I recently purchased a few "spare" Spectrum steam engines. (Shays, 2-6-6-2's and 4-6-0's) As some of these engines are not being produced I thought I should stockpile a few spares.
My question is since I have no intention of using these engines anytime soon and they will be in storage.
What would be best for these engines? Store them without breaking them in or should I break them in and then place them in storage?
I have been informed by a member of the local model railroad club that if you are not going to be running the engines on a regular basis you should not break them in, wait until you will use them on a regular basis.
I understand that by not breaking them in I will not know if I have any problem engines and would forego the free warranty period and only be entitled to repairs/replacement with the standard service charges applicable.
The people in the know would be Bachmanns service dept.
Run them just enough to insure you have a working locomotive.
DO NOT lubricate before placing in storage. If possible store wheels down and supported. Do not use Styrofoam or any type shelf or drawer liner. Pick a storage environment that would be comfortable for you to live in.
Quote from: Hunt on March 12, 2009, 06:18:38 PM
Run them just enough to insure you have a working locomotive.
DO NOT lubricate before placing in storage. If possible store wheels down and supported. Do not use Styrofoam or any type shelf or drawer liner. Pick a storage environment that would be comfortable for you to live in.
What about the foam in the factory box, is it allright for long term storage?
The foam in the factory box will breakdown with extended storage. How long it will take depends on the conditions it is stored in. If you must keep them in their boxes then it is very important that you wrap the loco and tender in the original plastic wrapping.
I suppose if you have the space for it, you could "store" the engines in a display case. That's what I do with my Spectrum Richmond 4-4-0 when I'm not running it.
I stored my old loco's in the 70's. Didn't put them back up until 4 years ago.
I wrapped them in newspaper, all were fine when I unwrapped them. Even fun reading the news from 1976.
So, I should quickly run the engines looking for any warranty problems and then without breaking in the engines store them.
Will keep the engines wrapped in the protective material the engines arrive in. Will not oil/lube the engines. Will keep the engines in the storage closet, nice and warm and no drafts.
As I mentioned, these are spare engines. Thanks for the advice.
Quote from: Johnson Bar Jeff on March 16, 2009, 12:13:14 PM
I suppose if you have the space for it, you could "store" the engines in a display case. That's what I do with my Spectrum Richmond 4-4-0 when I'm not running it.
thanks, but I was not asking where to store the engines.........
Quote from: Pacific Northern on March 16, 2009, 06:57:40 PM
Quote from: Johnson Bar Jeff on March 16, 2009, 12:13:14 PM
I suppose if you have the space for it, you could "store" the engines in a display case. That's what I do with my Spectrum Richmond 4-4-0 when I'm not running it.
thanks, but I was not asking where to store the engines.........
I realize that, but putting the "spare" engines "on display" eliminates the need for worrying about packing, oiling, etc. Plus, you get to look at them. :)
store them upright - "on" their wheels.
Gene
Before you do anything with the locos determine if there are any warranty issues . You don't want to have to try to deal with them later.
Don
Quote from: grumpy on March 20, 2009, 12:55:41 AM
Before you do anything with the locos determine if there are any warranty issues . You don't want to have to try to deal with them later.
Don
Thanks, that was pointed out.
My question was mainly should one "break in" the engines if they were not going to be run on a regular basis?
Or would it be better for the engines to be "broken in" at a later date when the engines would be brought into regular use.
I have 3 Spectrum 2-8-0 I bought before the price increase last year. I didn't do a complete break-in, just ran them about 10 minutes to make sure everything was in good order.
Then I wiped off some oil that had run out the bottom and put them back in the original foam padded box, with a folded pad of tissues underneath. I keep them in my office which never gets below 60 degrees.
Quote from: Yampa Bob on March 20, 2009, 04:38:47 PM
I have 3 Spectrum 2-8-0 I bought before the price increase last year. I didn't do a complete break-in, just ran them about 10 minutes to make sure everything was in good order.
Then I wiped off some oil that had run out the bottom and put them back in the original foam padded box, with a folded pad of tissues underneath. I keep them in my office which never gets below 60 degrees.
Thanks for the information. That is what I did more or less.
The engines have been checked for obvious malfunctions and returned to their original boxes and are stored in a closet right side up and yes I did place some extra tissue under each of the engines.
I may never get to use these engines but felt completed to get extra engines of my favorites as there were available at a reasonable price. It was really hard to pack way the extra 2-6-6-2, that is one great engine..
I'm glad now that I bought the extra Connies, as they have been discontinued. So many times in my life I have sought a replacement for an item I really liked, only to find it's no longer available. I think it's called "planned obsolescence".
I'm not what you would call a hoarder, but I do buy multiples of things I like. I may never use the stored Connies but they give me peace of mind.
Meanwhile I intend to run my fourth Connie until the wheels fall off, then repair it and run some more. I've already had the thing apart four times making modifications and improvements.
PN,
I stored my engines in their original boxes, in plastic containers. The lids "Snap on" and will protect them from the extreme temps here. We also have a high humid climate. I waited until the containers were on sale, and have extra (For more trains!).