Caitlin - not working - Talking James & More

Hi ... new here. I bought a tub of trains and am working on getting them up and running for my grandson. I've cleaned etc. a few just refuse to work. All wires are in place, gears look good. How do I tell if it just needs a new motor. I have one I would love to get running ... Caitlin and her cars. I also got a Ferdinand with cars and he is just lovely... runs great.

I got Percy running although slow; no hair or gunk. One Thomas runs, one does not. These are all from about 2009 - 2012. Have new batteries in all. Not sure how to proceed; Caitlin's motor turns (not froze) ... Since I am an artist,musician grandmother I need some help




Thanks .. Victoria

Hello Victoria and welcome to BluePlasticTracks

You have come to the right place for help as many of our members have experience in repairing these trains. I have not had a Caitlyn but some of our members have and they would know which type of motor she has. I can only assume its a flat drive. One question that might help is...

Does the motor make a sound when turned on but doesn't move the wheels?

With the battery removed and the switch in the 'On' position, do the rear, drive wheels, move?

Others may have more questions or ideas on how to help and narrow this down.

perhaps the motor is not connected to the gear on the wheel. I had a similar situation with my Neville. I unscrew the motor from the chassis and I reinstall the motor, it runs great . Sadly this doesn't apply to all the scenarios but worth a try.

I did exactly that and nothing...

with a battery in and the switch turned on give the locomotive a few light taps say with the handle of a screwdriver, they can often seize if left to sit for a long time or knocked about in the mail etc and giving them a few light taps can get them moving again.

I have a guide of how to dismantle the drive unit and swap motors in my video below, the drive unit is the same despite being a different train, you will need a triangle screwdriver for Caitlin.

Ucwepns Patented rap it with a screwdriver handle, and it works

(12-13-2017, 02:58 AM)Ucwepn Wrote: I have a guide of how to dismantle the drive unit and swap motors in my video below, the drive unit is the same despite being a different train, you will need a triangle screwdriver for Caitlin.

GReat video .. guess I need to get a soldering iron! and try this. What replacement motor to you use??

Hi Victoria and welcome to the board!

The motor Ucwepn is using here is a Tamiya Power Dash. This is one of a series of swapable electric motors Tamiya sells for their Mini 4WD collection. The Hyper Dash is another common motor from this same line. You can expect to pay from $4-10 US for these online and you may also be able to find them in a well stocked hobby shop. They are set up for various amounts of low end torque versus speed so different engines can have different running characteristics if you prefer.

Thank You !! .. I have learned my lesson about spending 50 on a tub of trains and tracks. I was told there were 3 trackmaster sets and 6 battery engines... I got 3 engines to work so far and none of the track sets are complete enough to just use. I am going to have to get creative. I built a train board that slides under the bed so will make something work. He is only 2.5 but absolutely obsessed with trains. He even watches a show called "I love Trains" on PBS which is just old guys talking about and showing off their trains!!

(12-13-2017, 04:43 PM)vikjohn Wrote: ...He is only 2.5 but absolutely obsessed with trains. He even watches a show called "I love Trains" on PBS which is just old guys talking about and showing off their trains!!

Yeah, that sounds like my son, who is now 5. He has been obsessed with trains almost literally from birth! Seriously, when he was a newborn, he was very colicky and restless. One night, while sitting up with him and watching YouTube, I started playing train videos. He suddenly got very calm and focused on it like it was the most amazing thing he’d ever seen (which I suppose it was)! He’s been a devoted train fan ever since and probably the major reason I’m here at BPT.