Noisy Motor

Railway_Fan · Railway_Fan 10-09-2016, 12:52 AM Junior Member

I've had this Thomas for a few months now, and all of a sudden its motor has become very noisy. It sounds something like a plane, rather than a train. Is there any way I can fix it?

**ripley802** · **ripley802** 10-09-2016, 02:33 AM Moderator

You may just have something in the gear box. Sometimes a tiny grain of sand, salt, a rock, etc... Will get in there and cause issues. If you feel up to it, take the motor out of the chassis and have a look to see if there is anything visible in the drive gear. If not you may need to have a look inside the gearbox. Hope this helps.

**Super** · **Super** 10-09-2016, 04:39 AM Track Engineer

There is also a chance you may have a split gear. With the battery removed and the switch in the on position, can you spin the drive wheels?

Railway_Fan · Railway_Fan 10-09-2016, 04:40 AM Junior Member

(10-09-2016, 02:33 AM)ripley802 Wrote: You may just have something in the gear box. Sometimes a tiny grain of sand, salt, a rock, etc... Will get in there and cause issues. If you feel up to it, take the motor out of the chassis and have a look to see if there is anything visible in the drive gear. If not you may need to have a look inside the gearbox. Hope this helps.

I did take the motor a part, and I have removed the trapped hair. The noise is still there but, it sounds more quite however.

Railway_Fan · Railway_Fan 10-09-2016, 08:54 PM Junior Member

(10-09-2016, 04:43 PM)bitelet Wrote: Check to make sure that there is grease on the gears.

There was grease on the gears. I tried the motor again and it just won't work at all.

**Super** · **Super** 10-09-2016, 11:08 PM Track Engineer

When you say "won't work" do you mean you don't hear the motor at all or you hear the motor but the train doesn't move?

Railway_Fan · Railway_Fan 10-10-2016, 01:53 AM Junior Member

(10-09-2016, 11:08 PM)Super Wrote: When you say "won't work" do you mean you don't hear the motor at all or you hear the motor but the train doesn't move?

The motor won't work at all. I try to turn it on but nothing happens.

**ripley802** · **ripley802** 10-10-2016, 02:05 AM Moderator

You may have one of the gears in a bind. May need to take it back apart and test just the motor. I have an old battery box that I have attached two wires to so I can do this type of thing. It really helps to diagnose what the issue may be.

**Super** · **Super** 10-10-2016, 04:36 AM Track Engineer

When you say you took the motor apart do you mean that you just removed the motor shell, cleaned it and put it back in the chassis or you removed the motor shell, disassembled it and put it back together? Did you make sure that the metal negative tab is in contact with the metal in the chassis when placing the shell back in position? Of course if its not touching the motor will do nothing.

Railway_Fan · Railway_Fan 10-10-2016, 07:22 PM Junior Member

(10-10-2016, 04:36 AM)Super Wrote: When you say you took the motor apart do you mean that you just removed the motor shell, cleaned it and put it back in the chassis or you removed the motor shell, disassembled it and put it back together? Did you make sure that the metal negative tab is in contact with the metal in the chassis when placing the shell back in position? Of course if its not touching the motor will do nothing.

I disassembled the motor, took some parts from an old tomy motor, and reassembled it. I made sure that the metal tab is touching the metal in the chassis.