Here are basic guidelines to help you take are of your model train
motors. These guidelines apply to all Lionel, American Flyer, Ives, Marx
and all other AC model train motors.
Click on the topics below to quickly find what you need.
- How do I properly oil and lubricate my motor?
- Cleaning the commutator
- Care and Feeding of Motor Brushes
- Solder Joints - Take care of those wires connections!
- Reserved for future use
- Reserved for future use
Too much lubrication is nearly as bad as not enough. Too much lubricant
will saturate wiring, insulating material and attract dirt and dust. All
of these will greatly shorten the life of your train's electrical components
and harm performance.
The greatest damage is usually done to the motor bearings, commutator and the
brushes. Once oil finds its way to the commutator, the electrical
current passing between the brush and commutator will vaporize the lubricant
and glaze the brush surface. This will increase the resistance between
the commutator and the brush. This will result in higher voltages needed
to operate the train and greatly increase the arching between the brush and
commutator. The end result is
a damaged commutator and brushes.
Always lubricate the train motor and gears with a quality oil such as 3 in
1 oil and use very little. Do not use WD-40!
A clean commutator is vital to an efficient motor. The commutator
should appear copper colored with some dark areas where the brush contacts the
commutator's surface. The cleaner the better. One way of cleaning the
commutator is to use an eraser used for inks. Simply take the
eraser and rub it over the surface of the commutator.
Another effective means of cleaning the commutator is to take a 600 grit
sandpaper and rub the surface until it is polished. Remember, the
cleaner the commutator the better the train will run and the more power the
train will have.
One of the most critical components in your motor are the brushes. If
the brushes are not properly contacting the commutator, high heat, arching and
damage to the commutator will result. One key to good brush performance
is to make certain the brush face that contacts the commutator is FLAT.
The greater the surface area contacting the commutator, the more current can
be delivered to the armature. More current means more power. If
the brushes are worn, replace them!
Need new brushes? The Doc can replace your worn brushes for you.
A key point to keep in mind, poor electrical connections result in higher
electrical resistance. This means that when power is applied to the poor
electrical connection, heat is generated. Over time, this heat will
damage wire insulation and wire enamel. This is easily kept in check by regularly
inspecting your wire connections. All solder connections should be nice
and shiny and have little solder. A solder joint that is dull silver in
color and "clumpy" is more than likely to create problems for
your train. This is a major problem for transformers (see my transformer
page).
If a solder joint is questionable, take a soldering iron and apply fresh
solder to the joint. This will help improve the connection and keep your
electrical system in top shape.
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