[Boodysaspie]

I've got an analogue HST (R370, I believe) and I decided to treat it to a CD motor and LED lights upgrade.

Before I started, I ran a few tests and I think the Ringfield was doing OK - it happily crawled around a small loop at just 2.5V PWM, and pulled over 1.6kg of wagons filled with coins. In fact I was so impressed that I decided to ignore the CD motor upgrade and just fit the LEDs.

Off came the body. First job was to bypass the diode so that the LEDs would get juice in both directions, and then I soldered the "bulb" wires to the LED board. Back on the track to test, and ... dead as a dodo.

Out came the bogie and out came the motor for a Deep Clean. Press a known-good PP3 to the springy plates which hold the brushes in and ... still dead as a dodo.

I would scratch my head at this point, but I'm as thick as two short planks when it comes to sparks and I don't want any splinters. If anyone can tell me where I went wrong, I'll be your BFF 😍

 

[34C]

Welcome aboard, and I cannot be certain from your description what has happened. I suspect that in 'bypassing the diode' you may have created a short circuit which means there's no power available.

First question that will help make progress: do the newly installed LED's light up when power is applied?

If not then you haven't killed the motor, it's simply not getting power.

The person you will want as BFF isn't me, I haven't looked at a ringfield motor in decades, but hopefully there will be someone knowledgeable here to advise.

 

[Boodysaspie]

Ahh, an in-depth idiot. Just what the doctor ordered

I bypassed the diode simply by soldering a "shunt" wire in parallel with it, but I've eliminated the pickups / wiring / diode / LEDs by taking the motor out of the bogie.

The simple way I know to test a "bare" bogie is to hold a PP3 battery against the brush covers, and this doesn't have any effect.

 

[Boodysaspie]

Fixed, somehow. I took it to bits again, re-assembled it and ... it works (until next time). Id 10T error

 

[chalkykpoatdz]

Fixed, somehow. I took it to bits again, re-assembled it and ... it works (until next time). Id 10T error

Great. Looks like you are your own BFF.