Trollies

[ralph13050]

I have several Bachmann trollies that have run briefly when I get them and then do not run at all.  I have tried the routine wheel cleaning, contact cleaning, and lubrication, but nothing more involved.  Is there a common problem ( contact with the rails; a frail wire; etc.) that I need to address?  I would like to get all of them running in a manner that they stay running and are not a problem.  I am using a good quality power pack and everything else works, including other Bachmann locomotives.

[RGW]

Do the have white axle gears? If they do they may have cracked (very common) which will cause them to bind.The wheels will turn but will bind when they get to the crack.
If the is the case you need new wheels with black gears or if it is only one axle you could remove the gear and sleeve it,but this will reduce pulling power.

[brokemoto]

The newer issue (in the plastic box) have the more durable gears.  You could also buy B-mann's Peter Witt streetcar, which operates much better.

More than one person has informed me that the Peter Witt was unique to Baltimore.  If true, that would be the one drawback to it.  Other than that, it runs very nicely.

[ajc]

I have a black geared Brill Trolley which runs perfectly in one direction and then runs in the other direction and stops. It then won't run in any direction. There is an exploded diagram of the Brill Trolley and instructions for lubrication and maintenance plus trouble shooting tips in the box. The metal wheels are clean. I would like to know how to carefully remove the body so I can inspect the motor mechanism and gears to hopefully rectify this problem.
Thanks,
ajc

[inkaneer]

The newer issue (in the plastic box) have the more durable gears.  You could also buy B-mann's Peter Witt streetcar, which operates much better.

More than one person has informed me that the Peter Witt was unique to Baltimore.  If true, that would be the one drawback to it.  Other than that, it runs very nicely.

Baltimore did have them but the real Peter Witt was a Cleveland Railway commissioner so you could expect to find them in Cleveland.  Actually they were used in many cities to include Chicago, St. Louis, Toronto, Dallas, Detroit, Los Angeles, Buffalo, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Rochester Louisville and Syracuse to name a few.  In addition they were also used in Europe [Naples, Milan and Rurin] as well as in Mexico, Australia and Russia.  These cars were built by a number of builders to include Brill, St. Louis Car Co, Cincinnatti Car Co and others.  The Peter Witt cars originated in about 1915 and preceeded the PCC cars which originated in the 1930's.