Penny Pax Training Of - O

Date: April 19, 2026
Prepared for: General Inquiry
Subject: Feasibility and Structure of a Low-Cost (“Penny”), High-Compliance (“Pax”) Training Program Based on Sequential Conditioning (“O”)

To practice, place your fingers on the home row keys. Then, without looking at the keyboard, stretch your right ring finger to press the "O" key. Remember, the goal is to develop muscle memory, so accuracy is more important than speed. penny pax training of o

Goal: Train a $50 used O-scale locomotive to run as smoothly as a $500 brass model. Date: April 19, 2026 Prepared for: General Inquiry

Step 1: The Roller Burnish (Penny Trick #2)
Remove the shell of a diesel or the boiler of a steam locomotive. Locate the center rail pickup rollers (usually 2–4 per engine). Using an old penny held in needle-nose pliers, gently roll the penny over the surface of each roller while rotating it. The copper in the penny burnishes the roller without removing metal. After 30 seconds per roller, you’ll see a shiny, smooth contact surface. Cost: $0.01 (same penny). Goal: Train a $50 used O-scale locomotive to

Step 2: Gearbox Simplicity
Open the gearbox. Remove old grease (which turns into waxy glue over time) using a toothpick and a drop of mineral spirits. Relubricate with one drop of light machine oil (3-in-1 blue bottle, not the red household kind) on the worm gear and one tiny dab of white lithium grease on the axle gears. Over-lubrication is the #1 killer of smooth running – it migrates to wheels and pickups, causing stutters. Penny Pax says: less is more.

Step 3: The Low-Voltage Schooling
Place the locomotive on a 3-foot test track. Using a variable transformer (any old Lionel or MRC throttle), run the engine at the lowest possible voltage that produces motion – usually 3–5 volts AC/DC depending on the motor. Run it forward for 10 minutes, then reverse for 10 minutes. Do not increase speed. This “schooling” aligns the brushes, seats the bearings, and wears in gear teeth without generating excess heat. Repeat this low-voltage training for three consecutive days. Cost: electricity negligible.

Result: A locomotive that will crawl through a #4 turnout at a scale 2 mph without stuttering.