Running locos for the first time...

BNSF FAN Mar 11, 2020

  1. BNSF FAN

    BNSF FAN TrainBoard Supporter

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    Well, this thread title probably sounds like I got some new locos. Well, not exactly. A recent post I made has me pondering why I do what I do so I'm wondering if anyone else is in the same Pullman car with me on this ramble below.

    Over the years, I have purchased a fair number of locos that have never been run. Some where purchased when I didn't have a layout and others were purchased when I did have one so there has been plety of opportunity to run them. However, probably 80% of the locos I have in my collection have never been run. Many actually made it into scenes on my last layout and spent a lot of time looking good and collecting dust. Seems I find myself running the same group of locos over and over and for the life of me, I am not really sure why.

    Here is a prime example for you. This is from the first run of Athearn FP45's back in 2009 (yep, it's been that long) and for the first time Sunday afternoon, I powered it up and let it run for a bit. Was enjoyable.
    FP45 02.JPG

    Now I feel like I need to go on a quest to put a few laps on every engine I have. What have I done!?!?

    So, anyone else find themselves in this same situation.
     
  2. grymg

    grymg TrainBoard Member

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    I have a very modest collection of trains but I try to cycle all of my locos and track at least once a month just to keep the oil circulated and the track clean.
     
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  3. Hardcoaler

    Hardcoaler TrainBoard Member

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    I don't worry about it too much. I find that most of my inactive locomotives sputter a bit at first, but usually regain their running qualities after several spins around the layout.
     
  4. Inkaneer

    Inkaneer TrainBoard Member

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    My dilemma is similar. I also have a sizeable stable of locomotives some were purchased in the 1980's and were not designed for DCC. Since I switched to DCC these have languished, stacked in a storage box. I have no intention of converting these to DCC since before converting to DCC most of these had very little run time and I don't think that will change in the future regardless if converted or not. So many of these locomotives have less than ten hours of run time while others, like my two sets of ABBA PRR FA/B 1's, were used more often. They were my 'go to' locomotives at Train shows. I should have sent the frames to Aztec to be milled for DCC but didn't. To add to the situation, my interests have changed and I have been gravitating away from the big class 1 roads like Pennsy and N&W to smaller local short lines like the Pittsburg & Shawmut and the Montour. Both of these used SW9's as their power. So the plan is to put the current stable of locomotives up for sale on Ebay and save the money for the day when Atlas brings out the Lifelike/Walthers SW9 again.
     
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  5. MK

    MK TrainBoard Member

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    Well, I'll say this. You can never have too many locos. :D

    (You can guess what camp I'm in! :LOL:)
     
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  6. bremner

    bremner Staff Member

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    Run them all!
     
  7. Sumner

    Sumner TrainBoard Member

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    Since I've gotten back into this about a year ago I've purchased around 50 locos. Only 3 new ones and the rest off of ebay and most all of them non-DCC. Most from at least the 80's on up as I've tried to be careful about getting ones that should run on code 55 and ones that I can convert (with milling) to DCC.

    I'll bet that at least 80% of the ones I've bought, similar to your number, don't look like they have ever been run. I take them out of the box, run them on DC to make sure they will run, then return them to their box. If I don't manage to get around to converting them all to DCC, likely, they still won't of been run by the time my acquaintance with them is over.

    I'm trying to get any from the 40's into the 70's that UP ran that are available as models and now have a lot of that accomplished. I didn't think it would become addictive but it sure did ;),

    Sumner
     
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  8. mtntrainman

    mtntrainman TrainBoard Supporter

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    I am of the other spectrum. I have maybe 12 locomotives. A few wont or cant be converted to DCC...so they sit on ready tracks at the roundhouse. I have maybe 4 that see lots of track time. I few others get run when I feel the need.

    Having lots of locomotives ya never run reminds me of guys who have a beautiful 1967 Chevy Chevelle SS with lots of goodies under the hood. BUT...its kept under a tarp parked in a garage and never driven ! I am like W T H ! :confused::whistle:
     
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  9. John Moore

    John Moore TrainBoard Supporter

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    I am like you in that I used to have close to 90 to 100 locos and now down to 21 locos after I up and retired some of the rod steamers just saving the geared ones. And out of those maybe 6 will see constant time on the layout. About once a year I take all the locos and give a tiny drop of oil to the gears and then run them about an hour.
     
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  10. Rich_S

    Rich_S TrainBoard Member

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    This thread brings up another point, at one time the manufacturers suggested running your locomotives in at no more than half throttle for a set period of them. Some suggested 30 minutes in each direction to allow the lubricant to reach all the gears and moving services and allow the brushes to seat on the commutator plates. Others just suggested a "Break In Period". The last locomotive I purchased with this "Break In Period" mentioned in the instructions was my Bachmann H16-44. My question, even though the manufacturers are no longer suggesting a break in period, how many folks still allow a "Break In Period" for their new locomotives?
     
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  11. John Moore

    John Moore TrainBoard Supporter

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    I still give all locos a break in at low speed for at least 30 minutes in each direction. then I hook a consist on and run another half hour at operating speeds.
     
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  12. BNSF FAN

    BNSF FAN TrainBoard Supporter

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    When I finally do get a loco onto the layout, that is about what I do as well. However, It's been may a year since the last time I ran a loco above half throttle. :)
     
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  13. mtntrainman

    mtntrainman TrainBoard Supporter

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    Half throttle will be about scale speed for trains anyways...;)
     
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  14. Doug Gosha

    Doug Gosha TrainBoard Member

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    I go through a long, drawn-out procedure. I get the loco out of its box/case, put it on the track, turn up the throttle, and watch 'er go.

    :D

    Doug
     
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  15. Hardcoaler

    Hardcoaler TrainBoard Member

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    Yep, me too. I may give it a slow roll for the first few feet, then if all seems well, that's the end of my break in period. I normally run my trains at fairly slow speeds anyway.
     
    Last edited: Mar 12, 2020
  16. bremner

    bremner Staff Member

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    my break in is my normal switching...no more than third throttle, about 3-5 feet in each direction...
     
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  17. Run8Racing

    Run8Racing TrainBoard Member

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    Did something similar last year in Nov. No layout, TONS of stuff needing breaking in. Set up temporary sectional track on kitchen table (without permission !!!). It was MINE for 2 1/2 days !!! I was SO HAPPY just seeing the locomotives run. Found a few that needed a bit of work, that was fine. Ran 1/2 throttle, both directions, at least 20 mins. Yes, I DID hear about this from my lovely Lynette. I saw nothing wrong with eating pizza in the living room two days in a row !!! :):):)
     
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  18. Doug Gosha

    Doug Gosha TrainBoard Member

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    Yeah, normal people just don't think logically like we model railroaders.

    :D

    Doug
     
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  19. bremner

    bremner Staff Member

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    My wife thinks that I am crazy for playing with trains and would rather me play video games...
     
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  20. Run8Racing

    Run8Racing TrainBoard Member

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    Isn't there some video games where you can run locomotives ??? WIN-WIN !!!
     
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