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OK, I'm a gigantic dolt.  I'll start there just so we have a baseline.

 

Last night I decided to lightly lube my new MTH Allegheny 2-6-6-6.  In a fit of utter stupidity, I put a small drop on the nut that attaches the eccentric rod to the driver.  Well, that was a bad idea.  I knew it was bad the second it did it, but at that point I figured I'd try my luck and run the engine.  I did some slow speed runs and forward and revers and it locked up.  The drive gear on the right side of the loco bound up.  I took it off the track and saw where it was bound, and was just kind of touching it to see how bad it was and it popped loose.  I noticed that  the eccentric rod seemed loose - I could literally reposition the rod - it was very loose and it seemed to have defined "positions".  So having it unbound, I tired it again at slow speed.  It bound again and it was at this point I realized the nut that connects it to the drive wheel appear to have back out.  I read that the have to be in the right position or they will bind regardless, but I didn't know what that was, so I tightened it up and tried another slow speed run.  It seemed OK... until the other side did it.  Loose nut, same as the other one.  I assume they are backing out because it lubed them (DOH!!!).  I have no idea how tight they should be...

 

I read a couple good post here that indicate they should be tight, but at this point I'm taking it to a pro unless there's some easy way to figure out exactly how that rod should be aligned.  My real question is - how screwed am I here???  I think the motor should be OK because I was watching carefully and killed it FAST when I saw the binding start, and it was all 3-5 SMPH stuff.  Anyone here have any experience with this kind of bone-headed move?  

 

At least everyone gets a laugh at my expense on new forum day

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I don't believe the lube had anything to do with it, they were loose because they were not fully tightened from the factory. Is this a railking version?I had the same issue out of the box. The "defined positions" are the key once you find the correct one you can snug the nut down tight. I would be patient, unfortunately I no longer own this loco but I'm sure another forum member could post a close up photo as to where the rod should be in relation to driver position.I don't think your "screwed" if nothings broken and you didn't hear any grinding coming from the gearbox your fine. Its just a matter of repositioning the rods and the loco should be  A OK.

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