# Interesting LGB Stainz motor self destruction



## Spule 4 (Jan 2, 2008)

All-

While a friend was here, we were running some trains including an ancient (30+ year old) Stainz. All of the sudden, it stopped dead like rock, and no effort could turn the wheels.

Anyhow, after a Stainzectomy, it turns out the windings on the motor had come unspun? Looked like a birdnest insde the motor. Brushes and everything else were as new.

Anyone ever seen this before? In the many many LGB locos I own or have owned, never seen this before. At least I can get a new motor, and have a spare Stainz motorblock here anyhow from a garage sale find....


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## Dan Pierce (Jan 2, 2008)

Check out Train-Li for the motor. 
It takes the 62201 short shaft and the ball bearings at the end of the shaft need to be removed as the newer motor does not need them, in fact the ball bearings will cause problems if not removed.


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## Spule 4 (Jan 2, 2008)

Thanks Dan 

Yes, Axel has the motors at the best street prices around (nevermind his good customer service also) 

But I still want to find out the "why" behind the motor failure so it does not happen again.


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## Steve Stockham (Jan 2, 2008)

Wow, I've _never_ heard of that happening! Whatever caused it must have been something freakish! I wouldn't worry about it happening again as I doubt you could ever duplicate it even if you were trying!


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## SLemcke (Jun 3, 2008)

How about this. Over time the shellac covering the windings broke down, a few or more of the windings broke due to age and the motor spinning basically unwound the windings causing the birdnest. Motor locked. 
Steve


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## Trains West (Oct 4, 2008)

Posted By SLemcke on 02 Apr 2010 07:32 AM 
How about this. Over time the shellac covering the windings broke down, a few or more of the windings broke due to age and the motor spinning basically unwound the windings causing the birdnest. Motor locked. 
Steve 

this is what I have seen when stored in a hot dry place I have seen this twice and bothe where the same vintage at 30 or so


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## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

Never saw it on a motor that new. Grandpa Oliver's toy motor that he had played with when he was a boy, and I played with when I was a boy, I thought Caleb and Ethan might like to power their LEGO machines with it, but it did something similar.

(Grandpa Oliver was in WWI)


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## George Schreyer (Jan 16, 2009)

Is the wire "fuzz" a light brown or dark brown?


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## Spule 4 (Jan 2, 2008)

Normal wire color. It looks just like it came un-wound. Nothing burned, no smells, etc. Came off right where one of the windings ties into the armature (SP?).


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## George Schreyer (Jan 16, 2009)

Not burnt means that the wire binding didn't lose strength. 

Did only that pole unwind?


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## gtrainman (Jan 5, 2008)

Any photos?


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## Spule 4 (Jan 2, 2008)

Yes, only one pole. The loco was little used if at all when I got it too, but is form the 1970s. 

I will see what I can do about a picture....unfortunately, the new computer and the camera take different cards...


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## George Schreyer (Jan 16, 2009)

It appears that this started with a broken wire. The forces of rotation then started peeling that wire up in a hurry and it just unwound itself before the motor dragged itself to a stop.


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## pfdx (Jan 2, 2008)

It happens on diesel locomotives when a traction motor is overspun due to speed or wheel slip or after being overloaded multiple times and the connections to the commutator fail. The shop I saw one in called them "bird cage" motors because the heavy copper bars looked like a decorative bird cage smashed into a trach can. An equally inpressive sight were the flat spots on the wheels as the axle had locked up and slid until the unit shut down and the engineer stopped the train. 

It's fun how our toys take after the real thing.


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