# Samhongsa brass trains (voltage required)



## musicwerks (Jan 4, 2012)

Hi,

My samhongsa brass train 2-8-8-2 just arrived. However when I power it up with 12 V DC (lifelike and Bachmann powerpacks), there is no movement or even buzz of motor.

I am new to brass, can someone advise me what is the voltage required to run brass trains? Is my powerpack under-powered, cos the brass train is very much heavier? 

Help
Distressed
Kiong


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

I'm guessing it has a problem. I'm sure that 12V should move it.


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## shaygetz (Sep 23, 2007)

You should be able to run it with any standard HO pack...there are no special requirements to run brass---other than money  You either have a burnt motor or one that is seized from sitting as a shelf queen for too long. The other reason would be power pick up...either a broken or disconnected wire or corrosion on a key power pick up point. I always open them up and start from the motor with a 9V battery and alligator clips, working my way to each point in the circuit that is mechanical...like a rivet, screw or solder joint. It will show itself soon enough.:thumbsup: A good clean an lube is in order after that.


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## musicwerks (Jan 4, 2012)

Hi John and Shaygetz,

The loco is a powerhouse oriental limited 2-8-8-2. According to the tech guy supporting this ebay seller, he said this brand of brass model has poorer contact compared to the other brass models.

I managed to get the loco running for short distances eventually after getting the polarity right- its a loco current pickup and tender current return. 

It shorted out my life-like power pack when I got the polarity wrong, but luckily not the loco motor.

I figured its the poor contact between the engine body and the front articulated truck...I have sand away the paint at the contact point and clean it with alcohol hoping it improves conductivity. Performance is slightly better but the engine still stalls, esp when the track becomes too curved (22 inch radius) or when there is a slight gradient on the track at the road crossing causing the contact point to ride up and break the electrical current.

I once heard John Gray mentioned on Youtube that brass models are picky and need very good track work and stable track bed to run well 

Any insights? thank you very much.

Kiong


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## NIMT (Jan 6, 2011)

If the tender has a standard set of trucks on it Ring enginering makes a set of trucks the pick up power exceptionally well.
They also pick up both rails on one truck so it will help with the power pickup problem.


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## shaygetz (Sep 23, 2007)

Older brass is indeed finicky...it wasn't until the late 70s/early 80s when customers demanded quality drives for the money. Until then, most modelers were craftsmen and tinkerers who knew that poor drives went with the territory, remotors and regearing was just part of the fun--if they ran them at all. My NWSL 18 ton Shay from 1974 is a classic example, pickup is spotty, the first runs like mine did not drive the rear truck and the motor would make a TYCO engineer blush with all its pathetic bleating. 

A survey done back then showed that only 10% of the models ever made it to the track. This was discovered when PFM sold a model that was accidentally motored with a *1.5v *motor  When a recall offer was made, less than 10% of the owners took advantage of it.

Nowadays you have a RTR crowd that is not interested in tinkering, so the market has had to greatly improve the product to meet the demand. They've done this by reducing model runs from about 250 to less than 100, sometimes even 50, adding numerous bells and whistles like full lighting and paint and focusing on tuning the mechanisms more, all of which add greatly to the price of the unit.


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## musicwerks (Jan 4, 2012)

Thanks guys...I wonder if the brass is simply not worth the $ since it runs poorer than normal locos which can be bought at 1/2 the price (rivarossi) or even pay the same amount for a proto articulated.


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## shaygetz (Sep 23, 2007)

Brass is great for those locos that you know will never be mass modeled, like my Shay. There's a reason Rivarossis are called "Poor Man's Brass" and the P2K, Spectrum and Athearn Genesis lines just make it all the harder to justify the expense of brass.:thumbsup:


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