One thing I noticed when taking the tenders apart on my MDC 2-6-0 and 2-8-0 is that there doesn't seem to be any vent for the motor. When I have run either of these for an extended period (1/2 hour +/-) the sides and bottom of the tender do seem to get pretty warm to the touch. Is this common? Do I need to be concerned? I don't expect to be running them for real long periods anyway, unless I fall asleep at the switch while running laps. Thanks
Ed: I've run my MDC 2-8-0's for long periods and haven't noticed any overheating of the tender. I would notice this as all my MDC 2-8-0's have decoders installed in the tender as well. Does this happen with all your MDC 2-8-0's? Stay cool and run steam....
Does this happen with all your MDC 2-8-0's Well it happens with the one I have, and the 2-6-0. Actually the 2-6-0 seems warmer. I can't really say that they're overheating, that's really the question. They just seem a lot warmer to the touch than any of my other locomotives. Warm enough with the 2-6-0 that you notice it immediately on grabbing the tender. Not that I have a lot of experience to go on. Thanks
Try lifting the coal load so it isn't fully seated on the tender and see what happens. Stay cool and run steam....
Ed- 2 1/2 hours straight running with 2 2-8-0's at moderate speed as promised above, pulling nothing. No heat whatsoever.
Hmmmm. Not good news, for me anyway. Maybe i need to look at cutting in some vents. Although the problem is probably something that vents alone won't solve. Thanks for the report.
Are you sure vents are the issue? Although inexperienced in these things, I have not heard of one of these engines running poorly or with problems.
Are you sure vents are the issue? I'm pretty sure they're not the issue. That's why I said: "Although the problem is probably something that vents alone won't solve." If it were, they would have included them as part of the design. As I said earlier, I don't normally run them for extended periods so I figure I can probably keep going without burning them out. Thanks
Ed, Are you using a pulsed DC supply? They have a tendency to make motors run hotter (some much more than others), especially at slower speeds.
Ed, I believe that model does have what MRC calls "Pulse injection". There are lots of things that can cause overheating, but because it is happening to 2 different loco's I would try to see if that is a cause. You can try running at at least 1/2 throttle or above with no cars behind for a while and You can try running on straight DC. If you can't borrow another power pack you could run on 6 volts of batteries for a test. I have several very old Atlas engines that get quite warm (and hum like the dickens) when run on my pulsed supply at slow speeds but do quite well on my pure DC supply. If that doesn't help it's time to look at each loco for problems. Look for binding or drag on the gears and linkage. Also worn or dirty motor brushes (from over oiling) can create extra heat. Nelson
What happened is that when you took apart the tender, you distrubed the motor's seating. It happened to me, as well. Also, I pushed the tender deck back in too far down. The result is that the flywheel and/or the motor shaft is rubbing against various surfaces. This creates friction which means that the motor has to work harder and it runs hotter. Make sure : 1. that the motor is seated properly in the tender. 2. that you do not push down too hard on the tender deck when you replace it. rschaffter is correct on the ammetre. If you do not have an ammetre, keep in mind that these things do not require much throttle to run at 35 SMPH. If you have to use a high throttle setting, either the motor is not seated properly or the tender deck is rubbing on something. I use an MRC 2400, which has an ON-OFF pulse switch. Rarely do I put the pulse switch ON. [ September 28, 2005, 10:56 PM: Message edited by: brokemoto ]
