HOW DO I KEEP MY TRAINS RUNNING?
How do I keep my trains running? Even the best-looking and running layouts in the country need regular maintenance to keep them that way. So, how do we go about it, and what must be done? To start with, unless we get the track laid properly, and ruthlessly apply a common wheel standard, our trains will never run properly. Mind you, finescale standards do not necessarily lead automatically to better running. One of the best-running layouts I ever saw in this country was that of the late Ray Hoyle in Melbourne. It ran on the old coarse scale Wrenn flex-track. But all the wheels and track were of a common standard, and so it ran well. In more recent times others have had success in reliable running using the OO/HO AMRA/NMRA standards for track and wheels. It is important to remember that, while finer standards may give smoother running, they are not necessarily more reliable. In fact, the reverse side of the problem raises itself - the finer the standards and associated tolerances, the more susceptible is the whole thing to unreliability and breakdown. American modellers achieve absolutely superb running with track and stock straight out of the box (and, might I add, usually at less cost than the equivalent British models). That is because every single manufacturer for the American market builds his models to the appropriate NMRA standard. So too for European models, although there seems to be a little less rigid adherence to their NEM standards. That all said, however, I must admit to using P4 standards myself. With carefully laid track, and carefully built locomotives and rolling stock, the running can be absolutely superb - and the appearance of stock on track cannot be equalled!
So, where does that leave us? Having got our trains to run reliably, how do we keep them that way? We need a maintenance programme, that's what. In my Navy days we called it "planned maintenance", usually defined as pulling some piece of machinery apart to find out why it's still working! Seriously though, we must maintain our trains, our track, and our electrical system if our layout is to continue to function reliably and well. Let's take each of those items in turn.
Maintaining the Locomotives
We'll begin with the locomotives, our pride and joy. If you've followed standard advice, you will have checked out each locomotive when you bought it, and made sure it worked properly from the start. Let me assure you, no amount of wheel cleaning and oiling of bearings is going to help if your pride and joy runs like a dog to start with. There is a general rule in this game: you get what you pay for. To my mind, there is no such thing as a bargain. British outline ready-to-run models are relatively inexpensive - just compare the price of a Hornby or Lima model with a similar Continental one! They are often built down to a price and, while recent models are extremely well detailed, they are generally mechanically unsound. (A notable exception is, of course, the superb locomotives being produced nowadays by Bachmann Branchline). Chassis, motor cases and gears are all plastic, so don't expect them to last forever. Traction tyres are often used to compensate for lack of weight. And usually no two models are the same as far as performance characteristics are concerned. If you must purchase such models off the shelf, buy them from your local model shop. Not only does it help keep the shop in business (and that can only be good for our hobby), you can at least try your new model before shelling out the crinkly stuff. Don't hesitate to reject the model that doesn't run well, even if it is the last one in the shop (probably because everyone else has rejected it!). The shopkeeper can always order another one for you.
If you build your own locomotive, the same rules apply. I'm assuming you're building from a kit, because a scratch-builder would know all this anyway! You must ensure that you put the chassis together properly, that it is completely square, and that it runs as smooth as silk with all the valve gear attached and the body on. If it doesn't, then either rebuild it, or seek the help of someone who can.
To keep our locomotive running perfectly, we need to keep it well maintained. You will find that, as you use it, the running will improve remarkably as it "runs in". This means that the various bearing surfaces and gears are wearing away to remove inherent stiffness. But they keep on wearing and, especially if bearing surfaces and gears are plastic, will eventually wear out. This is what I suggest you do regularly with your locomotives:
(1) Place the loco upside down in a suitable cradle (the Peco PL-70 is ideal), and carefully remove all fluff and gunk from axles, valve gear joints, and between wheels and pick-ups. This may entail unscrewing and removing the keeper plate under the chassis so that you can get the wheels out. With older models having a solid metal chassis, this is usually not possible. If you do take the wheels out, make sure you note which way round they go for when you put them back. If there is excess oil lying about the chassis, wipe it off with a tissue or cotton bud. If the chassis is dry of oil, then apply one drop only of oil using a pin at each point where the axles pass through the chassis. Use only a plastic-compatible oil! Ordinary oils soften plastic, rapidly increasing bearing wear, and assist in stripping paint from plastics - so beware! I recommend you use La Belle 108, obtainable from all good hobby shops. One small bottle will last you for years.
