# Frustrated and sick and alco ruined



## ChopperCharles (Jan 3, 2012)

I have a nice 360 dual-motor alco. Well, yesterday for no reason at all, the forward motor wouldn't spin. Got nothing, barely a buzz, it would move freely if i spun the armature so it wasn't binding. I pulled both armatures and swapped them. I got a wisp of smoke, and neither motor moved. Swapped them back, and now neither motor moves. What did I just do? How do I test armatures and field coils?

Charles.


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

The middle tab on the top menu here has a wiring diagram for the Alco ... check that first, maybe?

http://www.rfgco.com/wiringdiagrams.html

TJ


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## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

What happened the first time? When it does you stop and think. OK one engine stopped working. Did you do ANYTHING before that time that would cause it. Track? Transformer? Screw diver on track? A car derailed? WHY did it happen?

This is the crucial time to figure it out. TO answer your question there is one test, it works or it doesn't. I can't recall any idiosyncrasy about that motor. The field has to be centered and that is done with adjusting screws. The springs need to be installed to add tension, Hopefully the gears are fine. If I could not think of why it happened I would suspect a bad solder or wire. Those motors run so nice too!. To check for a bad ground run power to a coil and see if the metal plates have a contact. The armature shaft should be insulated from each of the armature plates. All the armature plates need to be connected. You can check that with an ohm meter or a bulb and battery.

Another guess is the engine passed over a block and the transformers were not phased and you fried the motor. Either that or it was to old and had it,s time.

Look for a short you must of did something. Most of the time I can trace it to something that I just did. Accidentally or intentionally.


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## Reckers (Oct 11, 2009)

When T-Man Rex speaks, we all listen!!!


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## AF296 (Feb 29, 2012)

Hey Charles: Read your thread the other day, didn't have time to answer till now.. 
First you need to check both armatures and fields.. Use a Multi Meter to check the resistance of the fields and armatures. Field coils only should ring out somewhere
between 2.5 and 2.7 ohms.. The armatures should ring out 2.2 and 2.4 between all
3 segments. If you don't get a reading anywhere, you have an open winding.. Mail me back and let me know what your results are....


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