I have a train that I set up around the tree. The engines run for a while then stop. After a few minutes they can start again. Engines have been sitting around anywhere from 15 years to 35 years long. In boxes. Any ideas?

Clean the tracks and wheels. What type of track? Steel or nickle sliver track?

Rich

You said engines, as in more than one? If you run them one at a time, and one stops running, can you put another one on the track and run it? Or is it dead too?

Sounds to me like thermal overload in your power pack from excessive current draw.
Remove the loco shells and disassemble and degrease the chassis and trucks, then re-assemble and re-lube.
Clean track and wheels as Rich stated.

Good luck

What's best to clean tracks and wheels. I did clean tracks with rubbing alcohol. I'm only using one engine at a time. Some last longer than others.

WHen you remove one engine because it has stopped, can you run another one immediately or do you have to wait?

I can run a train immediately afterwards. But not the same one.

What kind of oil to lube the loco?

I have used Labelle 106 gear grease and 108 oil for some years. Amazon sells the kit. Not much needed.

Rich

Thanks. I'm a real novice. Problem I have is that I can't get to the motor to oil. I have an old Chessie system C&O 4301 engine. I can get it out of the plastic but there are no apparent screws to get to the gears. Any ideas?  I searched you tube and could not find an example for mine.

It might be the couplers. Or projections from the chassis into slots in the shell. Look for slots in the side of the shell.
A dab of oil where the shaft enters the motor.
A little gear grease on the worm and let it spread via the worm gear to the other gears. Let the grease spread. Let the loco run with no shell.
I learned to do this many years ago.

Rich

Quote from: James in FL on December 21, 2020, 03:15:40 PM
Sounds to me like thermal overload in your power pack from excessive current draw.

It is not thermal overload in the power pack. The OP has stated when one locomotive quits, he can immediately put another on the track and run it. That would not be possible if the overload tripped in the power pack.

The problem has to be with the individual locomotives themselves. They are 35 years old. Something tells me pancake motors are involved. Those did have a tendency to overheat, and they had plastic motor bearings that could soften if overheated. Worst case, the bearing softened enough for the motor shaft to shift, freezing the motor and rendering it useless.


BigHurt what types of locomotives are you running?

Quote from: Bighurt07 on December 22, 2020, 04:23:31 PM
Thanks. I'm a real novice. Problem I have is that I can't get to the motor to oil. I have an old Chessie system C&O 4301 engine. I can get it out of the plastic but there are no apparent screws to get to the gears. Any ideas?  I searched you tube and could not find an example for mine.

That sounds like an old Tyco MU2 drive. Member RDC1 is somewhat of an expert on locomotives like these. That's the person to ask about his particular locomotive.