Comments on: Fixing Locomotive Problems

By: Les

Les — Sun, 01 Jun 2014 13:02:54 +0000

I run a lot of Athearn locomotives and if you find that your locomotive is starting to run slower and/or needing a higher starting voltage(or higher throttle input) go to the dollar store and buy a package of wood pencils, remove the body, set your loco on a block so you can run it while it’s stationary(a track cleaning block works great) and hook jumper wires to it, now turn the throttle way up! take the pink eraser and gently clean the motor’s contacts till they are nice and clean.

By: Kevin Ching

Kevin Ching — Thu, 29 May 2014 03:30:46 +0000

I use small white plastic food container trays about an inch deep that we can buy at our local supermarket. I use white ones as it is easier to see the small parts. On the underside of one I have glued on a piece of sheet magnet like some fridge magnets use, this holds small metal screws in the base of the dish and if it happens to get bumped the parts stay in the dish.

By: Desmond Kennard

Desmond Kennard — Thu, 29 May 2014 01:13:55 +0000

Whenever I have small parts of a loco; or open a packet of screws or pins, I prefer to place all the bits and pieces in a clean plastic food storage container with a clear lid and snap locks . If one size is standardised, they can be labelled and stacked on a shelf or a bench. This type of container is also useful when a kit of any kind has been opened, although it may be necessary to have on hand a larger container.

By: Leo Johansen

Leo Johansen — Wed, 28 May 2014 23:29:26 +0000

At my work desk I have attached a piece of fabric, about 36″ L x 24″ W, under the edge of the table by means of Velcro tape. When I sit down to work on finicky stuff I draw this piece over my legs up to the waist and any part dropped will be caught right there. I recommend using plain fabric without any pattern. Very small pieces tend to hide in patterns.
The Velcro makes it easy to remove when not needed or when it needs to get thrown into the washing machine 🙂