Interesting topic ....
In all the years I've been modelling and well over a hundred engines, I've never put them through a "break in" period. (?) Bought them, put them on the rails and put them into service.
I don't recall ever having any problems with any engine failures. As for lubrication, if anything, I find there's too much in the trucks from the factory. I've actually had this excess lubrication leach out to the axle contact strip which caused pick-up issues. The cure is to tear down the trucks completely and get rid of all that grease and put them back together. Today's slippery plastic gears really don't require any additional grease on them to work just fine.
Mark.
¡ uʍop ǝpısdn sı ǝɹnʇɐuƃıs ʎɯ 'dlǝɥ
Hi,
To repeat what you have already heard..........
The break in involves about an hour in each direction at varying speeds. Kind of like autos (or at least how they used to be), avoid sudden starts and stops and erratic movements of the throttle. Remember, you are not just breaking in a motor, but also all the mechanism from the motor down to the wheelsets.
ENJOY !
Mobilman44
Living in southeast Texas, formerly modeling the "postwar" Santa Fe and Illinois Central
Thank you for the replies!
Nic
Some running, say an hour, will polish the worms and worm gears, resulting in less friction than brand new. Less friction means less current for the same speed or more speed for the same current. I'd think this might make a difference in a speed matching operation.
Another reason for running in. If something is gonna break, it is likely to break early. Infant mortality we call it. Might as well have it break while the locomotive is still on warrantee, and you can still find the sales slip.
David Starr www.newsnorthwoods.blogspot.com
I'm not really sure where the recommendation started, but it has been said over and over that you should run a new locomotive at least one hour in each direction at various speeds to 'break it in.'
That may have been true with the old Athearn Blue Box locomotives, but I don't think it applies any more to newer models with can motors and much better gearing.
One thing I still do with a new model is to lubricate it before extended running, because they are not all sufficiently lubricated at the factory in China. Some importers have even stated that the factory avoids lubrication so it doesn't leak onto the packaging.
I just received my Intermountain ES44 Nickel Plate Road HO Gauge locomotive. Is there a "break in" process for new locomotives? Also, is there a certain amount of runtime I should run it before trying to speed sync it to my 765 Steamer?
Thanks for any help you can give!