Running in loco's

[Kris]

As many of us will have received a new loco under the Christmas tree I thought it would be interesting to see how much people deliberately run there loco's in, if at all.

[DJH584]

Hi Kris

 

I have a DC controller and a spare board in the garage upon which I can lay a small oval of track.

New loco's are run in at half power on this set up for one hour forward and one hour reverse.

The loco is then lifted from the track and put back facing the opposite way and the process repeated.

 

David

[Chris Chewter]

A few different ideas were discussed on the old forum. Here might be worth a look:

 

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=45038

 

Will be interesting to see the results of the poll!

[Kris]

A few different ideas were discussed on the old forum. Here might be worth a look:

 

http://www.rmweb.co....php?f=5&t=45038

 

 

 

 

Good point back to that one. I would not expect the poll to give a definitive answer as to what is the best way of doing things though as what works for one person in one scale is likely to be different to what works for another in another scale. For the sake of curiosity though (given that I have a loco going round a figure of 8 at the moment) I thought that I would pop it up.

 

 

[kevpeo]

I use a mix of the above. My layouts DCC, so if the loco isn't chipped it gets a quick spin on the rolling road to make sure everythings working. Then off with the body, stick in a Lenz Silver 8 pin 'plug-in' and 30 mins in each direction on the layout. If its a 21 pin chassis I take it up the Clubrooms and run it in on the Club test-track! kev.

[Jonboy]

I use a small temporary circuit of track for the train, and a big stick to scare the cats away...

[Kris]

I use a small temporary circuit of track for the train, and a big stick to scare the cats away...

 

But the cats just want to play with the trains as well.

 

 

 

[37114]

As I finished it just before Christmas, I will be using the Bentley MRG test track to run in my Bachy 03, nice simply 6x4 oval and an old H&M, be interesting to see if there is a noticeable difference, as none of my other stock has been run in due to not being able to have the layout permanently up at home.

 

 

[bluex5]

Rolling road on straight DC for me, and then slow running tests on 4ft of track to identify any tight spots that require attention / further running in. Then if I'm happy with the mechanism it gets chipped. Sometimes the odd loco comes across which requires zero running in (My new Heljan 26 falls into this category).

[Dagworth]

A few circuits round Ravensclyffe tends to be enough to run anything in, or in the case of my old Lima HST, run it out! Poor old thing has never been the same since it did a real mile round the layout...

 

Andi

 

 

[JZ]

I always chip mine before running in as the layout is wired for DCC only. There is a layout in the loft which can have a DC controller fitted, but it would mean removing all my sons stuff first.

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

The amount of running depends on the mechanism. The newer design Bach and Hornby product is typically good from the box and has settled down to stable performance after an hour; there is little further improvement to be gained by more running, pretty much what has been the case from decent quality HO over the past three decades. But older design mechanisms may take considerably longer before satisfactorilly quiet and smooth down to a slow crawl.

[Gwiwer]

I run DC on a large circuit which provides ample opportunity for a loco to stretch its legs. Out of the box they are placed at the main power feed point and taken up one "notch" at a time - basically one mark on the controller dial. This ensures they draw a slowly increasing current and should produce a slow start steadily building to a realistic running speed over 30 minutes or so. They are then given the same treatment in the other direction.

 

Once the "acceptance trials" are done they are then coupled to a short train of perhaps 2 or 3 coaches and the process repeated for 30 minutes each way under light load conditions.

 

With that satisfactorily completed a main line loco will then be given a run up to full power and maximum speed light engine for a few laps but not for an extended time. The loco would by now be run in and warm and is then coupled to a full-length train.

 

Small or shunting locos are still run up to their full speed but the limitations of gearing and their designed speed means they don't get to hare around!

[bike2steam]

It's one of those things where different people have different ideas, but as a rule of thumb, the fewer 'poles' on the motor, the longer spent running in, the Bachmann 3-pole is less efficient, and less robust compared to the Hornby 5-pole skew-wound.

[Jenny Emily]

I use a small temporary circuit of track for the train, and a big stick to scare the cats away...

 

My cat used to try and swat the train from the track until one day she succeeded and got a Hornby Q1 full in the face as it derailed. Now she watches from a safe distance.

