# SOME BASIC THINGS TO KNOW



## time warp

Here are a few things that may help some of you starting out, basic things that may help answer some questions. The information provided here is general, merely to serve as a guideline.
First, you need some tools. No matter what scale your trains are they are going to need maintenance and repairs. Don't scrounge around for things to work with, keep a tool set. 










NMRA Gauge. Don't assume or guess, especially if you're trying to solve a problem. This will allow you to accurately check wheels, track, coupler height and other clearances. Get one.









Use the correct lubricants. Labelle is a good brand that I've used for years. The 108 is good for motor bearings, axles, and steam engine valve gear. The 102 is for open gear components, and the 106 grease is for enclosed gear boxes. a little goes a long way, that bottle of 108 is only my second one in 40 years.









This is an example of an enclosed gear box, The cover snaps off to gain access. There are many variations of this design









I'm including this old TYCO MU2 image because they can be difficult to service. the 2 outer holes allow access to the motor bearings, the gears are accessed under the 2 raised areas between the wheels









Here is a typical steam engine with an open frame motor, lubrication points are motor shaft bearings, worm and axle gears, and side rod pins, also crosshead guides









Here is an illustration of various motor and chassis arrangements found in some typical model diesels









the Lionel on the far left is very simple with few lubrication points, while the old Athearn on far right has many more due to the drive and gear arrangement

Clean your wheels and keep them clean! Same goes for your track. Don't make the mistake of neglecting the wheels, Dirty wheels ruin the fun, your trains cannot run properly if they aren't clean. I have good luck cleaning them with 91% alcohol, but sometimes you may need to use an eraser or maybe even scrape the crud off. Popsicle sticks work pretty well on them too.
Don't forget to clean the wheels on your rolling stock as well.

And finally, use care and be neat when performing maintenance or repairs on your equipment. Even very inexpensive trains will generally run fine when properly cared for. Rough handling and carelessness can result in broken wires and lost or damaged parts.
Use some padding or a foam cradle to hold your equipment during repairs.
A short section of straight track makes a good test track. It's good for checking wheels, referencing coupler height, and for diagnosing or verifying problems. A section of flex track or a few extra straight sections will work just fine. a spare power pack can be used to power it.








This picture shows a test track powered with a 9 volt battery. This method may not work for your particular equipment. 
Good luck and have fun!


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## NAJ

:appl::smilie_daumenpos:


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## jlc41

Good information, thank you.


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## Cycleops

Thanks. And I always used those cotton buds to clean out my ears! Who'da known it.


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## gunrunnerjohn

Good "poop", and I like the assortment of different drive trains for HO diesels.


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## tr1

*Clues,hints and reminders.*

Thanks for the tips mentioned here earlier!


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## time warp

tr1 said:


> Thanks for the tips mentioned here earlier!


Well, to quote John Mellencamp; "ain't no new news here". Some things bear reviewing from time to time.
I felt like by presenting this in a very simple fashion it would invite comment and open up a few discussions.
Basic stuff gets forgotten sometimes


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## CTValleyRR

Great information! 

Threads like this can become overwhelming when everyone puts their $0.02 in, but at the risk of starting that snowball rolling, I would add 3 items:

1) A good pair of needle nose tweezers
2) A quality soldering iron with interchangeable tips, and
3) A set of micro-screwdrivers.

Also, while the height gauge on the NMRA Standards gauge does work, a dedicated, non-conducting coupler height gauge is a great addition.


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## time warp

Thanks, and you are correct. I purposely left room here for additional comments and information. I value other's opinions.


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## teledoc

How about one of those bench/desktop clamp on lights with the magnifier in the center.


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## mesenteria

This is very sensible and good advice. I would add that some type of aimable/directional lamp and something like a jeweler's loop or an Opti-Visor are also essentials. This is especially true for the aged male.

Also, I found a good quality dental pick, the kind with a sharp three-quarters loop pick on either end. I can't tell you how often I use that thing.

Lastly, a magnetic retrieval rod, hopefully articulated. They can help you to find and to retrieve lost tiny screws and washers.


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## redman88

The most basic and over looked tool is time. Stop or slow down and think about what you are currently doing and what you want to do.


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## NAJ

redman88 said:


> The most basic and over looked tool is time. Stop or slow down and think about what you are currently doing and what you want to do.


One of my biggest issues in life...
Anxiety = Impatience = Mistakes = Frustration = More Anxiety.


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## johnfl68

Great to see good clear helpful information for people that is easy for others to read.


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## sjm9911

Nice stuff. I would only add a large magnet for when you drop or loose that tiny screw you can't see with your eyes. I lost one off one of my tenders and it was shorting out my layout. I couldn't find it. I got a large magnet and it was found fast.


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## gunrunnerjohn

I have a couple of these that I have stuck to my toolbox to search for errant screws.

*BY0X08-N52*










They will pick up close to 100 pounds, and any screw that's close finds it's way to them.

One tip: Wrap them in a heavy cloth like a towel and use that to search for the part. When you have scoured the area, just hold the towel open and remove the magnet, all the magnetic bits will fall on the bench. Picking all the shavings and junk off the magnet if you use it bare is a PITA.


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## CTValleyRR

My solution to the light and magnification issue is a camping headlamp and a pair of clip on +8 magnifiers, which I put on my reading glasses. I can use this setup anywhere, and it has the added advantage of turning with my head (like an optivisor).

Unlike an optivisor, I can use the components separately, if I need to.


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## time warp

I'm bumping this thread to start expanding it a little
Try to keep things simple on here, please.


