Hello, I have a 400E with 400T Tender. I have not put it on the layout this year yet. I am going to put it on the layout this week and need help with it. I know I should lube it before use. Where are the lubing points on this loco?? Anything else I should do before operation?? What type of oil should I use?? Thanks.
As a rule, you want to oil or grease all points of friction. These include the gears on the motor and the ends of axles where they pass through the frames (all drive wheels, pilot and trailing truck wheels and all axles on the tender and cars in general). What to use is widely debated. I use Lionel Lubricant (grease), 3 in 1 oil and/or WD40.
You'll also want to ensure that all the wheels and pick-up rollers are clean. If they're not excessively dirty, you can clean them with denatured alcohol and a cotton swab. If the build-up is heavy, use something to scrape off the gunk first and then clean them with the alcohol. (For old rusty wheels I like to spin-polish them with a wire brush bit in my dremel tool.)
If it's an original Lionel 400E with an armature motor, and if you feel comfortable with the idea, the face of the commutator on the motor should also get a cleaning. The alcohol technique will work, but be careful not to get cotton fibers in the motor. Be sure to clean any gunk from between the commutator plates with a toothpick while you're at it.
These are just the basic maintenance techniques that have been around forever. I do them at least once a year to all equipment with armature motors and I oil the wheels that squeak and clean wheels if the engines start performing erratically.
Hope this helps!
Becky
Trains, trains, wonderful trains. The more you get, the more you toot!
A joint venture by MTH and Lionel, they have re-run the 400E under the name "Lionel Corporation".
You can Download the "Owners Manual" which includes the Lubrication of the engine.
Try this Link: http://www.mthtrains.com/content/10-1246-0
On the "Find IT" line then click on the "book symbol", the whole Manual will open.
Don U. TCA 73-5735
My recommendation for lube is 5W-20 motor oil. It doesn't ever dry out or get sticky. 3 in 1 oil, Lionel Lube, and WD-40 will all dry out and/or get sticky. I have 60 years of experience using motor oil. I have a 2025 that was in a box in the closet for 45 years. When I ran it last year for the first time in 45 years, it ran fine. It didn't need to have the dried grease removed because there wasn't any. It was lubed with Valvolene 20W-40 45 years ago.
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