Marx 1666 sparking heavily

[panzerpete75]

First post.

I am trying to fix a Marx 1666 engine. I lubircated the bearings with sewing machine oil, greased the gears, cleaned the brushes/commutator, wheels and pickup with contact cleaner and wiped dry, sprayed the reverser with contact cleaner and let air dry, and cleaned the original O-27 track with the cleaner as well. The loco runs with plenty of sparking with just a tender and caboose for about two minutes, and then studders and halts. After another cleaning and just the loco running by itself, half speed was enough for it to leave the track! Because of this, I believe that the wheels on the cars must be reapplying the dirt to the track, then to the engine. Any way to clean the wheels on the cars? Most of them are the plastic post-war ones that came in the set, with one tin-plate 7 inch caboose I acquired beforehand, all with metal wheels. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

[Sturgeon-Phish]

If the wheels are the source of the tracks getting dirty, a wire wheel in a dremel will do the metal wheels.  The plastic wheels can be cleaned with a plastic cleaner and a tooth brush.  If you have very dirty plastic wheel and a light touch, a nylon bristle brush in your dremel will remove the dirt, just go very easy

Jim

[TrainLarry]

A rag soaked in Naphtha will clean the track.

Heavy encrusted dirt on the wheels can be scraped off using an X-Acto knife and after that, use Q-Tips dipped in Naphtha to finish cleaning all the wheels.

 

Larry