I have the HO athearn Union Pacific sd40-2 when I run it for about 20 laps it heats up to about 80 degress is this okay or is it bad.
Gas Man rr I have the HO athearn Union Pacific sd40-2 when I run it for about 20 laps it heats up to about 80 degress is this okay or is it bad.
Since this forum is US based, I'll assume you 80 degrees is in Fahrenheit. And I'll assume you're running it in a conditioned area. So the temperature increase is only about 15 degrees. that would not worry me a bit.
However, I doubt you'd even notice such a small increase. So, I've gotta think that you're wrong about the 80 degree (F) temperature.
In simple (and useable) terms, I'd say that if it feels "warm", it's OK. If it feels "hot", it's not. And you should DEFINITELY be able to keep your hand on it indefinitely.
Ed
Do you have any other units especially other BB ones to use as a comparison? As mentioned feeling "warm" is somewhat normal. If it actually is running "hotter" than it should, could be a variety of issues. Arcing brushes, minor binding in the drive (old stiff grease or shaft binds) continually stressing the unit w/ grades of long trains, even any poor wiring or connections resulting in high resistance could be factors.
Modeling B&O- Chessie Bob K. www.ssmrc.org
Lubrication of all moving parts would probably eliminate some of the heat buildup.