I go way back with lionel trains but I picked up a HO train set years ago and since I was in the military and on the go a lot, I never opened it. Well being Christmas, my wife suggested I put a train under the tree. This is a @1974 southern Pacific daylight that is hitting the tracks for the first time and a newbie trying to figure it out.
I saw another thread suggesting alcohol to clean the tracks and I will try that tomorrow. I figured out all the connectors for the tracks (a circle has been made) and hooked up the transformer and I did get it to run 1/4 of the way around. I'm used to O/O-27 guage and they way the trains ride the rails.
Here the trains seem to be rubbing the ties as it goes over them. Is this normal or am I just not getting the wheels all on the tracks... Yes I brought in extra lights and put my glasses on but after I got the 1/4 trip it didn't want to do much more. lights come on but movement, not so much.
Well before I run down to the train store for enough O-guage track to make a circle for a 1953 A-B-A NYC to go around is there something else I can do that would make this run smoother?
Thanks ahead of time for a HO newbie... (I hope this is the right spot for this)
jeff FoliageHere the trains seem to be rubbing the ties as it goes over them. Is this normal or am I just not getting the wheels all on the tracks
Welcome to the forum. Yes, that is quite possible, although there are other possibilities. Some inexpensive train sets from that era came with wheels not in proper gauge, so that is another possibility. Do the cars without the loco roll smoothly when you push them by hand?
It's easier to get all the wheels on the rails until you get the hang of it if you have some straight track. So you might want to pick up a few sections of straight track if your set came with all curves.
It's also possible to slightly "kink" the connections between track sections -- which could also cause the train to jam, especially on the extra-tight curves typically included with train sets.
If you post the name and maker of the set here, it’s possible that someone may know something about it.
Good luck!
Layout Design GalleryLayout Design Special Interest Group
On an engine that long in storage the wheels may be dirty. Try cleaning the wheels on the engine. I prefer electronic contact cleaner for this. Or you can wet a paper towel with the alcohol and run the wheels of the engine and the tender over that. Also an engine that old may have bigger flanges that may catch on the ties with code 83 track. If you're using code 83 try code 100.
Good luck,
I would lubricate the locomotive, clean all the electrical contacts, and push it around the track by hand, looking for any places it could be binding.
Cleaning the rails will also be more than well worth your effort.
Jeff,
I started model trains with Lionel. Way back. Also way back, I changed over to HO.
HO is MUCH less forgiving than Lionel. When I dug up my old Lionel (from way back, remember), everything worked. You are talking about HO that's been sitting for 40 years. And which was probably not exactly high end to start with. I'm not surprised there's problems.
If you want to keep with the HO, you will be facing learning an awful lot more about maintenance than you probably want.
But I'm still in HO. There's an upside. For me, anyway.
Patience. Perseverance. And a delicate hand. All will get you far in HO.
Ed
If it's a 1974 HO train set, it almost certainly came with brass rails on the track. Brass tends to oxidize in a short period of time, after 40+ years I wouldn't be surprised if the track wasn't green! In the long run, you'll be best off to go get new HO track. I'd go to a local hobby shop and get some Kato Unitrack, maybe enough 19-1/4" radius tracks to make a curve, one 9" power connector straight, and a 4 pack of 9" straights.
http://www.katousa.com/HO/Unitrack/g-single.html
You can get also get similar "click" track (track that comes with ballast attached) made by Atlas or Bachmann. I'd advise not getting regular track or 'snap track' without the ballast strip.
You'll find the nickel silver track needs much less cleaning, and carries power from track section to track section better. Once you get that set up, and get all the train's wheels on the track, it probably will run with no problem. I'd advise starting with just the engine; once you get it running, let it run maybe 10 min. in one direction, then run it in reverse for 10 minutes. That will do a lot to get the engine 'broken in' and running smoothly. A new engine that's never been run can be a little balky at first.
Good point about the brass track.
But also figure out why the equipment goes "bump" on the ties. Especially whether the flanges are hitting. If the flanges happen to be too deep, the Unitrack may be a poor choice.
IF.
