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The following applies to steam, diesel or electric locos. 1) Visually inspect all working parts, 2) insure all wheels rotate properly, without binding, 3) check for loose, bent, broken or missing parts; loose or disconnected wires, 4) remove oxidation and rust from the wheel treads and third rail contact rollers or shoes to insure good contact, DONT use steel wool, a Scotch-Brite scouring pad works well for this job. Follow up with solvent and swabs, 5) lubricate all moving parts - a drop of oil on the axles, shafts and bearings and a thin coat of grease on the gears. Remember - alittle goes a long way. 6) now it’s time to test run your engine; put it on the track and turn on the power. Run it slow and fast around the track, let it run for 10-15 minutes to give lubricants a chance to warm up and penetrate the bearing surfaces. During the test run, make sure you activate the sequence reverse mechanism numerous times. Note: after a long period of inactivity, it often needs to be cycled through a number of times before it begins operating properly again.