Fleischmann Piccolo Amtrak

qquake2k Oct 8, 2018

  1. qquake2k

    qquake2k TrainBoard Member

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    I have this Fleischmann Piccolo Amtrak engine set. It's odd, in that the engine is a dummy, and the unit behind is powered. It squeals a bit, especially until it gets warmed up. Can anyone tell me where and how to oil it? I have a bottle of LaBelle 108 oil with the needle tip.
     

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  2. Hardcoaler

    Hardcoaler TrainBoard Member

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    Yep, the B Unit looks like a Fleischmann F-3 as introduced by Con-Cor in 1973 or 1974. (The cab unit behind it is perhaps a Kato/Con-Cor PA-1, one of the finest products made in N Scale in the '70s.)

    The Fleischmann trucks can be removed by simply pushing out the silver-colored pin on the side above each truck. I'd then put a fractional drop of oil on the topmost gear on each truck, the two gears on the bottom of each truck and the two worm gears set within the chassis. If you want to do a deeper dive, you can remove the motor and apply a tiny drop of oil at the outside of each motor end where the shaft is.

    I have a pair of the Fleischmann F-3s and they're okay runners. You ought to be able to resuscitate yours without too much trouble.
     
  3. MK

    MK TrainBoard Member

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    Have you checked Spookshow's website? Maybe it's listed there?
     
  4. qquake2k

    qquake2k TrainBoard Member

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    It runs pretty good, it just squeals until it gets warmed up. I'll try to oil the gears and shafts, but I have a feeling I'll need to oil the motor, too. Spookshow doesn't have any info about lubricating that I can see.

    http://spookshow.net/loco/concorf3.html
     
  5. mtntrainman

    mtntrainman TrainBoard Supporter

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    I would just put a small drop of oil on each of those brass gears showing through the bottom of the trucks. You would be surprised how them gears in there
    distribute oil UP clear to the worm gear JMO
     
  6. Hardcoaler

    Hardcoaler TrainBoard Member

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    That's a good point to save time. Sometimes I leave the locomotive upside down for an hour to help the oil along. :)
     
  7. qquake2k

    qquake2k TrainBoard Member

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    I might try that first.
     
  8. Massey

    Massey TrainBoard Member

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    On the motor where the armature rides in the bushings may also need to get a drop of oil. It wasn't easy to see the endbells of the motor from the pics, you may have to remove the circuit board on the top to reach them.
     
  9. qquake2k

    qquake2k TrainBoard Member

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    I went ahead and removed the PC board, so I could lube the motor, as well as the gears. It doesn't squeal now, but it's not a very good runner. This is at full throttle. I think the wheels need to be cleaned, because to get it to start, I have to push it.

     
  10. Mr. Trainiac

    Mr. Trainiac TrainBoard Member

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    The running quality (once it gets up to speed) looks fine. Yeah, I would definitely clean the wheels if it doesn't start, but the speed looks pretty good. I don't know how much faster it went before you cleaned it, but if it runs relatively quietly, then I would say it is fine.
     
    mtntrainman likes this.
  11. mtntrainman

    mtntrainman TrainBoard Supporter

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    I watched the video for a bit. I run trains on Unitrack and can get pretty close to seeing what looks like 12 inches. I timed roughly 1.5 seconds per 12 inches. That comes out to about 72.73 scale mph. Pretty close to what passenger trains are aloud to run in the 1:1. It looks good to me. JMHO

    http://www.stonysmith.com/railroad/speedcalc.asp
     
  12. qquake2k

    qquake2k TrainBoard Member

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    Other than the dirty wheels, it's running pretty good, albeit a little slower than before. I did order a Roto Wheel Cleaner. Another problem I'm seeing is, the powered unit pushes the wheels of the dummy engine off the track once in a while. Probably because of the relatively tight 12-3/8" radius track.
     
  13. Mr. Trainiac

    Mr. Trainiac TrainBoard Member

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    Are there weights in the dummy? If not, adding some might increase it's tracking abilities
     
  14. qquake2k

    qquake2k TrainBoard Member

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    I hadn't thought of that. I'll look and see.
     

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