Subject:
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Re: HELP! Train motors dead and dieing!
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.trains
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Date:
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Fri, 14 Nov 2003 12:48:21 GMT
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Viewed:
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1301 times
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In lugnet.trains, Chris Phillips wrote:
> In lugnet.trains, Peter Ehrlich wrote:
> > Hello all,
> >
> > I've already cleaned all me tracks with alcohol to no avail. Please! help
> > anybody, before the have to get another and IT lasts only 10-18 months.
Alcohol contains water, which corrodes the metal rail (and the joints between
the track sections as well)
> Did you also clean the wheels on the train motor? You could try lightly buffing
> the rails with steel wool, although you should be careful to vacuum up all the
> metal filings if you do so. And make sure that you clean the portion of the
> rails where they make contact with the next rail section, or else the voltage
> can drop significantly as you get farther away from the transformer hook-up
> leads.
Do not use steel wool on your track, as it scratches the surface of the rail and
leaves pits where more dirt can collect. What do I recommend? Toilet paper is
very gentle on metal/plastic surfaces and leaves no scratches...all you have to
do is use a little elbow grease.
>
> Another question, have you put a lot of hours onto these motors? I am wondering
> if the electrical contacts inside the motor that run against the inside of the
> wheels may have gotten worn out or dirty. If so, you MIGHT be able to bend them
> to get better contact or clean them with alcohol if you don't mind disassembling
> the motor and voiding your warranty. (See Tom Cook's excellent DCC Page at
> http://www.lgauge.com/trains/dcc/dcc.htm for pictures and instructions on how to
> disassemble a train motor.)
>
> It is not uncommon for different motors to run at different speeds even when
> they are brand new. This is why I discourage people from running multiple
> motors in the same train - they are practically guaranteed to work against each
> other.
Likewise, I've also stuck to the 'one motor per train rule'
-HRH
>
> I am also not sure how steep of a grade you are using, but even a very minor
> uphill grade can seriously impact the speed of a heavy train. Also watch out
> for S curves and other track layouts that may add drag.
>
> Best of luck!
>
> - Chris.
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Message is in Reply To:
 | | Re: HELP! Train motors dead and dieing!
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| (...) Did you also clean the wheels on the train motor? You could try lightly buffing the rails with steel wool, although you should be careful to vacuum up all the metal filings if you do so. And make sure that you clean the portion of the rails (...) (21 years ago, 13-Nov-03, to lugnet.trains)
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