 

My Father still has a layout composed of Hornby Dublo 2 and 3 rail in his 'train room' so most new locos these days get trotted around there to be run in as it is easier than laying out a temporary oval on the dining table here. I tend to find that newer RTR offerings seem pretty fine from the box and in reality probably need minimal running in. I let the locos do an hour or so in each direction on the track more for my benefit than theirs.

 

 

 

[ozzyo]

I use a rolling road and a test track (about 10' long) with a double slip in the middle, the track also has humps and bumps in it, one part goes up 1mm in 5 1/2" and down 1mm in 5 1/2". On the test track I use a auto shuttle unit from M.R.C.? The idea is to fit a unit that will throw the slip so that the locos will run from track 1 - 2, then to track 3 then to track 4 and so on. So that the loco goes back and forth, this can be for up to 8 hours a day.

 

OzzyO.

[corax67]

I have gotten into a routine of running in on DC first on my Bachrus rolling road checking for tight spots, etc and rectifying before chipping and then running in again for about half as long on DCC taking care to run for a time at slow, mid and high speeds.

 

A few people have said to me that it is a bit pointless and very time consuming but it works for me and I have never had any loco's come back from customers yet with claims of poor running.

[ozzyo]

 

 

A few people have said to me that it is a bit pointless and very time consuming but it works for me and I have never had any loco's come back from customers yet with claims of poor running.

 

 

 

 

I did forget to say in my last post that my running in regime is for 7mm locos. But I will go with what corax67 says that I have never had a loco come back from a customer with a claim of bad running.

 

OzzyO.

[halfwit]

Perhaps a little off topic but any motor that I fit into a kit build gets run in with no load before attaching to the gearbox, an idea borrowed from, I think, Iain Rice. Slow and mid speeds for approx 1/2 - 1 hour (or more) in each direction.

I also remove the motor from Spuds to run in seperately (and oil) as I normally strip Spuds down for re-gauging/re-wheeling anyway. This does make a difference!

[Kris]

I use a rolling road and a test track (about 10' long) with a double slip in the middle, the track also has humps and bumps in it, one part goes up 1mm in 5 1/2" and down 1mm in 5 1/2". On the test track I use a auto shuttle unit from M.R.C.? The idea is to fit a unit that will throw the slip so that the locos will run from track 1 - 2, then to track 3 then to track 4 and so on. So that the loco goes back and forth, this can be for up to 8 hours a day.

 

 

That looks complexe Ozzy. Did you have a reason for including the gradients?

 

 

[ozzyo]

That looks complexe Ozzy. Did you have a reason for including the gradients?

 

 

 

 

Hello Kris,

I wouldn't say complex that is down to my bad drawing. The gradients are more like bad track laying that a 7mm loco maybe expected to contend with.

As just about all the loco's that I build have sprung axle box's (or compensation) it helps to bed them in as well.

 

I will post some photos of the test track soon.

 

OzzyO.

[scanman]

I use a 'Buchyrus' (?) rolling road - and I cheat.... I used to model in 'N' gauge, so bought that variant. On moving to 4mm I was faced with doubling my outlay. Instead, a trip to the local model shop provided a length of ally rod of the correct cross-section... You've guessed it - I now have a 'rolling road' suitable for both scales.

 

Regs

 

Ian B

[RW James]

Here's an idea I picked up from a fellow club member many years ago: His main concern was that some engines come with the gears a little too tight for smooth performance. So he would put a small bit of toothpaste on one of the gears, knowing it would spread through the entire gear train. Toothpaste has a very fine abrasive that will ever so gently wear down some of the hard corners of the gears. It also gives your engine a nice minty scent.

[Jim49]

It also gives your engine a nice minty scent.

 

Very appropriate for a certain A3

 

 

Jim

[ozzyo]

That looks complexe Ozzy. Did you have a reason for including the gradients?

 

 

 

Hello Kris,

 

sorry for the delay in posting the photos, but here goes.

 

This shows most of the test track,

 

The bit in the middle that makes it all work. This was before the point motors were attatched.

 

OzzyO.