S. Connor and push it around the track by hand, looking for any places it could be binding. Cleaning the rails will also be more than well worth your effort.
and push it around the track by hand, looking for any places it could be binding.
No idea what this one was thinking but never push a loco around by hand. The last three years I have read two or three doing this for whatever reason and ruined a gear. They also had old locos from storage.
Put the loco on the track and connect the power pack. Turn up pack slowly and see if any response. If none, possibly power pack or loco. Much of the time, the loco.
I have read many times that much older train sets were made to run fast. Bachmann were noted for that. I had some many years ago.
My 0-27 Lionel steamer in 1951 would not run very well slow but back then, did not care.
A volt meter connected to track, power pack is a good indicator. Even a auto 12 voilt light bulb is a good indicator.
Brand of train and power pack?
Brass track, steel track or nickle silver track?
I have used a pink eraser many years ago for cleaning track but a light vacuuming after.
Rich
If you ever fall over in public, pick yourself up and say “sorry it’s been a while since I inhabited a body.” And just walk away.
richg1998 S. Connor and push it around the track by hand, looking for any places it could be binding. Cleaning the rails will also be more than well worth your effort. No idea what this one was thinking but never push a loco around by hand. The last three years I have read two or three doing this for whatever reason and ruined a gear. They also had old locos from storage. Put the loco on the track and connect the power pack. Turn up pack slowly and see if any response. If none, possibly power pack or loco. Much of the time, the loco. I have read many times that much older train sets were made to run fast. Bachmann were noted for that. I had some many years ago. My 0-27 Lionel steamer in 1951 would not run very well slow but back then, did not care. A volt meter connected to track, power pack is a good indicator. Even a auto 12 voilt light bulb is a good indicator. Brand of train and power pack? Brass track, steel track or nickle silver track? I have used a pink eraser many years ago for cleaning track but a light vacuuming after. Rich
Only way the "by hand" would work - 1: Unpowered unit. (Not the case here.) or - 2: The worm gear has been removed. (Not doing that here.)
For extremely dirty track, a pink eraser, vacuum, then wipe with a lint free rag and isopropyl alcohol.
I also would be curious as to which type of track, and which code. (100, 83, or 70)
Until then, it could be deep flanges, or not fully on the tracks, or a bad joint causing a derail.
Ricky W.
HO scale Proto-freelancer.
My Railroad rules:
1: It's my railroad, my rules.
2: It's for having fun and enjoyment.
3: Any objections, consult above rules.
If we are really talking about a 42 year old NIB train set, the lube may be hardened in the gears.
The rail connectors may not be transmitting the electrons if the rail beneath them has 40 years of oxidation.
If a loco is not on the tracks to begin with, it is usually obvious in the 1st six inches of travel or less.
A SP Daylight was a steam loco 4-8-4. Although Ebay lists some F2's. What is the engine and what is the manufacturer. Is this track that came with the train set? My thought is that they wouldn't package a steam loco with a radius track that is too small.
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley
BigDaddy My thought is that they wouldn't package a steam loco with a radius track that is too small.
My thought is that they wouldn't package a steam loco with a radius track that is too small.
Mike
Is the track on a hard flat floor? If the track is on carpeting, this could be your problem.
Hey Jeff!!
Welcome to the forums!!
I doubt that you are facing just one issue here so you will have to take it one step at a time.
The first thing I would do is lubricate the locomotive. None of the other tests will show you anything if the locomotive doesn't work to begin with. The original lubrication is probably pretty much dried out and very sticky. If there was grease used on the gears it might be almost as hard as rock. Ideally you should take the locomotive apart and clean out all the old lube with alcohol and Q-tips. If you don't want to take apart the side rods that's OK. The light oil will loosen them up just fine. Make sure you put a drop of oil (singular) on the motor bearings as well as the axle bearings and the connections on the side rods and where the rods go into the piston cylinders. Don't over do the oil, and don't lubricate the motor brushes even though Labelle says you can. Clean the commutators with a regular pencil eraser.
