Running locos in/ Rolling roads

[Melly]

I was some what surprised to find a small pile of very fine metal dust under the rollers of my rolling road; I believe having been finely shaved off the flange of wheels by the Bachrus rollers.  The edge is very defined.

 

Now I always check back-to-back before using the rollers for running in but also use an oval as well.  The rolling road is useful for identifying poor fitting wheels as it exaggerates the wobble and it's easier to identify the problem wheelset on a stationary - running - diesel loco.

 

Horses for courses I guess.

[loco]

I use an oval of Kato Unitrax set up on the kitchen table for N or the floor for OO - pictured on this page http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/33331-kernow-adams-o2/page-40 post 994

 

Only having a short plank for my DCC layout, I have been doing likewise for many years, and in nearly all cases, noticed a improvement in running qualities.

 

It started as a simple circle, but developed into a oval. I would not be without it. 

Indeed having picked up some points and straights. I often set it up on the kitchen work tops,as a portable test bed, when setting up/playing with settings, in particular sound.

[jaym481]

Part of my running in process also involves some Kato track, but I also like to introduce a couple of points so I can see how a new (or new to me) loco negotiates them. I also have a rolling road, but tend to use it only for some of the things mentioned above, but particularly DCC installation and testing. I don't use the RR for running in.

[Richard Lee]

This is an interesting thread for me.  I used to have to run in locomotives by repeatedly going backwards and forwards from one end of the 'L' to the other. Recently I bought a Bachmann Branchline train set which included an oval that uses 2nd radius curves (between 17" and 18" radius).  I stuck the track on a left-over piece of chipboard that I store upright.  The loco and carriages were well worth what I paid for the set; the oval of track and a controller for it were bonuses.

 

I have thought of getting a rolling road, but haven't up to now.

[The Johnster]

If you have a circle or oval you can use as a test track, and room to store it, I do not see the absolute need for a rolling road.  For checking on clearances and such where you need the loco to be running but stationary, it is not difficult to put it on blocks at each end so that the wheels are clear of whatever surface you are on, and feed current, either direct to the motor which is sometimes useful to identify pickup faults, or to the wheels, so that you can examine everything running closely and at leisure.  But I do not think this sort of running is the same as running in, when you need to observe how the loco runs on track and through turnouts while things loosen up and bed in.

 

If you do not have room to store such a test track, then there is value in a rolling road as an alternative to shuttling back an forth which requires your attention for a while as the loco cannot be left to it's own devices while you go off and make a cup of tea, especially if you are going to buy a lot of locos, which most of us do!!!

[sb67]

Cheers for the advice guys, just ordered a DCC concepts rolling road.  

Now to decide on some DCC decoders!

Steve

[sb67]

Got my Rolling Road and I'm well pleased. Made a difference to my Hornby Pug and 2 class 31s I tried on it. Now, anybody know how to cure a wobble with the pug!

Steve.

[Neil McGrath]

I have a small n gauge oval that is used for a game called the "Stop the train game". The idea of the game is judge the stopping distance of the train based on the speed shown on a speedometer which is linked to the PWM signal applied to the track. The whole thing is controlled by an Arduino and the train runs at a random speed each time the game is played. I run a small 03 class Bachmann shunter around the circuit and find that it always runs at its slowest when the layout is first set up and subsequently takes the shortest time to stop early in the day. The motor tends to free up during a days exhibiting and will take longer to stop near the end of the day. 

 

I am sure that it does pay to run-in a loco prior to each exhibition to be sure that it performs well on the day. My theory is that there is probably a small amount of oxidisation that buids up on the commutator and wheel contacts when the loco is not used and this gets cleaned by friction once the machine is in motion.

Edited May 14, 2017 by Neil McGrath

[The Johnster]

Makes sense, Neil.  There is an issue with exhibition layouts and their stock if there are periods of inactivity between exhibitions, which mean everything has to be fully tested each time the layout is set up, a thing I had not considered.  My blt is used on an almost daily basis as a 'home' layout, and any running problems are sorted as they occur in a way that I almost don't notice, so if I were to exhibit, a thing I have absolutely no intention of ever doing, I would be confident that all locos and stock were in the best possible operable condition at all times.  If you have an exhibition layout that does not see running between shows, then it clearly makes sense to check on the operability of all your stock before running it in front of the paying punters, which is potentially a time consuming and stressful activity!

[Butler Henderson]

Now this is a first - newly acquired M7 off ebay, seemingly never been out of the box and refused to go round a curve. Turned it round and off it went, left it running round the oval for half a hour, turned it back round expecting it to stall but it carried on without a problem. Presumably having been in the box so long their had been a built up of oil or oxidisation just sufficient to affect the pick up initially.

Edited October 31, 2018 by Butler Henderson