The key to continued optimum performance from your K-27 is
regularly scheduled maintenance. Your new K-27’s gearbox was lubricated at the
factory. However, the running gear will require lubrication before you run it
for the first time. Failure to perform this initial lubrication may result in
damage to your
locomotive. So please follow the lubrication procedure carefully.
You should lubricate your K-27 after every 10+ hours of actual running time, or as needed. The product engineers at Bachmann designed the K-27 in such a way that only a few simple steps are needed to prepare it for operation.
We recommend high quality lubricants designed for operations outdoors, such as Bachmann’s line of E-Z Lube® products. To begin, be sure to choose a large, flat, sturdy surface on which to work. Use the foam top from the K-27’s packaging as a cradle for your locomotive. Next, turn the locomotive upside down and gently place it in the foam cradle so you can easily access the wheels, axles, and valve gear (as shown in figure 1).
Begin lubrication at the front of the locomotive and work
towards the rear, starting with the front truck. From there, move on to the
valve gear, axles, springs, bearings, and wheels, and finish with the rear truck
(figure 1).
NOTE: There are lots of bearing surfaces on the K-27 running gear. Be sure to take your time and lubricate all of them. For the purposes of illustration we are only going to lubricate one side of the running gear. Don’t forget to lubricate both sides.
Beginning with the front truck, use heavy viscosity oil to
lubricate the plunger and points where it contacts the locomotive frame (figure
2). This will help it to move easily in either direction. Next lubricate the
axles where they pass through the truck side frames. Finally put a drop of heavy
oil on the pivot point where the truck attaches to the frame (figure 3).
Moving on to the double
hung valve gear, use heavy viscosity oil to lubricate all of the bearing
surfaces where metal contacts metal (figure 4). There are a lot of them, so take
care to get them all. Remember to lubricate the valve gear on the other side as
well. Next, put a small drop of heavy viscosity oil on the bearing surfaces of
the operating springs and their hangers (figure 5).
The next step is to lubricate the driver axles where they pass through the frame
axle bearings (figure 6). Using heavy oil, be sure to lubricate each axle on
both sides of the frame and behind the counterweights. Also, put a drop of heavy
oil on
each side of the sprung axle bearings where they are seated in the frame,
as shown by the arrows (figure 7).
Before you move on to the rear truck, put a drop of conductive contact lube and electrical enhancer on the end of each driver axle where it enters the frame (figure 8). Also, put a drop of the electrical conductor enhancer on each of the driver wheel treads.
When you're finished with the driver axles, it's time to lubricate the trailing truck. First, put a drop of heavy viscosity oil on each of the journal hanger bearing surfaces (figure 9). Next, put a drop of heavy oil on the ends of the axle and the friction pad on the truck side frame (figure 10).
Now it’s time to move on to the tender trucks. First, put a
drop of heavy viscosity oil on the end of each wheel axle where it enters the
truck side frames (figure 11). Then put a drop of heavy oil on each of the truck
bolsters where they are joined to the tender frame (figure 12). The last step is
to put a drop of conductive contact lube and electrical enhancer on the pickup
wipers where they contact the tender truck axles
(figure 13) and on the tender wheel treads
(figure 14).
Again, be sure to lubricate both sides of the running gear.
By establishing a regular lubrication schedule, you can have a lifetime of fun,
performance, and satisfaction with this locomotive model. Remember, this
locomotive performs best on curves with a minimum 8´ diameter.