Bachmann Handcar Motor

[PeterT]

This is the motor from a Christmas Gandy Dancer with 2 trailers. I have 4 of them in pieces, and most have cracked gears and broken studs for screws. I did find one chassis with ‘good’ gears.

Now I need to find a good motor! One smokes as it spins from the commutator, and the other one (pictured) spins but the brushes get very hot.
Am I right in thinking that things get hot when they have electrical resistance?

I think I am going to have to take the brushes out and clean everything. Unless someone has a better idea?

[Cliff_Jennings]

Your resistance = heat idea seems good. Personally, I cringe in thinking about taking that apart, but I’m sure you’re vastly better in putting such things back together then I. Before that effort though, perhaps spraying with Deoxit might give some remedy?

[mickey (Mickey Kelley)]

I and the kids always loved the Christmas Gandy but they always failed. I gave up after getting several. And yes the screw post always failed. But not parts available to fix that and seems was a failure point on all of them. Gears and screw posts. I’m sure it was cheap plastics which Bachman had on several items.