Two weeks ago my venerable red, streamlined 3089 BR03.10 stopped working. The wheels would not turn even though there was electricity going to the motor. I have tried everything I know to resolve the situation and nothing seems to work. 1. I tried to move the drive wheels by hand and they would not budge. 2. I oiled the wheels and gears. 3. I checked the quartering of the wheels to see if one had slipped and made the side rods freeze movement. One had and i corrected the quartering which gave slight movement but not much before it froze up again. 4. I took the rotor out to see if the problem was the rotor or the gears on the rotor axle but even without the rotor in place the gears would not budge. I removed the side rods expecting that without them the wheels might turn freely. They don't. At this point, I am guessing that either the gears are worn out or the axle bushings for the drive wheels are shot. Any thoughts?

Hello Eddie - it sounds like it could be a little bit of grit caught up in one of the gears.
I have had similar and eventually found a bit of debris snuggled between two teeth on one of the gears. Picked it out and normal service resumed.
If the stoppage happened quickly then I doubt it's anything worn out. Check each of the gears carefully in case one has lost a tooth but I think it is more likely to simply be a bit of debris that has got sucked in.
While you've got it apart it's a good opportunity to give it a good clean out. I usually give the chassis a good blast from a can of car brake or clutch cleaner. It's amazing the amount of gunge that comes out sometimes and it doesn't seem to affect the paint. It dries off quickly. It really does get everything out though so make sure you oil everything afterwards.

Good luck - you'll get it sorted.

Worn gears is a possibility. Hardened oil might also be an issue.
My recommendation would be to service it or have it serviced so that parts are cleaned when necessary and replaced if damaged.
I would think that if the gears were stripped, they would still turn and make a noticeable noise.

Regards

Mike C

Marklin 81 and Paul 159 I am betting between the two of you, you have the answer as to the why. It was a sudden stoppage and it did happen after I cleaned the track, so a piece of grit or rag lint could be the culprit. Since I already removed the armature and the side rods and still have the problem I'm guessing its not gear wear. Now i have to get up the courage to remove the rear drive wheels to allow removal of the gears. I have done it before on a BR23 and then had trouble crimping the axle and getting the wheel spacing right.

Hi Eddie - you might not have to remove any of the wheels.
Most gears will have a little bit of play in the meshing so you should be able to wiggle each gear a little bit - both the wheels with the gear on and the other gears in the gear train.
When you come across two that won't wiggle then those are the two that are locked. Try turning them back in the oposite direction to the direction the loco was running when it stopped. Hopefully you will be able to free them and turn whatever had got sucked in back out the way that it went in.
If you are trying to turn the wheels make sure you turn the wheel with the gear on and not the one on the other end of the axle as it could slip on the axle and upset the quartering - this is particularly important if you have to apply a bit of force.
Good luck - I've never had anything stuck in the gears that I have needed to remove the wheels for.
You'll get there.
Paul