My Flying Scotsman

[Carlp]

My Flying Scotsman loco is about 20 years old, it runs nicely, better now that I gave it a service after it sitting around for doing nothing for 15 years.
As I was checking, cleaning and lubricating it, I got to wondering why the motor was in the tender? I believe earlier models had the motor in the loco itself.

Any ideas anyone?

[Brian]

Newer models have loco drive motors. Hornby used Tender drive with Ringfield motors for a considerable number of years from around the 1970's/80s as the motor was too large to fit inside the loco body. There were two Ringfield motors used 3 pole and 5 pole and then differing means of applying power to the motor from the wheels. Some had one set of loco wheels and return via the opposite sides tender wheels, Others (later versions) used loco wheel pick up on both sides. Traction tyres were usually fitted to one side of the tender wheels to increase pulling traction.
Tender drive locos are often suspectable to skidding along the track should the locos motion lock up. Most unrealistic operation IMO. Loco drive is always best whenever possible. Tender drive is no longer used by Hornby.

[Carlp]

Newer models have loco drive motors. Hornby used Tender drive with Ringfield motors for a considerable number of years from around the 1970's/80s as the motor was too large to fit inside the loco body. There were two Ringfield motors used 3 pole and 5 pole and then differing means of applying power to the motor from the wheels. Some had one set of loco wheels and return via the opposite sides tender wheels, Others (later versions) used loco wheel pick up on both sides. Traction tyres were usually fitted to one side of the tender wheels to increase pulling traction.
Tender drive locos are often suspectable to skidding along the track should the locos motion lock up. Most unrealistic operation IMO. Loco drive is always best whenever possible. Tender drive is no longer used by Hornby.

Thanks for that, interesting stuff. I wondered about the traction tyres too, I couldn’t get my head round those at first, I had to buy some new ones’cos the original pair kept coming off.