I recently read an article on how to clean the wheels on your engine. The author positioned the engine upside down in a cradle and powered the engine which turned the wheels. He used a Q-Tip dipped in electrical contact cleaner and rubbed it against the turning wheel. The wheels became clean. My question is would you apply this method to clean a metal wheel with a traction tire? I noticed the tire can become black too over time.
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I'd be very careful with the contact cleaner on traction tires. Some of the contact cleaners can do bad things to plastic/synthetic rubber items. Like cause them to expand.
I have a question about getting the drive wheels turning for cleaning.
I have Legacy locomotives, while turned upside down for cleaning I have a power brick with alligator clips. I hook red to contact roller black to truck wheel. I use cab 2 controller to start locomotive, I have lights and smoke motor running but cannot get the drive wheels to turn? I realize power is direct without the Cab 1 base.
How can I get the wheels to turn?
Bob
Bob, if you're attempting conventional operation, try interrupting the power briefly, the engine is probably in neutral.
Check with Marty Fitzhenry, there are a couple of steamers that will break their connecting rods if run upside down, he first pointed it out here.
I do this with diesels and selected steamers, but if there's any doubt, I clean them on the rollers right side up.
Thank you John.
Appreciate the feedback. I will not attempt running them while cleaning the drivers.
Bob
Hi Bob, if you are running with CAB2 then use alligator clips from the track to the engine so as to get the command signal to the engine.
romiller
MTH instructions are to use denatured alcohol to clean the tires. Works nicely for me.
Thanks Romiller. Great idea, I will use the track power as you suggest. I then can run at slow speed.
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