(2) Take the chassis out of the loco body. Most steam outline models use screws to attach the body to the chassis, and most diesel and electric outline models use catches built in to the body shell or glazing. Read the instructions that came with it! However, often instruction sheets are not exactly helpful in finding these catches. There are usually four, and they are disengaged by spreading the body shell apart from the chassis. I recommend that you take four matchsticks, cut their heads off at an angle, leaving a sharp wedge-shaped point. This you can push into the body adjacent to each catch, and the chassis should just fall out. Sometimes, though, all efforts to get the body off lead to defeat. It's best to call for help from someone who might know!
(3) With the body off, you have access to the motor, gears and electrical wiring. Check all wiring to make sure that there are no broken wires, or loose screws. If there are, then fix them. Modern models have totally enclosed motors, so all you can do is to check that the visible shaft bearings have any oil. Use the same La Belle 108, again applied with a pin. If your model has an open frame motor, you may have to clean the commutator (the shiny copper bit that the carbon brushes bear onto) if it is dirty, and gently scrape accumulated carbon gunk out from between the commutator segments. I have found that a tiny squirt of WD 40 into the motor works wonders. At the same time it lubricates the motor, cleans the commutator and brushes, and repels any moisture that has gathered in the motor. But don't overdo it!
(4) Check the gears. These are usually plastic, and often are fitted very sloppily. This overall sloppiness contributes to the inefficiency of the drive system, resulting in a mediocre performance by the locomotive. If any of the gears are badly worn, cracked or split, they must be replaced. Hobby shops can usually order spare parts for you. They will often undertake repairs too, especially if you bought the model from them in the first place. Be warned: shop keepers are usually not sympathetic if you buy your models at bargain prices overseas, then expect them to fix them for you! If you have to take a chassis apart to replace gears, then carefully note which bit goes where. Remember, the instructions with the model are often not helpful in this respect. Finally, lubricate all the gears with a plastic-compatible grease, not with oil. Oil won't last long on gears, so they quickly wear out. I recommend La Belle 106T, which is a Teflon-based grease. Buy yourself a tube of it when you buy the oil.
(5) Put the body back on the chassis, and check that external wiring, such as between loco and tender, is in good condition. Finally, test run the model, and it should be in tip-top condition, ready for service again.
If you do this with your locomotives on a regular basis: say, every two or three weeks if you are using your layout daily, up to every four to six months if you use your layout occasionally or not at all. Of course, the better the models to start with, the longer they will last. And that depends on what you are prepared to pay for in the first place.
Maintaining the Rolling Stock
Let's move on to the rolling stock. There is little you need to do here on a regular basis, especially with modern ready-to-run stock. However, there are some points that we need to watch for. Firstly, avoid plastic wheels like the plague! Throw them away! Don't be tempted to keep them, because they are a real threat to good and reliable running. I know that this will involve you in extra expense, as virtually all modern stock comes supplied with plastic wheels. Again, echoing Nelson's advice, choose wheels that are compatible with your track standards. If you have hand-laid your track to EM or OO finescale standards, you will need to purchase appropriate wheels from such manufacturers as Ultrascale, available through the EM Gauge Society and other such bodies, or from good model shops. If you are using commercial track, like Peco code 75 or Shinohara, then you can't go past the locally-available North Yard wheels (which are made in NZ). These are made to the NMRA standard. For Peco code 100 and similar tracks, the North Yard wheels should work fine, or you could use those made by Romford-Jackson. Always order your wheels with the same axle length as those that came with the vehicle in the first place. Generally speaking, British and American-made models come with 26mm axles, while those made on the Continent or in the Far East come with 25mm axles. Always use pin-point axles - they don't need lubrication, and they give a built-in form of compensation for the vehicle. Older models should be converted to pin-point axles by fitting with appropriate brass top-hat bearings. And always check the back-to-back measurement of each wheelset, adjusting if necessary, before fitting to the vehicle.
Why go to all this trouble to get rid of plastic wheels? They are very susceptible to picking up dirt which, in a surprisingly short time, can build up on the tread and cause derailment. They also spread the dirt and gunk along the track, adversely affecting our electrical pick-up. And being plastic, they are easily damaged and broken. On top of all that is the very subjective view that nothing sounds like a metal wheel upon a rail than a metal wheel! I like to hear the clickety-clack of wheels on rail joints.
