Hello, first help request and very basic. I bought a German Bundespost Model 8134 kit.
I have assembled a Rokutan small oval to get started with, the controller is a Rokutan RC-02.
I have power to the tracks at 12 vdc.
I have taken the body off the locomotive frame and lightly lubricated the motor and gears. (See attachment)
The engine does not run, forward or backward.
I have tried to find instructions for preparing this locomotive for first use without success and the instructions that came in the kit are not for this locomotive.
Could my problem be the controller at 12 volts as the instructions I do have indicate a maximum of 8 vdc?
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
Norm
IMG_0253.pdf (2,463kb) downloaded 36 time(s).

RudiC, I applied 1.5 vdc direct to the brushes, the motor did not move at all.
I tried to move the wheels and they do not turn.
I can turn the armature and the wheels move when I do that, seems stiff but I have no reference at this small size.
Reversing makes no difference.

I have measured the output of the controller from low to high and never see 6 v, always some level of 12 v.
I will find a 5 to 6 volt supply and try that.

Hello. Hope all is well.

That is a nice set, I have that one myself. That set was released in 1990.

Since that is an old set, it is possible the oil has hardened and is keeping the gears from moving. This hardened oil would need to be cleaned out. It is normal for the wheels not to move but this does not confirm HardenedOil Syndrome (HoS). This oil usually cannot be viewed in a photo like your attachment.

To test the locomotive will work, you could use a 9 volt battery, attach one wire to each terminal, then touch the wheels with the end on opposite sides. You should find a wheel combination which causes the wheels to turn. If they don’t move. It is possible the oil has become hard. This is an alternative to Rokuhan if it is an issue.

I know there has be some technical issues on the compatibility of Marklin and Rokuhan products. I don’t know about this because I have no experience with Rokuhan. Perhaps someone here on the forum can offer their experience.

If you look at the bottom it is usually easy to see if another “technician “ has opened up the locomotive to perform their own work. I usually examine the screws to see if the black is nicked someplace. The screws just seem to nick with the slightest screwdriver contact. This could indicate the locomotive has been taken apart and was not reassembled correctly. Disassembly would be your last resort to solve your problems.

If you must disassemble, The cross bars on the front and rear wheels must be assembled correctly or they will bind and the motor will not move. Basically one bar must connect the wheel in an upper location while the connection on the other side of the locomotive must be at a lower point. Examine the connection now, to see if the crossbars are correct. (One up, the the side down)

On a locomotive this old, you also might want to check your brushes to see if they still have coal. These wear out and should be replaced from time to time. Also cleaning off any contamination might be necessary. New brushes might be needed, and you should be able to get these from your marklin dealer or a secondary source, they are cheap. eBay even has them.

From your photo,it seems the locomotive is correctly assembled. If you take it apart, it must be reassembled exactly,or it will not work. These little jewels are precisely designed.

If you discover your oil is hard, you will need to drop the lower cover to clean out the gearbox. I believe YouTube has some videos concerning disassembly and reassembly. This is a common locomotive and was first released in 1972 with very little change. Many have experienced issues similar to yours and some post DIY videos which can be helpful.

That is a beautiful set and worth getting going. I know you will have success.

Take good care.

I was writing this while you were posting the above

Zme

Hello.

I am like you, there are times when I seem to have better results too. No rush take your time. I find just setting it aside for a time helps and coming back with a fresh view is good. This is one of the simplest Z locomotives to work on. You will get it.

Here is a photo of both sides of a similar locomotive. Notice the connecting position on one side as it relates to the other. In this orientation it will work if there are no other issues. It sounds like yours is not that bad. When putting in the wheels insert it into the side with the motor gear first then work with the middle and finally the opposite side. It always takes me more than once to get it right.

https://www.marklin-users.net/up...blic/Zme/7143_Image.jpeg

It always seems to me that I don’t get the gears exact. It seems it is always one gear tooth off. But it works.

A pointer is careful with rubbing isopropyl alcohol it leaves an agent on parts. Or so I have been told. If you thinking of soaking parts don’t leave them to long as you might lose the finish. Those small dental brushes work good and come in various sizes.

Best wishes. Hope this helps.

