Rail

Decades of hands-on experience in the rail sector

Traction motors are the backbone of every train, and when they’re not performing, neither is your fleet. At Mawdsleys, we specialise in keeping DC traction motors running like clockwork — with rapid turnarounds, rigorous standards, and zero compromises on quality.

With decades of hands-on experience in the rail sector, our engineers provide emergency repairs, expert fault diagnosis, rewinds, and full overhauls for all major traction motor types and associated equipment. Whether it’s a single breakdown or a planned fleet overhaul, we respond fast — because we know that every minute matters.

And when off-the-shelf won’t cut it, we design and manufacture bespoke motors in-house, tailored precisely to your performance specs.

DC Motors Repair, Rewind and Overhaul

Traction motors are made to and subject to frequent high torque loads, long operating hours, and harsh environments. Left unchecked, that stress leads to issues that can derail performance:

Commutator wear from overloading or incorrect brushgear
Carbon brush degradation, leading to sparking and armature damage
Bearing failures from poor lubrication, misalignment or overload
Vibration-related faults including winding damage and brush wear

Traction motor overhaul process

Our traction motor overhaul process is fast, thorough, and engineered to extend motor life:

Full incoming inspection
Complete disassembly and component analysis
Deep steam clean and grit blast
Bearing replacement with OEM-quality parts
Repaint and rebuild to as-new condition
Final testing to verify performance under load

Every motor leaves our workshop fully tested, fully certified, and ready for service.

Fully equipped in-house workshop

Our Bristol-based workshop is built for heavy-duty performance — curing ovens, balancing rigs, vibration analysis tools, a full rewinding department, machine shop and more. This allows us to complete even complex overhauls entirely in-house — with no subcontracting delays or quality risks.

Spare Parts on the Shelf

We carry an extensive stock of traction motor spares — including carbon brushes, slip rings, brush rings, seals, bearings and more — and we can manufacture or repair critical components like: