I have two MTH Bump-N-Go Trolleys (30-5143 & 30-5146). After I lube them (per the Manual and 1 drop per spot), for a few days(10-20 hrs of running), they don't run smoothly. They hesitate with no pattern of specific spots on the track.
During Christmas one runs under the tree on 6ft of 0-27 track(2-35"+1-5"). The rest of the year, I un one on 10ft of 0-27(3-35"+1-10"). Both use Lionel 26/260 bumpers.
Am I missing something or using the wrong oil?
Mark W.
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Mark, I have one of those MTH trolleys running end to end. It runs erratically too, but not for long; it smooths out after a few minutes of running. I oiled it and cleaned the track, but it didn't make a difference. My postwar no. 60 trolley always runs smoothly on the same track. Postwar fans may tell us "they don't make 'em like they used to"!
John
Unless you're getting mechanical binding sounds, random pausing is more a symptom of dirty wheels and/or track. Have you cleaned the wheels/track thoroughly? If the wheels look shiny, that actually may be a sign that dirt has impacted and polished on the wheel treads, Try scraping with a single-edge razor while the wheels are turning, either under power or by hand...
Mitch
Thank you for the responses.
Cleaning doesn’t seem to be the problem. I have checked and cleaned the track before putting the trolley back on the tracks.I also always check the wheels when I lube it. also,they run fine before I take it off the tracks to lube it. It’s not till after I lube it and return it to the tracks that it’s erratic.
In my case it’s much more than a few minutes of running to smooth out. Also, it is the same problem with both of the trolleys.
Mark W.
Mark, do you have another track to try the trolleys on? That might help you to isolate the problem to the trolleys or the track. Since you have a problem with two trolleys, it sounds like the track.
John
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