# Lionel 6220 Bell Ringer - Bell stopped ringing



## Newtown Joe (Jan 30, 2013)

The bell was working fine. Then I needed to remove the cab to re-solder a wire to the motor. I put the cab back on and after a short time running, the bell stopped ringing. I took the cab off to investigate. I turned the wheels by hand and and saw a round disc turning. It has a nub on it that seems to trip the gong. When I put it back on the track it stops working again.

Is something loose? worn? need lubrication? cleaning?

Anyone familiar with this mechanism?


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## Newtown Joe (Jan 30, 2013)

A new twist. I took the mechanism apart and saw what I expected; a worm gear that turns the disc that activates the hammer. I cleaned and lubricated the parts. Now it works, but only in reverse?


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## Newtown Joe (Jan 30, 2013)

*Bell Ringer problem*

Did a little research on my own. I found there is a part called a pawl pin wheel. It has a gear that was worn in one spot and stopped turning at that point and the bell hammer stalled. This part is originally made of metal but would be hard to find. Luckily they made a replacement, but made of plastic. It's better than nothing.
I ordered two from Jeff the Train Tender as they are only $2.50 each.


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## rkenney (Aug 10, 2013)

Sounds like your doing a bang-up job with your 6220!

I always wanted one of those, How about you post some pictures for those of us who don't have one yet?:thumbsup:


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## Newtown Joe (Jan 30, 2013)

*Lionel 6220*

I will post some pics as soon as I get it back together.
:laugh:

I really miss the sound of that bell.


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## rkenney (Aug 10, 2013)

You can post some pictures of the mechanism - dis-assembled! some of the worn components!

I know what an assembled one looks like.:smokin:


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## Big Jim Mac (Dec 21, 2014)

Looks like you are doing what I am, searching for answers and eventually figuring them out! I'll share a little trick my dad often used when faced with a broken part like this. He would take a bar of soap and press the damaged gear into it, then rotate it just enough to put undamaged teeth were they can make an impression. Then he filled the "mold" with epoxy and let it set. He had a set of swiss jeweler's files that were perfect for a little clean up. He once fixed a gear on a Hasselblad camera ($$$$$ to get fixed) for my sister and she used it that way until she switched to digital.


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## Newtown Joe (Jan 30, 2013)

*Lionel 6220*

Wow! Pretty creative. 
I just search until I find a replacement. Someone somewhere has the part you need. It's just requires time and patience.


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## Newtown Joe (Jan 30, 2013)

*Liuonel 6220 - Pawl Pin Wheel*

OK, here's that bad boy. I think the problem can be easily seen in Pic 004 (worn shiny area loses contact with worm gear, wheel stops turning and nub doesn't hit pawl that rings bell). Now it all makes sense.


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

Newtown Joes song,

Clang, clang, clang went Joe's trolley
Ding, ding, ding went Joe's bell
Zing, zing, zing went Joe's Lionel

Chug, chug, chug went Joe's motors
Bump, bump, bump went Joe's brake
Thump, thump, thump went Joe's heart

Buzz, buzz, buzz went Joe's buzzer
Plop, plop, plop went Joe's wheels
Stop, stop, stop breaking, was Joe's plead to his trains

As he started to go
Then Joe started to know
How it feels
When the Lionel won't go

As he started to leave
He took hold of his sleeve
And wiped the tears from his cheeks

Joe's Lionel were alive again!


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## Newtown Joe (Jan 30, 2013)

*Newtown Joe's song*

Very touching,
thanks.

:appl:


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## Newtown Joe (Jan 30, 2013)

*Lionel 6220 Bell Ringer is ringing again*

Here she is, but now I have bigger problems on my layout.(see pics).


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## sjm9911 (Dec 20, 2012)

Hes chasing ed for stealing his song! Kidding ed summed it up well. 
Newtown , what is that contraption attached to the lockon?


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## Newtown Joe (Jan 30, 2013)

sjm9911 said:


> Hes chasing ed for stealing his song! Kidding ed summed it up well.
> Newtown , what is that contraption attached to the lockon?


A really bad attempt to light the Billboard. It looks worse on closeup view.
It doesn't have it's own light.

I'm open to suggestions.


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## sjm9911 (Dec 20, 2012)

something like this? Newtown I know you like simple and old school stuff so how about this. Buy a few of the light bases. EBay , maybe the train tender has them? Run the lock on behind the sign, run the wire under the sign. Block the light base with a dollar store tree and a few bushes or rocks. The trees and bush stuff was bought at a dollar tree. The light bases are a buck or so. I've got those bases all over my layout hooked up to a dedicated transformer. There also good for illuminating houses etc.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

I'd probably put three LED's along the bottom frame shining up to illuminate it. You can scuff them up with sandpaper to disperse the light more evenly.