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## mopac

One tool I didn't see mentioned would be a multimeter. I use one often.
Great for checking volts, checking for shorts, and continuity. I think a
model railroader should have one.


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## Lemonhawk

I have one of those big lamp magnifiers. I find that the headband type that flip up and down are more useful. It also has a little LED light on it and fits over my glasses. Just the thing when working on those little SMD parts


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## DonR

A very valuable tool if you do any scratch building
is a mini vise that clamps on the work bench.

Here are several. I use the simple iron that looks
and operates identical to the big full size vises.
Mine is cast iron, similar to the aluminum vise
you see after scrolling down.

https://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&k...two=&hvqmt=b&hvdev=c&ref=pd_sl_fofl002ro_b_p9

Don


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## NAJ

All good suggestions so far, I own 3 Multi-Meters (ASE Certified Auto Tech for 33 Years) and just bought and LED Headlamp.

Found this to be extremely handy working on Locomotives along with Emery Boards.


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## time warp

That's a neat little set, NAJ. Did that come from AutoZone?


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## NAJ

time warp said:


> That's a neat little set, NAJ. Did that come from AutoZone?


Yes it did, it was one of those $4.99 stocking stuffers last year.


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## time warp

I've got a really nice Fluke meter also, but I still check nine volt batteries by sticking them on my tongue!
Additional tools that I might suggest are:
Some rubber bands
Wooden toothpicks
A heavy metal paperweight to use as an anvil, or to hold Parts together. A really big flat washer would work.
And a small tool box or tote to keep everything in.


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## NAJ

time warp said:


> I've got a really nice Fluke meter also, but I still check nine volt batteries by sticking them on my tongue!


Speaking of 9 volt batteries, they work well on your test track to check locomotive operation on a DC setup.


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## time warp

Very handy! You can check light bulbs and switch machines with them also. I've got a battery clip on mine with wire leads to check all kinds of stuff.


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## Cycleops

A small set square, essential for any structure building, a pin vice, a set of small files and of course a train related storage tin.


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## gunrunnerjohn

When you're doing a lot of work on this stuff, a quality set of nut-drivers is very handy. Since the makers can't make up their minds about SAE or metric, two sets is really what you need. I bought the sets, then filled in a couple of intermediate sizes that weren't part of the sets, so far I've always had the right sized driver.


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## Bibs

Thanks for this thread! I am just getting into the hobby, as something to do together with my boy. I had sets when I was a kid, but nothing serious.
I found a huge HO Scale collection on a local For Sale site, and brought it home for a song. Now I need to dig into it...
Would there be more details on how to open up, test, clean and service the locomotives? I have 20+ to check out...some work, some do not.


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## time warp

Maybe we can start one.
What brands of locomotives do you have?
Welcome to the forum!


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## Bibs

The units on the right are Bachman and Life Like.
The units on the left show no markings.
The steam loco in the foreground is marked "MEHANO" or similar, it's a stylized logo, hard to read.
Thanks for any help, I really appreciate the knowledge.


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## Cycleops

Bibs said:


> Thanks for this thread! I am just getting into the hobby, as something to do together with my boy. I had sets when I was a kid, but nothing serious.
> I found a huge HO Scale collection on a local For Sale site, and brought it home for a song. Now I need to dig into it...
> Would there be more details on how to open up, test, clean and service the locomotives? I have 20+ to check out...some work, some do not.


You're really posting in the wrong thread. You need to put this in "Beginners" or HO section. Maybe the mods could move it.


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## time warp

You'll get plenty of good help here, Bibs! like Cycleops said this discussion should be in a different place. I would suggest you start a new thread in the beginners Q&A Forum. We will get you fixed up!


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## time warp

I'm bumping this for some of the new folks here, I hope you get some good out of it.


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## Bibs

I want to thank all the contributors on the board here. Since my last post I have made some progress. I haven't started on a layout yet, but am really overwhelmed with what goes into a layout. Since I don't want to cut wood inside my house, and it's winter up here, I deferred any construction until the weather is nice, and I can haul out my table saw.

I built a small circle track to test out engines. Watching videos and reading here taught me how to rehabilitate the old engines. I have disassembled, cleaned, lubricated and repaired most of the units shown above. 

I was most happy to see the old Lehigh Valley high cab unit run. I thought it was dead, but it just needed some love.

I'll also be working on repairs to some of the rolling stock. Couplers need the most attention.


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## ExONRcarman

do you guys use air brush or brush to paint? little of both? personal preference?


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## sjm9911

It depends on what your doing and your comfort level. I only do rattle cans, spray paint, comes out good mostly for me


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## raleets

I tried the 9V battery trick on my test track, but that boxcar just sat there. Didn't budge one inch.


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## CTValleyRR

ExONRcarman said:


> do you guys use air brush or brush to paint? little of both? personal preference?


Personal preference. I airbrush large areas and brush paint details. Weathering is a combination of the two. But it's more a matter of whatever you're comfortable with.

I personally find it too hard to control the amount of paint that comes out of a rattle can. Sure, practice would improve it, but why bother when I can dial in my air brush perfectly.


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## time warp

raleets said:


> I tried the 9V battery trick on my test track, but that boxcar just sat there. Didn't budge one inch.


 Try a bigger battery!!!:laugh:


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## raleets

time warp said:


> Try a bigger battery!!!:laugh:


Yep, that did job.......I hooked up a fully-charged 12V DieHard, hit the switch, and that boxcar shot half way across the room!!
I think I even heard the hobo inside screaming.  hwell: :laugh:


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## time warp

ATTABOY!!!!!!!!:appl:


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## raleets

Now back to our regularly scheduled programming. :smilie_daumenpos:


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