Tri-ang 00 gauge,

So today I was gifted some trains
They were my wife's uncles, he was cleaning out the loft and thought I would like them........... To say I'm happy is an understatement!
They are all 60's tri-ang rolling stock and trains, he said he used to run them when he was a boy. It almost feels like I own a piece of history! I tried giving the loco A run today, but unfortunatly it looks like the motors succumbed to the ravage of time, luckily I can get a spare from eBay. I don't know how the track works it didn't come with a power supply or anything but it doesn't matter, as its 00 gauge and I already have a 00' Hornby set from when I was a child. I don't know what my plans are with this yet, I would like to get the loco running first then maybe make a layout or something!

Anyway, here are the pictures

Nice one Tramp, some of the old Triang stuff is very well made, all metal and solid locomotives, or at least even if the body is plastic odds are the chassis will be metal. It depends on the age

You'll find that the old loco's will run on the same track as the modern loco's as well as being able to use the same power supply with the older track, so long as you have either a power connector for the track or the piece of track you'd normally attach a power supply to. If you don't you could always solder some wires to the underside of a convenient piece to run to your hornby power supply/controller

[Ucwepn]

The older track has succumb to the ravages of time and is possibly why the loco is not working, these trains are very simple to fix and service probably the same level of skill as a Trackmaster/plarail train. There are many videos on YT about how to service triang locos I have done many myself that were bought as "non runners". 1st try applying power directly to the motor.

Depending on the age it may be one with a seperate armature and brushes rather than a can motor, but even then you can still get spare brushes if needed from Hornby themselves I believe

[Ucwepn]

Nigels is correct it is the version with open motor where the brushes contact the commutator via a wire spring.

[Super]

Very cool Tramp

Tramp, if you find you need parts for it drop me a PM, as I live in the UK I'm possibly better placed to get them for you unless of course you're in the UK also

Thanks for all the advice, I've had the cover off the engine (it is the open frame motor - the x04 with brushes and a spring clip) and even with 9v directly on the motor brushes we don't have any life, I've checked continuity between the 3pole armature segments and all seems ok, even with a commutator clean the motor operation is at best intermittent! I'll give it another dose of looking at tomorrow, I'm tempted to buy some new brushes, but with brushes being half the price of known good motor I don't know if I should just swap in a new 'old' motor.
Yes Nigel, they do seem really robust and heavy with all their metal parts, in the first picture you can see the Oval of 00 gauge track that came in a Hornby set from the 90's, I was pulling the rolling stock with my shunting 0-4-0 but it could hardly manage the x2 coaches, the 0-4-0 was just too light and didn't have the traction,
Thanks for that Ucwepns, I haven't used the old track yet, the fish plates look a little crusty and the rail itself looks like it could do with some work before its useable as Nigel's said, I'll probable have to solder some droppers onto a piece of track so I can plug my speed controller in., I do quite like the older track though, it has a nice vintage feel to it.
Thank you for the Offer Nigel, but I'm in the UK too so it shouldn't be too much of a problem getting the bits, it's nice to you would be willing to help though!
As I said, I'll try had have a fettle again tomorrow, and I'll see if I can get it running, my plan is to give the comm another clean and clear the insulation between the comm segments. hopefully It will run again!

[Ucwepn]

if the motor feels tired and all the continuity of the armature wires is all ok then the magnet could need remagnetizing.

Might be better just to see if you can get new magnets and/or good motor - I'd be inclined to contact Hornby, you never know they may still have new units available. I know the cost may seem over the top for such an old engine, but sometimes sentimental value out-weighs the cost

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It's interesting to see that the old track comes with a plastic base with the roadbed - much like the current Kato 'Uni-Track' whereas the new/current Hornby track is just the plain metal rails on plastic sleepers type more like the Peco track.

It seems almost a retro step rather than an improvement. I'm guessing their argument would be its what the public wants as the modellers want to use loose ballast when creating a layout for realism - which is probably true - but at the same time I can't help but think the 'Uni-Track' type system is more useful to beginners or kids who want to just set it up, play, take it apart, etc... after all the recent Marklin sets I posted about use track with a roadbed. I'm betting the truth is the current type of track is cheaper to produce, personally I think they should put the old style track in with beginner sets and sell the current type seperately for those who want it.