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## sjm9911 (Dec 20, 2012)

I could be wrong but I think Newtown likes the simple stuff. I agree , LEDs are the way to go. But they can be intimidating to some, me included. Someday.......


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## Newtown Joe (Jan 30, 2013)

I think to secret here is to surround the bulb with something else so you can't see it.
OK, I got my assignment for today.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

LED's really aren't complicated to use, and for many jobs they're superior to trying to do it with incandescents.


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## rkenney (Aug 10, 2013)

Lionel also makes an illuminated billboard 6-14100. It is sold as a 'blinking light' billboard, but simply changing the bulb cures that.

I don't know if the 'light fixture' is available separately or as a part but it does look like an add on.









(Shameless self promotion)


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## rkenney (Aug 10, 2013)

Here's the same billboard illuminated with a three LED strip. 









Very easy to work with. Cut in strips of three (might want six for the billboard), resistor built in, 12 volts dc. Spool of 300 is less than 10 bucks on E-bay w/free shipping.









Might also want to mount them above the sign rather than my mock-up below.


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## sjm9911 (Dec 20, 2012)

Nice billboard bob. Can you show how the leds are powered and what you have them hook up? 
I was going to show some other billboard ideas but cant post pics for some reason? American flyer makes a nice illuminated billboard . Some have whistles or horns. You could also try a yard light. It looks cool. Last is just paint a fitted peice of plexiglass, pain it a light color, add some graphics,( I just lettered mine lionel lines) then I backlit It with a bulb. Ill try to post pic later.


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

Why do you have blue bubble gum stuck to the rails?


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## rkenney (Aug 10, 2013)

Simple DC supply. About 12vdc


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## Newtown Joe (Jan 30, 2013)

*Blue bubble gum*



big ed said:


> Why do you have blue bubble gum stuck to the rails?


It's locktight. My layout is on a vinyl floor so I use it to hold stuff in place. Yeah, I wish it came in grey to match my flooring. 

I've learned never to take closeup pictures of your layout in bright light.


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## sjm9911 (Dec 20, 2012)

Finally pictures.


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## Newtown Joe (Jan 30, 2013)

*Blue Bubble Gum*



big ed said:


> Why do you have blue bubble gum stuck to the rails?


OK, since I discovered track clips I no longer use loctite and it's all removed.


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## Rabbitman (Jan 24, 2014)

Big Jim Mac said:


> Looks like you are doing what I am, searching for answers and eventually figuring them out! I'll share a little trick my dad often used when faced with a broken part like this. He would take a bar of soap and press the damaged gear into it, then rotate it just enough to put undamaged teeth were they can make an impression. Then he filled the "mold" with epoxy and let it set. He had a set of swiss jeweler's files that were perfect for a little clean up. He once fixed a gear on a Hasselblad camera ($$$$$ to get fixed) for my sister and she used it that way until she switched to digital.


 Man that sounds like a great idea, I'm gonna remember that one.


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## FM Trainmaster (Nov 13, 2013)

Newtown Joe said:


> Did a little research on my own. I found there is a part called a pawl pin wheel. It has a gear that was worn in one spot and stopped turning at that point and the bell hammer stalled. This part is originally made of metal but would be hard to find. Luckily they made a replacement, but made of plastic. It's better than nothing.
> I ordered two from Jeff the Train Tender as they are only $2.50 each.



Modern Lionel philosophy, "the metal ones wore out frequently enough that we offer a replacement part, but just not quickly enough. Perhaps we can have them wear out 10x faster, if we just make the same gear out of plastic."


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Newtown Joe (Jan 30, 2013)

*Pawl Pin Wheel*



FM Trainmaster said:


> Modern Lionel philosophy, "the metal ones wore out frequently enough that we offer a replacement part, but just not quickly enough. Perhaps we can have them wear out 10x faster, if we just make the same gear out of plastic."
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


OK, so the metal one lasted 65yrs and they are now almost impossible to get. The plastic one should last at least 5yrs, by your prediction. They cost $2.50 each and I bought two, so that's 10 years for $5.00. I'm OK with that.


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

The fiber gear just might last longer than the metal gear did.

Sometimes a fiber gear is used so that it will break before something else does, therefore causing less damage and less money to fix.


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## Newtown Joe (Jan 30, 2013)

big ed said:


> The fiber gear just might last longer than the metal gear did.
> 
> Sometime a fiber gear is used so that it will break before something else does, therefore causing less damage and less money to fix.


Sounds like a win/win to me.


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