LaBelle makes a suitable line of lubricants but you really only need light oil (Labelle #108) and grease (Labelle #106).
http://con-cor.com/Labelle.html
The next step would be to clean the track. People will immediately say "No, you have to clean the wheels first". I say clean the track first because if the track is dirty it doesn't matter if the wheels are clean or not. You need clean track so you can run the locomotive to clean the wheels. If you have brass track the buildup of oxide will be pretty significant. You can clean it with an ink eraser, and you will have to clean it regularly. If the track is brass it will have an obvious yellow colour to it. If you have nickle silver track it will still need to be cleaned first but it won't require cleaning as often. Using an abrasive cleaner is frowned upon by some but we are talking track that will only be set up for a few weeks and likely won't find its way onto a layout.
You also need to test the continuity of the track all the way around the circle. If you have a volt meter it will be easy. Just turn the controller up a few notches and test that there is power on each section of track. If you find a dead section you will have to tighten up the track connectors (rail joiners). If it were a permanent layout then you would solder the track joiners to the rails and/or attach feeder wires to several areas of the track. Again, because it is a Christmas layout you don't need to go to all that trouble.
Once the track is clean we can clean the wheels. That can be done with paper towels and alcohol. The easiest way to clean the driver wheels is to put a paper towel dampened with alcohol on the track and put the front set or two sets of driven wheels on the paper towel but leave the other wheels touching the bare track. Then apply some power and spin the wheels on the paper towel, You will likely get some pretty black streaks on the paper towel. If you have contact cleaner it will work even better. Lots of guys swear by CRC 2-26 (I think I have that right).
You will also have to clean the tender wheels because the locomotive is probably picking up power from at least one side of the tender. Those you have to turn by hand if you want to really scrub them. Note that you have to make sure that the tender trucks don't get turned 180 degrees or the locomotive won't run at all.
As far as wheels hitting the ties, if you bought the train as a set with the track included then the wheels won't be hitting the ties if they are on the rails properly. You probably didn't have all the wheels on the track. It's not easy to do when you are new at it. However, there could be other problems like the wheels being out of gauge as was mentioned by another poster. The best way to check would be to get an NMRA (National Model Railroad Association) HO track gauge:
https://www.walthers.com/standards-gauge?ref=1
If you are going to get into HO you will need one anyway.
As others have said, it would help if you could identify the exact make of locomotive, and pictures would be ideal, especially of the underside of the locomotive and tender.
Good luck with it!
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
jeff FoliageHere the trains seem to be rubbing the ties as it goes over them. Is this normal or am I just not getting the wheels all on the tracks...
After checking to see if all the wheels are on the track and the wheels still rub the ties then they are either horribly out of gauge or the flanges is to deep for the rail size.
What brand is your train?
Larry
Conductor.
Summerset Ry.
"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt Safety First!"
A point about track cleaning that I have read on the forums and from other sources, is graphite sticks...
Use a soft one like 2b or 4b as the hardening is from clay thus your introducing another issue... once youv'e cleaned your track use the graphite stick over the rail lightly to maintain it.. too much graphite is no good.. can source from art stores...
Your issue with the loco is definitely from storage, and a good strip down and service will fix it... Beware of the brushes and motor and make sure they run well before installing it back into loco...
I had my models in storage for 12 years, they ran like clock work before storage and well protected for storing away... After taking them out earlier this year, I have 3 loco's going out of 14... No steamer survived storage but an Athearn and 2x Proto 2000 LifeLike's do still run, albiet not like they used to...Motors seem to dislike being stored for long periods, all the mech's are going fine without the motor, but alas that is a problem...
Out of the box stuff(never ran), stored and travelled will be a lot worse than my gear...
All the best, and have a Merry Christmas..
jeff FoliageWell before I run down to the train store for enough O-guage track to make a circle for a 1953 A-B-A NYC to go around is there something else I can do that would make this run smoother? Thanks ahead of time for a HO newbie... (I hope this is the right spot for this) Wink
What's your objective here?
If you just want a train for the Christmas tree then display the HO on the mantel and run the O27 around the tree. O27 is much better suited for the tree train.
If you want to get into HO as a hobby then put this one aside and buy a new train set for the tree and post Christmas hobby. Later on you can come back to your HO train and trouble shoot it.
Good luck
Paul