# Postwar Lionel Armature



## Jmathai (May 23, 2018)

Hi everyone,

After I've cleaned the armature's commutator face to a shiny finish and run the engine a few times around my 4X6 layout, a black line develops on the commutator face. It doesn't seem to affect the performance of the engine and I can wipe it away with a q-tip. So my questions are:

What is causing this? Dirty track, dirty brushes, carbon deposit from the brushes, or something else? Also, is this normal or should I be replacing the brushes and cleaning the track more thoroughly or doing some other maintenance?

I've attached a pic of what the commutator looks like after a few laps, showing the black line on the commutator.

Thanks,
J.


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## rrswede (Jan 6, 2012)

Did you lubricate the armature shaft by chance? 
Since you indicate the dirty ring can be wiped clean with a q-tip, it would appear to me that the ring is being created by brushes that have been in contact with a lubricant and transferred to the commutator facings.

swede


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## Jmathai (May 23, 2018)

Yes, I did lubricate the armature shaft. Did I put too much? Or should I have not done so at all?


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## Jmathai (May 23, 2018)

Any remedies to this? Spray the brush plate/armature with contact cleaner to get the oil out? Or just leave it alone and wipe off from time to time?


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

If it doesn't affect the performance of the loco, leave it alone.


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Some minor black smudges are normal ... no reason to worry. A little GooGone (via a q-tip) will remove the smudges, without damage to anything.

If, however, the brushes are causing grooves in the commutator, it's time to replace the brushes and brush springs.


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