QUOTE (flyingscotsman @ 26 Jan 2007, 05:02)
<{POST_SNAPBACK}>I tried using a wire tie to tighten everything together, which worked for a little while (maybe 20 minutes), but after it hit the 3% grade a few times, it gave out and started to rev like a car with the clutch pressed down.
Oh Dear,..Sorry to sound like a harbinger of doom, now,the gears
may just have come out of mesh,but [and this is a worst-case scenario],it sounds as though it has stripped the gears...,an occurence not entirely unknown with the Hornby Chinese chassis..
,remove the small plate covering the worm and the rear motor retaining bracket and lift out the motor [it will invariably have a blob of black mastic sticky stuff underneath,- between the motor and the chassis block]so you can inspect the damage..
If you're lucky just the two-stage gear will be affected,but more likely the brass worm on the motor will be a concave shape where the centre has stripped off..
,I've encountered a few chassis suffering from this..
If this is the case then both the motor,part no.X4026,and the gearset,part no.X8849 will have to be replaced..
See service sheet
A4 service sheet
If it's still in warranty,an email to Hornby should yield results,-if you can't return it to the point of sale,that is.
I hope this is of some assistance...