06-12-2011, 03:36 AM
Black streaks that are oily (you can wipe them off with your finger or soft cloth?) perhaps?
It sounds to me that your engine is over lubricated... I'd clean it out thoroughly, use some non agressive contact cleaner in a spray can(the kind that evaporates fast and feels really cold) , you should be able to get that from your 'local' Radio Shack or similar. Usually they come with a small red tube that attaches to the nozzle to give you more control on where it's going. Careful when attaching it, you don't want this stuff in your eyes! (also, DON'T aim it at your motor, it is intended to clear dirt and carbon residue, there are carbon brushes in your motor, which you DON'T want to damage) Then keep cleaning, and when done then lubricate if needed & use only the tiniest amount on the gears only. I'm talking the size of a small grain of rice on the worm gear and similar on the gear of the axle furthest away from that worm gear. The gear tower is then lubricated on both sides and the running will distribute it all evenly. Only lubricate the gears when they're dry though, if they're still a bit oily, leave them alone, it will last a long time.
The wheel bearings are likely made of bronze or some bronze alloy, which are a bit 'self lubricating' to a certain degree, so no need to lube these. A bit of leakage oil from the gears will probably lubricate them good enough anyway. A little goes a long way. Your track may also have the tiniest layer of oil because of this, and as soon as you run an engine, it will pick it up again. If you don't have a cleaner, use a bit of dilluted detergent (washing up liquid) on a cloth, and wipe of your rails that way. That also contains a degreaser. This will further help, and may even smell clean and soapy. (roses, lemons, whatever :-) )
Make sure it's all nice and dry before you run a train again.
It is possible that this is not at all your fault, but I've had an engine that I lubricated years ago, and did not use for ages. It sat in it's box and was stored properly. This meant that the engine had been laying on one side, and all the oil/grease etc slowly leaked to one side over the years. I ended up with really greasy wheels on one side and not on the other. Cleaning the whole thing out took a while but she's as good as new.
Good luck Justin. If you're stuck, perhaps a local hobby shop, or other model railroader in your area can help you give your loco a bit of TLC. The BLI's are nice locos. I don't own any yet, but seen some in action, and they're normally great.
Koos
It sounds to me that your engine is over lubricated... I'd clean it out thoroughly, use some non agressive contact cleaner in a spray can(the kind that evaporates fast and feels really cold) , you should be able to get that from your 'local' Radio Shack or similar. Usually they come with a small red tube that attaches to the nozzle to give you more control on where it's going. Careful when attaching it, you don't want this stuff in your eyes! (also, DON'T aim it at your motor, it is intended to clear dirt and carbon residue, there are carbon brushes in your motor, which you DON'T want to damage) Then keep cleaning, and when done then lubricate if needed & use only the tiniest amount on the gears only. I'm talking the size of a small grain of rice on the worm gear and similar on the gear of the axle furthest away from that worm gear. The gear tower is then lubricated on both sides and the running will distribute it all evenly. Only lubricate the gears when they're dry though, if they're still a bit oily, leave them alone, it will last a long time.
The wheel bearings are likely made of bronze or some bronze alloy, which are a bit 'self lubricating' to a certain degree, so no need to lube these. A bit of leakage oil from the gears will probably lubricate them good enough anyway. A little goes a long way. Your track may also have the tiniest layer of oil because of this, and as soon as you run an engine, it will pick it up again. If you don't have a cleaner, use a bit of dilluted detergent (washing up liquid) on a cloth, and wipe of your rails that way. That also contains a degreaser. This will further help, and may even smell clean and soapy. (roses, lemons, whatever :-) )
Make sure it's all nice and dry before you run a train again.
It is possible that this is not at all your fault, but I've had an engine that I lubricated years ago, and did not use for ages. It sat in it's box and was stored properly. This meant that the engine had been laying on one side, and all the oil/grease etc slowly leaked to one side over the years. I ended up with really greasy wheels on one side and not on the other. Cleaning the whole thing out took a while but she's as good as new.
Good luck Justin. If you're stuck, perhaps a local hobby shop, or other model railroader in your area can help you give your loco a bit of TLC. The BLI's are nice locos. I don't own any yet, but seen some in action, and they're normally great.
Koos
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