RE-MAGNETISING OPEN FRAME MOTORS

Welcome back to railway modelling! I started again about 5 years ago after a nearly 40 year break and have been amazed at the improvement in 'Ready to run' models in that period.

There are also alternatives these days to making your own remagnetiser. See for example New magnets in old locomotives about replacement magnets made of modern materials. There are also a mumber of people who can remagnetise for you, which may be quicker than making your own remagnetiser. See adverts in the model railway journals for 'Locorepair', 'The Engine Works' and 'Scalespeed' (www.scalespeed.co.uk).
You may also find www.modelspares.com of interest if you need Hornby/Triang spare parts for any of your models.

About the articles on making a remagnetiser, I have never read Model Railroader, but can say that no such article has appeared in Railway Modeller in the past 5 years at least.

Regards,
John Webb

One important lesson that I learned many years ago through bitter experience is that you must never dismantle a Hornby Dublo motor. Apparently it is essential that the lines of force are not interrupted.

I mentioned that I had a Hornby Dublo 2-6-4T engine that needed remagnetising to an engineer at a large company in Sheffield that speciallised in making huge powerful magnets. As a result I was invited to take it in to be remagnetised. They placed the motor between the magnetic poles of an enormous machine about 10 feet tall and pressed a button. There it was fully remagnetised and it still is to this day.

Some day I shall rewheel it using Markits wheels (with acknowledgements to a recent thread). It has been with me since about 1960, but I cannot run it on my code 75 track with its original wheels.

Colombo