Each item of rolling stock should be checked on a regular basis to ensure that the wheels are not dirty, they turn properly and are at the correct back-to-back measurement. The couplings should be checked that they are at the correct height and are functional. Such items as corridor connections, if they are functional, should be checked that they still work. And more modern models with close coupling devices should be checked to ensure that those devices are functioning correctly. In my opinion, the British manufacturers are way behind, here. For some years now, Continental manufacturers (including Lima) have had these devices on their rolling stock. It means that two scale length coaches can be coupled so close that their diaphragms touch on straight track, yet they are able to handle eighteen inch radius curves without derailing. Wake up, British manufacturers! Wake up, British modellers, and demand these things!
Maintaining the Track and Electrics
Finally, there is the layout itself. Contrary to popular belief, there is much that can go wrong here. I would remind everyone that electricity is the life-blood of our trains. Without electricity they die! Never, ever, put up with trains that hesitate every time that they pass a particular place in the track, or that invariably need a push at a certain spot on the layout. Sometimes it is the loco at fault, but more often than not it is lack of electricity! There are some general rules to follow here:
(1) Make sure that every individual length of rail is connected to electric power by a soldered joint. Individual lengths of rail can be electrically joined by soldering the fishplates to them (but don't forget to allow for expansion gaps), with power being fed through wires soldered to that combined length. Never rely on fishplates alone to conduct electricity.
(2) At points, never rely on point blade contact alone for electrical continuity. If you use live frog points, such as Peco Electrofrog or Shinohara, always provide separate switching for the frog. The better point motors, such as Lemaco, PFM/Fulgurex or Tortoise, have built-in switches for this purpose. Peco provide accessory switches for their point motors, which can be used for this purpose. Otherwise you must provide a micro-switch, or incorporate a change-over switch in your point rodding. Most brands of dead frog points, with the notable exception of Peco, have the rails wired straight through - but you usually need to solder flexible jump wires to the blades from the adjacent stock rails anyway. However, I much prefer that my layout is not a cemetery for our web-footed amphibious friends, and ensure that my frogs are all live! You need to check all the points on your layout regularly for unsoldered wires, bits of loose ballast or grit in the point blades, and sticky point motors.
(3) Even the best-laid wiring is susceptible to broken wires and unsoldered joints, especially if the layout is portable or moved about often. The inexpensive little switches we buy from Dick Smith and the like occasionally fall apart. A very weak spot in any layout is the plugs we use to join wires from one baseboard to another or to a control panel. Wires break or get unsoldered, and they're often hard to find. Generally speaking, the more neatly you install your electrics, the easier it will be to fault-find and repair. And make a note of what each wire is for!
The "Bad Order" System
One last piece of advice: never ignore a problem on your layout, especially a recurring one. If a locomotive or piece of rolling stock derails at a particular spot, try it again a few times to see if it happens again. If it does, don't just ignore the problem, but check it out right away. If it is always the same vehicle, take it off the layout immediately, and make a note of the problem. Our American friends call this a "Bad Order Card". Put the "bad ordered" vehicles on your work-bench, with a filled out card for each, and every so often have a special work session just to clear the growing back-log of "bad order" vehicles. If it is the track that is the problem, such as a number of different vehicles derailing at the same place, then stop the running session and check it out immediately. It may be that there is an electrical problem, rather than one of derailment. Fix it immediately, or your running session will be permanently frustrated. There is nothing worse than trying to enjoy running a layout where trains always derail, or have to be pushed in a certain spot. And this is even worse at exhibitions, where it is all happening before a very critical public. They want to see us having fun, not seething with frustration and rage.
The Golden Rule
There is one golden rule of model railway operating practice: if the locomotive doesn't start, check that all switches are on, and all points correctly set, before you push the offending model. If your layout is well maintained, then the golden rule will save you lots of embarrassment. Beware of the gremlins, though! They have a habit of striking the best-running and best-maintained layouts just when people are visiting, or on the first day of an exhibition. But, if you follow the sort of advice I'm offering, the gremlins will have a hard time finding something to screw up for you.