The hardest thing to learn when you're a new treadler,
is to keep the machine going in the right direction.
Put fabric under the presser foot and run the machine unthreaded top and bottom until you learn. You turn the hand wheel forward or backward depending on which way your machine is supposed to go.
Put both feet on the treadle, one ahead of the other and wiggle them to get things going.
Also join www.treadleon.net and you'll get lots of help from the friendly folks in the group.