"Running In"?

[scott]

Is there any truth to the idea (which I either faintly recalled or just made up) that a brand-new train (Kato in this case) will run better after some time spent running on the track?

[David]

Yes, for a variety of reasons.

 

The chief one has to do with the motor. I don't remember all the science, but I do remember seeing some pretty diagrams of the process. It has to do with getting the brushes aligned/seated in the optimum position. Running the motor slow at a constant voltage will do this.

 

Another reason is to help spread out the lubrication - most often trains are shipped/stored on their side, so they might have slowly pooled to one side if stored for a long time. Running the train helps mix everything back up.

 

Finally a few models (excellent example is the little Bachmann MDT Plymouth switcher) seem to have an excessive/cheaply done blackening process on the wheels. Wearing off the excess blackening at the spot the wheels touch the rail improves conductivety.

[scott]

Thanks, David. As it happens, our new Oito Line E127 is running slowly at a constant voltage as we speak, on a test loop on the dining table. :-)

 

I was worried that I had messed it up by not getting the layout sufficiently clean before I tried it on there over the weekend. But (knock wood) it seems to be doing better now. I'll let it run for the evening, then do the other E127 and the new 115 over the next few days.

 

FWIW--I have had it with my original test loop of Bachmann ez-trak, and made a new one out of Unitrack. The Bachmann stuff is really poor, and frustrating to work with.

[KenS]

I run in all my trains, running in each direction at moderate speed for at least an hour.  I started doing that after I noticed that they ran better after I'd been running them for a while than when they were fresh out of the box.

 

I'd assumed it had something to do with lubricants and wearing down rough spots on gears or plastic bearings, but I'd never thought about motor brushes needing to seat in.

[scott]

Nice to know that I didn't totally imagine this. And the E127 seemed to be happier by the time I shut it down last night.

 

Also nice to know that the model itself is OK, and that I didn't mess it up. Less nice to know that that confirms that I have a lot of cleaning and wiring to do on the layout. 

[The_Ghan]

Seriously?

 

I understand running in a car, but really!  I just don't get how "running in" an electrical model train does anything to prolong the life of the model.  Do you run in the engine only, without any load from carriages?  What does this achieve actually?  Then, why would you run in a model train but not your fridge, washing machine, or freezer?  The motors are fundamentally the same.  Do I need to run in my electric shaver, toothbrush, or drill?

 

I use running in as an excuse to convince my wife I'm doing something important.  Nothing more, nothing less.  I don't for one second believe I'm doing any more than wearing out the train.

[Martijn Meerts]

Motors for washing machines, fridges etc. are usually run in at the factory. I visited a factory that builds motor for fans (including the ones with like 3-4 meter span), and they run each and every motor that comes off the line for at least an hour.

 

You don't HAVE to run in trains, because they'll be run in when you place them on the layout anyway. I do some running in, but that's mainly to see if the train behaves well with all cars hooked up, and I test more than 1 radius. I have 2 simple ovals for that, which has the advantage that should a train not like a curve, I don't have to crawl under the table and pick it up from underneath a mountain in the far corner ;)

[Claude_Dreyfus]

I come from a modelling background where running in new stock is essential. UK models needed running in for all the reasons outlined above...bedding in the motor properly, enabling the lubrication to be evenly distributed about to motor and gears, and finally to wear off any excess flash that may have been on the gears....no seriously!

 

Some offerings also came with transit grease which tended to seize up during long periods of inactivity.

 

I always like to at least give any new stock a decent running in session, it won't do any harm. Certainly it is more beneficial for locos of sets that will be doing a lot of slower-speed movements, such as shunters. A well bedded-in motor is, in my experience, far more responsive.

[scott]

I wasn't asking about anything to do with prolonging the life of the model. My question was about whether or not "running in" would make the models work more smoothly, as I was having some problems with new models *not* running smoothly.

[David]

Technically running in extends the life in theory (whether its enough to notice is a matter of the quality of the motor and its manufacture). By "running in" the motor at a lower, constant voltage you are ensuring that it's the brushes which are being worn down into the correct shape to be cleanly seated on the commutator, and not the other way around. Once that is done the motor should run smoothly at all speeds, with further (much slower) wear being even and centered on the brushes, which are designed for that (a spring or other mechanism pushes the brush down as it wears ensuring contact remains). In theory a motor that has not been run in will also wear itself into a smooth configuration eventually, however the commutator will be forced to shoulder a bigger share of the wear involved (commutator wear = bad, brush wear = normal and accounted for).

[Guest ___]

Scott, see PM

[The_Ghan]

Still very interesting ... so, what do Kato, Tomix and other manufacturers say about running in a train?  I wasn't able to find anything!

 

My chordless drill had specific directions about how to charge the battery the first time, presumably because it matters.  By deduction, I'd imagine that the manufacturer, such as Kato or Tomix, would provide specific instructions about running in ... if it mattered.  For that matter, I couldn't find anything specific on long term storage and transportation either.

 

Can anyone point me to something official in that regard?

 

When it comes to testing how a new train runs through the track, around tight radii, etc., I'm all for it.  But that's a few laps of the track and across the points ... no big deal.  Plus, you want to make sure all the bogeys and couplings are working and iron out any potential warranty issues.

 

Until my Kato instructions advise me to run a train in for an hour at a constant low speed I won't believe that running in is of any particular benefit.

[inobu]

I get into the performance aspect of everything I do and look for the principles and objective. I have to agree with Ghan somewhat.

 

Your question has two perspectives based on the term "Running in". One being a process and the other being an incidental results. 

 

There are procedures that coincides with the principles of a run in process. The seating of any motor, gear or rotating parts involves the removal of flash or unsurfaced material. That material technically should be removed in the run in process. This means cleaning and replacing the lubricant after the run in process.

 

Replacing the lubricant cleans out any contaminants from the run in process and reestablishes a clean lubricated environment for the parts to rotate in. This will insure that the parts are seated and lubricated. If this process is over looked or omitted then it is merely conducting an extended initial run and not a complete run in. Breaking in a motor requires a short interval oil change. 

 

Brushes are fundamentally a consumable part a by default have a performance curve. Running in will just get you to the optimum performance mark faster but consequently entering into end of life for the brush also. As David pointed out the run in can condition or shape the brushes for optimum contact. This is important when running a load. The higher the load, the higher the current draw, which requires better contact for optimum efficiency.

 

By default a well design and manufactured motor (Kato) will run in automatically unless a by chance event occurs. I think for the most part the "running in" is just a short term quality check that we do.

 

Most of us are not willing to go through the "process" of a full "run in" yet we call it that.

 

The biggest aspect of running in is the point that David makes which is an incidental event and without going through the complete gambit Ghan's point holds true. 

 

Inobu

[inobu]

Scott,

 

To sum it up,

 

Take time during your "running in" to evaluate your new car. Use this as a benchmark to determine if its operation is moving up or down the performance scale in the future . I would run it in at slow to moderate speeds for a while.

 

Inobu

[Guest Closed Account 1]

I don't for one second believe I'm doing any more than wearing out the train.

 

Highly recommend talking to the electric RC car racers. You must break in a motor before competing.

 

In fact, to offset the heat build up we used to use electrical cleaner to freeze the motors. Everyting affects the lap times and how much potential is depleted how fast. or how fast the battery is emptied.

 

So if you want to draw lots of amps don't run in your locos. We want our locos to pull and for the investment we  want them to last a lifetime.