CB&Q 4-8-4 fan trip

[RAM]

I was doing a search and ran across a flange lubricator.  This brought back to mind of the first fan trip I was on.  It was the second day of the first fan trips out of Kansas City, Mo.  We went to St Joe and turned east went we got to a wye that rout us back to KC on another track.  One of the men who also took the first trip said that on the first trip the CB&Q had told the track gang to grease The rails so the 4-8-4 could get around it without too much flange wear.  So they went out and greased the top of the rails.  They ended up uncoupling the train from the locomotive and running it back and forth until they felt they could get enough traction to full the train around it.   The second day we had no trouble going about two miles per hour.

[Doneldon]

RAM-

It sounds like they didn't do the job correctly. Greasing the flanges is exactly that: greasing the side of the flange which faces the railhead or
greasing the inside vertical face of the railhead. That reduces power robbing friction without impeding adhesion between the face of the tire.

                                                                                                                                                          -- D

[RAM]

D- You are correct, they didn't do the job correctly.  CS should have told them that you do not put grease on top of the rails.

[missyl]

preety new to this but my train is running extremely slow . Does anyone know what I need to check. cleaned everything!