Cleaning Wheels


Scott, try this experiment. Set up about six sections of straight track and connect it to your powerpack with some alligator clips. Run the same engines up and down this temporary track and see how they do. If they run well, it's time to start finding out where your power feed problems are on the layout. Break out a good ohmmeter and start checkeng for continuity in every rail and rail joiner. I'm betting you have a power feed problem somewhere.
 
Jim - I ran my Digital test meter on several spots..they all read the same, since its such a small RR I really didnt think that would have been the problem, but I checked anyhow cause ya just never know! Thanks for the Suggestion!

Rex - no I hadnt. Honestly I didnt know how to pull the shell off the Atlas Mp15dc.. not terribly hard but not easy either. I took it totally apart and cleaned everything...wheels..the pickups..and put it all backtogether, added some lube to the bearboxes and worm gears...seems to do better, but im going to clean a bit more on the track just to be absolutely sure that im not gonna have to go thru this again in a week!

Thanks For the Input! I still gotta clean the BLI - Should be fun its got more wheels! :eek:
 
Scott, I once was reluctant to pull the cover off of the truck wheels and do a proper cleaning. My idea was just to spray with contact cleaner and that would take care of it. Well, it may have helped but the problem is the spray also knocks off the grease from the wheel gears and even the main drive. Nothing happened because of this, but could have eventually. So, always bite the bullet and not take short cuts, as I did. ;) :)
 
Cant figure out how to get the sideframes off the BLI - figured seombdoy around here would have pulled em apart before??
 
4Starcstms said:
Cant figure out how to get the sideframes off the BLI - figured seombdoy around here would have pulled em apart before??
Click to expand...
Are you talking about the truck sideframes?

I found it best to first take the bottom plate off. It has a clip retainer in each end that you have to push together and then the plate lifts up. (Then you can service the gears, pickups, etc.)

The side frames are held in place by the end beams that goes from side to side. It is a pressure snap-fit; just gently pry apart.

Careful and slow or you will have wheels going everywhere. In fact, I would only take one side off at a time. ;)

This what you need?:)
 
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I got my old Athearn BB HO cars and locos out of a 20 year storage and tried to clean them up. I wanted to setup a simple loop on my ping pong top for my nephew for Christnas. The Athearn loco wheels were oxidised and needed a good cleaning. I tried an old t-shirt soaked in TV tuner cleaner ontop of a section of track and aligator clip jumper wires for power, the results were minimal. Also I realised after doing the second loco that some of the wheels slipped. Upon taking them apart 80% of the drive gears that the two wheel halves slide into were cracked right down the middle. Well I don't know if it was age, they are over 20 years old, or the pressure of cleaning did the damage. I think they are just getting brittle from age. I will get some replacement gears at the hobby store. I ended up taking the wheel halves and chucking them in my Makita drill. Then I used mag aluminum wheel polish and an old sock and spun them in the drill while I polished. The drill does all the work and they come out better than new. They look like high end plated wheels.

Jerry
 
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