I am having a problem with power loss in this Waltham. Shouldn't the barrel snap onto the barrel gear? It seems the mainspring is too wide. When the movement stops I put a tiny bit of pressure on the center wheel and it will run till i release it. Also put a little pressure on the barrel gear and it runs till released. Any suggestions or help would be greatly appreciated...Paul

I am sure that someone with way more experience will chime in, but I have a mechanical mind and cant help but try to think of solutions to mechanical problems.
If the spring was to big for the barrel, placing more pressure on it would under normal circumstances make the problem worse. You would have to loosen the plate over it to improve the issue. my guess is that something is binding the gear you are putting pressure on, in the opposite direction of the force applied by you. Perhaps a cannon pinion to close to the frame?

Jim: You are absolutely correct. The barrel was cocked ever so slightly. Got it flat and good to go. Thanks..Paul

I am puzzled. You show a Waltham Motor Barrel which has to be in Two pieces. (See Photo below of the Jewelled Mtr Bar.) This ia a true motor barrel where the part with the mainspring only rotates when you wind the watch and the part with the toothed wheel is connected to the center spring arbor and powers the movement. That all said, yours has a "CLIP" (see <? in Pic)that I am unfamiliar with on the outside of the motor barrel. What size it this watch?

Dave: Your picture is exactly what I have. After posting my picture i thought the same as you. I went back to look at the spring. The light played a trick. The spring is inside, nothing outside. I thought that this barrel needed to snap onto the gear as the lids do on a conventional barrel. This is quite a learning process. Thanks for the reply.