Question about H.O. Scale 4-4-0

[Dan W]

I have a fairly new Bachmann H.O. Scale 4-4-0 in B & O Colors.  It arrived about six weeks or so ago and I ran it for a few minutes that evening.  Then I put it back into the box until a last Thursday, eleven nights ago.

I set up a table with two tracks on two transformers in my living room.  Both tracks are clean, I just cleaned them again in fact.

My 4-4-0 has probably run less than eight hours since arriving in mid October.  When I first set it up last Thursday, I ran it around the track without a load and then added a car, then around the track again and another car.  I repeated the process until I had hooked up three coaches, a combine and a caboose.  It ran fine for about five days and then started jamming up.  It would run a few inches and stop.  It would move for a few inches with a "nudge" and stop.  Tonight, I took the entire load off of it and still tried to run it around the track.  With a nudge, it moved about two inches and stopped.  I cleaned the track again and still nothing except for the light flickering. 

So I thought, "Maybe I need to lube it."  I started looking for charts as to where to lube it but the sheet in the instructions showed where to put screws but not where to put oil.

Would there be anyone around who can show me a diagram of where to lube my locomotive?

Thank You,

Most Respectfully,


Dan

[Dan W]

One more comment on this matter, I have another train on the other track and it runs just fine on both of them while the 4-4-0 does not run well on either track.

Dan W

[Flare]

Here's a video by Bachmann for maintaining and lubricating HO sets:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OtW8Gx_WxL4

[Dan W]

Flare,

Thank You.  That was by far the best video I've seen on the subject.

Dan W

[Searsport]

nothing except for the light flickering. 

Sounds more like a bad electrical contact to me. Check for fluff or dirt where it shouldn't be. A loose wire is another possibility.

Best Regards,
Bill.

[GN.2-6-8-0]

Also make sure the plug between the engine and tender is fully seated.

[Dan W]

Thank you both.

I checked all of the wires, cleaned off the fuzz bunnies from the axle and then wiped the track down with a clean, dry cloth.

It runs much better.