Fellow Forumers,
I am going to place this in all forums I participate in, because I need a little advice on troubleshooting a Kato Steam locomotive.
Background - Last year, I purchased a C57 Kato JNR Pacific Steam engine for $10. It didn't run then, and it looked like it sat in an attic layout without attention for years. The caked on dust, smudge, dirt, inside and out was enormous. But when I got it home, I put it on the track and it moved just a little, and I decided to rehab it. You can see that my accumulation syndrome complicated by a Pygmalion complex is working here. lol.
I took it almost completely apart, except for the valve gear, and soaked it in an alcohol bath to dislodge all of the accumulated stuff. I cleaned each part, and even the tender, and the end result was it looked almost brand new. Again, I put it on the track, and it sounded like there was binding on the driveshaft, but once it broke loose, it ran great for a few days, and when I put it back, the same problem developed again. So, I took off the shell, and decided to lubricate not only the entire running gear, but to stick the needed of #108 Plastic compatible Labelle oil in the little slit where the engine housed and gave it a little squirt. I then ran it for a few hours and it ran fine, as expected.
Problem: Yesterday morning when I cranked it up, a fine white smoke emanated from the cab, where the engine is seated. This in the past with other brands, has been an indicator of imminent and immediate death of the motor, but after a couple of feet, the engine stopped smoking, and it ran great. I ran it for a few hours and again, it ran perfectly, only again this fine line of white smoker not puffing, but like a cigarette buring in an ashtray, not pushed, but a fine white line rising. I am running it right now, and it is running like, well, a Kato, pulling 30 cars without stress or strain, and quiet and smooth, and not smoking.
Early this morning, I took the shell off and put power directly to the motor leads, and there was no sparking, or smoking.
I am beginning to think the white smoke was the excess oil burning off the motor, but I have tested hundreds of spare motors, and the only motors that do not get hot in my hand are Kato's.
I have a spare motor, but will not swap it out until the existing motor burns out, and fails.
Does anyone have any ideas on this?
Ken "FloridaBoy" Willaman
