Clean Wheels with Isopropyl Alcohol

If a locomotive stutters along the track, look at the wheels before you blame anything expensive. A cotton bud with a little isopropyl alcohol can lift off the black muck that stops good contact. Turn the wheels gently and clean a small section at a time.

Use only a little liquid. You are cleaning the wheel surface, not giving the poor engine a bath. Once the wheels are clean, wipe the track too, then run the locomotive slowly and listen. Quite often it will sound happier straight away.

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