible suggestion, I think you would have to remove the bus bars and do a complete rewire to chip this little baby. Not so simple but still I would have thought doable. Without a pic of the gubbins difficult to say with any certainty.

 

[Tanker man]

Thanks for the input, chaps
I am running it, as Greg says, on a DCC layout but on the '0' setting, on reflection, my comment about it being hot was probably misleading, it was a very hot afternoon here yesterday, the metal cab would have been hot just being in the sun, and yes, I am aware that DC motors run hot when run on DCC.
The motor itself is quite big, it has an external comutatator which is fed by the brushes, directly from the bus bars, must be almost as big as the motors in the 'Thomas' range.
I have had this truck , must be some 10 years, it does not get run for any great length of time and has only now given trouble.
I don't think it is a Hartland model, I will see if I can define the makers name again.
I am really puzzled by Tac's comment that it is for 6v? ....... Why would it have 4 wheel pick ups ? In all the years I have been involved with model railways, I have never come across a track powered 6v system..........but maybe there is one!
Also, Why would Garden Railwat Specilists sell this if it was not to be used on a G scale railway? ......( perhaps we all know the answer to that one!!!!!!)
As I said earlier, to install a chip would involve some major 'surgery' and it seems a shame to 'chop' it about, if I get a moment later, I will open it up and take a picture of the workings.
If I can't fix it, it will just have to become a 'shelf queen' !
Thanks again for all of the suggestions, really appreciated
Dave

 

[Paradise]

It is a Delton rail truck. They pop up from time to time. Probably 1:24.
Search for: 'Delton Locomotuive Works Inspection Truck'.
It is probably designed for 12~18 volts but that would be flat chat. Would look better putting along at a slower 6 volts or so.

 

[Tanker man]

It is a Delton rail truck. They pop up from time to time. Probably 1:24.
Search for: 'Delton Locomotuive Works Inspection Truck'.
It is probably designed for 12~18 volts but that would be flat chat. Would look better putting along at a slower 6 volts or so.

Thanks
In the back of my mind, the word 'Delton ' kept popping up! Thanks or that, I will look it up
Dave

 

[Paradise]

There is one on eBay at the moment. While looking around I also found the picture below. It looks exactly like the die cast Delton rail truck body. They must have used the same moulds for the different products.

https://ogrforum.ogaugerr.com/topic/new-tinplate-prototype

 

[tac foley]

Thanks for the input, chaps
I am running it, as Greg says, on a DCC layout but on the '0' setting, on reflection, my comment about it being hot was probably misleading, it was a very hot afternoon here yesterday, the metal cab would have been hot just being in the sun, and yes, I am aware that DC motors run hot when run on DCC.
The motor itself is quite big, it has an external comutatator which is fed by the brushes, directly from the bus bars, must be almost as big as the motors in the 'Thomas' range.
I have had this truck , must be some 10 years, it does not get run for any great length of time and has only now given trouble.
I don't think it is a Hartland model, I will see if I can define the makers name again.
I am really puzzled by Tac's comment that it is for 6v? ....... Why would it have 4 wheel pick ups ? In all the years I have been involved with model railways, I have never come across a track powered 6v system..........but maybe there is one!
Also, Why would Garden Railwat Specilists sell this if it was not to be used on a G scale railway? ......( perhaps we all know the answer to that one!!!!!!)
As I said earlier, to install a chip would involve some major 'surgery' and it seems a shame to 'chop' it about, if I get a moment later, I will open it up and take a picture of the workings.
If I can't fix it, it will just have to become a 'shelf queen' !
Thanks again for all of the suggestions, really appreciated
Dave

What tac said was that such a SMALL model was likely designed to run on best on a DC track at between 6 and 12 volts, like most teeny locos actually do, and Tanker Man actually points out, as I did earlier.. Four wheel pickups are nothing unusual - almost every LGB loco ever made picks up from all wheels AND skates.

 

[trammayo]

View attachment 237994

I got this for my wife some years ago, from GRS ( seemed a fair exchange, at the time!) it has a small motor and pick ups on all 4 wheels. Of late, the drive slips. I had it to bits this afternoon and tried to wedge the motor down on the gear, it ran for a while, quite well, actually, then started to slip again. It was rather hot, when I picked it up, I run DCC and am wondering if it is meant for 12v , it is analog. It is quite well made being of heavy cast material , it has a name inside the chassis which appears to be 'The Yorkshire co' of Illinois , ( I think! )
Anybody know anything about them? Can I get a spare gear for the drive?
Thanks
Dave

The two poor quality pictures I post below are of a "Yorkshire" diecast model of a Bell Telephone Co's tower wagon I use on my streetscene (trailer layout).



So if your truck is by Delton, maybe the superstructure was contracted out to the Yorkshire company?
I cannot find anything out about this American company either!

 

[Paradise]

The two poor quality pictures I post below are of a "Yorkshire" diecast model of a Bell Telephone Co's tower wagon I use on my streetscene (trailer layout).
View attachment 238037 View attachment 238038

So if your truck is by Delton, maybe the superstructure was contracted out to the Yorkshire company?
I cannot find anything out about this American company either!

Yes, I think this may be the case or they both had the same source.

 

[Greg Elmassian]

In answer to some previous questions, the simple geartrain may only lend itself to going way too fast at "normal" G scale voltages. Many motors that are rated 12 volts have been used in G scale, mainly because most people will reduce voltage to make the speed believable.

It is indeed true, however, that using a 12v motor on pulsed 24 volts has shown to put extra stress on motors in some cases.

I submit in this case, the heat of the day gathered on the dark surfaces, the all metal construction, and the "0" stretching pulsed AC (there is still indeed a negative pulse in this mode) all contributed to heating.

But it seems the real issue is the drive train, which has probably worn the gears a bit, such that there is less mesh, and probably need replacement.

There are places to find gears online, but without the exact replacements, you may be in for a bit of machining. It might turn into finding an alternate drive mechanism to fit, but space is clearly limited.

Can we have a shot of the gear train?

Greg