Zme

Bad brush contact? Does it have continuity? Are the collector segments clean?

Hello, hope all is well.

Take good care of those coupler springs. Once they get onto the floor, they are impossible to find. Some put them on a piece of thin wire while you are working.

Some super glue the spring to the coupler nub to keep them together. This aids reassembly, as you can just reinstall them as one piece. Others just use oil in the pocket to hold them in place.

The coupler springs are all the same. If you have a junk wagon, they could be removed and used on your loco. If one is already lost, they are common and cheap from your vendor.

So many “Got Ya” moments, but you will get it. It’s worth the effort.

Take good care.

Zme

Long and short, I did not give my store enough information about the Marklin train I have.
He is providing a Controller for non-pwm motors that has voltage limits built in so it can be set to max at 8 or 10 VDC.
Hope this gets things going.
Cheers

Z scale is delightful and infuriating in equal measure, in my experience, and it's not unusual to be feeling mostly the latter at this stage in your endeavour!

It sounds very much like there is a mechanical issue in the gearing - possibly some foreign matter stuck in there somewhere - or possibly in the quartering of the wheels. I have also experienced the "valve gear" getting wedged against the body and causing exactly this problem in some smaller models. Removing the body shell always clears the issue if that's the cause.

Isopropyl Alcohol is a pretty mild solvent and not really up to softening any congealed oil remnants. I believe there is a product called SR24 which is good for this purpose.

Replacement coupling hooks and springs are available as a spare part, albeit at a cost! If you were in the UK, I'd offer to send a spring in the post to you as I have a few spares. Perhaps some kind Canadian will step in and offer the same!

Whether to persist with Z or defect to another scale I cannot advise. For me, small scales have a charm of their own and Z offers the possibility to present a comparatively uncluttered layout in a small area. If these don't apply to you, a larger scale might be more appropriate.

I hope these thoughts are of some help, though.

All the best


Chris

Just get very thin (fuse) wire and wind it round the shaft of small tool or even a toothpick, then cut to size. The resultant spring will work just as well as a Märklin one.

Carim

Close, how should they look?
It seems that this setup is critical, if I can get it right without the gears then I should be able to finish this.

Hello, hope all is well.

I have checked around and it seems coupler springs might be out of stock right now. Do you have an eBay account? Perhaps someone will offer springs soon. Approaching the holidays it seems everyone empties their closets and sell z scale items. Below is a source in the US which is know to keep coupler springs in stock. I use them, they are professionals. Send an email and ask if they have any springs.

https://ajckids.com/pages/contact-us

When quartering the wheels on this model, work from the motor gear forward. I always just hold up the wheel assemblies and just let them hang. The wheel set will naturally hang free and this is how the assembly should be reinstalled. Begin by inserting the last hanging wheel which will engage the motor shaft gear and engage the gear teeth so the hole for the drive bar is in lower position. If you can examine the same wheel on the opposite side, it should have the hole connecting the drive bar in a higher position. Next insert your secondary gears rolling the wheels back and forth to interleaf the gears. Insert the center drive axle and secondary gear leaving the front drive gear. To interleaf this final drive axle, you may need to work this back and forth a bit. Keep in mind the position of the hole on the connecting bar. On one side the bar will be up and on the other side it will be down, like the photo above shows. The pins which attach the connecting bars are your reference point for this.

This might seem like a bunch of double talk, it probably is. It is difficult to describe this. Review the video from YouTube. The goal on this is to not have binding on the connecting bar and still have the up and down orientation. The video points this out.

When trying to insert the wheels and gear sets, if the wheels squirm up out of the gear pocket, try to work them back flat so the cover will not bind. When working on these small gems it is not unusual to feel a third hand would sure be useful. These parts are small and it is a challenge to work with them. As I mentioned,it always takes several attempts before I get this accomplished and I have been doing this at least two weeks longer then you. Relax, work. when you can, you will eventually get this done.

If you just cannot get it. Contact this zscale technician here in the US and see if he will work on your loco for you. He is one of the only vendors who will do this kind of work. He is usually very busy but may be able help you. Let him know your situation and what you have done to try to get this locomotive working. He’s a good professional.

https://www.zscalehobo.com/

Hope this helps.

Zme