Maintenance Issues for Running Enjoyment
My Golden Fleece wasn't working well, 4 coaches was all it could pull. Time for a microscopic look.
(When I do my maintenance I have the loco on a rig I have made which isolates the driving wheels from any road contact thereby negating any friction from wheel and rolling road. To do this I remove the loco body and the front of the loco is held on 2 pins in the front mounting holes and the tender is on some track for the power.)
I discovered the timing on Golden Fleece was very lumpy, and even adjusting the settings on the timing adjuster didn't improve the problem. So, looking further afield I thought the glad nuts were screwed in too much, a quarter turn was all that was required and voila! it can now pull 8 coaches with ease.
Fine adjustment on the rig I use is easy - with the loco in front of you facing to the left, the fine adjustment screw which you now see is the one for forward timing. With the loco in full steam, and wearing gloves, I set the speed as slow as can be without stalling. I stop the wheels by hand to get access to the screw and adjust as necessary. Sure, you get a hot hand with it blowing off, but it is tolerable!
OK. Light not working, yes, the red one. I have found that the bracket which holds the wiper assembly tends to drop if the horizontal screws have become loose, so an easy fix. Loosen the screws, lift the wiper assembly up, and hey! the red light glows! then retighten. QED.
Shown on the test rig photo is Dwight D.E., its got a sqweeky gland seal, not from lack of oiling, so time for a replacement as this will impare smooth running making the timing unnecessary lumpy. (Doesn't lumpy get in the way!)
Pouring over your loco every now and again can show up a myriad of minor issues which can lead to poor running resulting in a lack of enjoyment, besides it's vey gratifying to fix these issues. I keep a supply of spares handy for such times. When running in cold weather, they are a joy to behold.🚂 🛤️