@Dusty Tumbleweed posted:Thanks for all the replies. I think the most amazing reply is from Harmonyards. Also Patrick B with another MTH running long hours. What a statement to the durability of the trains and the manufacture. I would never guess trains would hold up to that amount of continuous run time. All my locomotives are Lionel. Both old and new. Anyone with long run times with Lionel? The conclusion I draw here is that as long as they are not getting hot and well serviced running them for a couple hours shouldn't be a problem. Guess I will not worry so much about wearing them out to soon. I do like the thought of letting them run longer
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My locomotive is far far from stock,….I picked the most indestructible parts known in the industry, and put them all in a pot and mixed them together……it’s a Railking chassis and boiler shell, but that’s where the MTH parts stop,….I stripped all the wheels and axles off, machined the drive block to accept press in ball bearing axle bearings, then used old Lionel Postwar Berkshire drivers ( the hardest ones known to man) ……then I installed a 8000 series Pittman full ball bearing motor, rare earth magnets, and silver graphite brushes ….I set the gear pattern to achieve the best mesh I could, and also achieved back drivable gears …..I did all of this cause I was tired of burning off flanges from cast zinc drivers, and burning up cheap Mabuchi motors found in the smaller Railking & Lionel locomotives,…..I’m hoping to get 5000 hours out of it before it will need a major overhaul, ( rebuild or replace the motor, new ball bearing axle bearings, gears, and another set of Postwar drivers from a donor ) ….she even looks more at home at her current job than the original puny Pol-Ex locomotive…..
Pat 
