Lubrication Revisted

[jonathan]

OK. I've studied everything I can find on loco lubrication.  I've been playing with my own layout for about 3 years now.  I've collected 13 new engines so far, and am getting brave enough to start opening up my locos for inspection.  I have Bachman Spectrum, Athearn RTR and Genesis, and one Atlas Silver Series Dash 8.  Haven't collected any of the high dollar engines... yet. I have done the hard-wire soldering of the Athearn RTR engines, following the on-line instructions I've found—surprised myself how well that turned out. 

As I open up each engine, regardless of manufacturer, I am finding copious amounts of lube on the worm gear, so much that it has sprayed on the chassis or whatever is directly outside the worm gear.  Some grease has found its way down to the inside of some wheels where the wipers pick up the current (Bach. diesels). All manufactures seem to squirt plenty of lube in the working parts.  I have spent time wiping out excess lube rather than applying it.  The wheels get cleaned with Goo Gone, and then the tiniest drop of conduct-a-lube is applied and wiped clean again.  As long as I keep the track clean, the engines run smoothly.  Have tried two track-cleaning methods; using Goo Gone or applying light conductive oil on the tracks.  Jury is still out on these two methods, but I seem to get the most crud off by simply wiping the tracks with dry, cotton t-shirt strips. I will say that applying oil to the track makes the trains run quieter.

So... I'm looking for validation.  I'm guessing no engine has more than 3 total hours of running time.  1. Is it too early to start looking for dry mechanical parts?  2. Is grease really necessary on the worm gears?  3. Do the driving rods on my steamers need to be lubed yet?  4. When I do lube them, can I cause the little screws to let go of the drive wheels/rods?   My 2-8-0 Connies are my favorite engines.  I am a Nervous Nelly every time I run them, but they sure look cool running down the rails!  I won't crack open their shells until I get more confident with the other engines.  If there is a site, dedicated to "how to's" on lubing HO steamers, with pictures or diagrams, I'd love to read about it. Thanks. Sorry for the rambling (English Major).

Regards,

Jonathan

[rustyrails]

Lubrication is one of those areas where, truely, less is more.  Most of my locos have been  boxed up for almost 15 years and I have just recently begun to prep them for operation on the new railroad.  I basically disassemble the drive train, clean the parts in warm soapy water where possible, inspect for defects, reassemble and lubricate.  Modern locomotives should be lubricated ONLY with plastic compatible grease and oil.  LaBelle is good quality and readily available at your LHS.  LaBelle used to sell a kit with several lubricants and general instructions.  Don't know if they still do.

Put a small amount of grease on the worm gear of a gear train.  The rotation of the gears will distribute the grease to the spur gears.  Bearings get a tiny drop of oil.  A  straight pin will help you transfer about the right amount.  Don't forget the motor bearings, but don't let any oil get in the commutator.  Steam engine rods and valve gear, in my experience, seldom need to be oiled unless you have some reason to believe something's dragging.  Proper oiling will not encourage screws to back out.  Your 2-8-0 has a belt drive, so be sure to keep oil away from the belt.  And last, but not least, don't forget a puff of powdered graphite in the draft gear boxes.

I've run engines on our club layout for, I guess, 30 or 40 hours before they needed to be serviced.  The best indication that an engine needs to be lubed is that its performance changes--it needs more voltage to start or won't run smoothly at slow speeds, for example.  The second best indication is odd noises.  Hope some of this helps.  Just remember that you're smarter than those engines.    

Rusty

[Jim Banner]

I suspect that most manufacturers over lubricate locomotives knowing that a certain percentage will never see another drop of oil in their short, miserable lives.  A little bit of oil is better than a lot, but a lot is better than none at all.

All gears, including worms, need lubrication, either light grease or gear lube (a thinker, sticky oil that does not run off.)  Gear teeth slide against one another, particularly worms, so a lube that doesn't easily wipe off is in order.

Lubricating drive rods will not encourage the screws to back out but lack of lubrication might.  Drive rods are one place that manufacturers do not over lubricate, I suppose because they show.  Sometimes I wonder if they lubricate drive rods at all.  Without lubrication, the rods will cut the die cast bosses off the wheels.  Most locomotives, including your Connies, drive one axle with the motor and that axle drives the other axles via the side rods.  You can buy new sets of wheels if the locomotive is still being manufactured or you can machine up new bosses and install them, but the former is expensive and the latter is tedious.  It is cheaper and easier to lubricate the rods a tiny bit but often.  Incidentally, do you know what the real life steam engineer does with that big oil can every time he stops at a station?  His rule too is a little but often.  Many older locomotives have no other source of lubrication for the rods, valve gear, cross head guides, etc. except what comes out of the engineers oil can.

Jim

[jonathan]

Thank you, gentlemen, for the great advice. I understand everything except keeping lubricant away from brushes and commutators.  It seems all my newer engines have sealed motors (can?).  I don't see how I could accidently get oil or grease in there.  Can it seep in?

S,

Jonathan

[Stephen D. Richards]

You're correct.  You can't "accidently" get oil on your brushes or commutator, unless you drop the can motor in your oil can!     However, several good open side motors are being used to remotor and many older, nice locomotives are running out there with open sided motors.  You shouldn't put lube oil on the commutator but I have on occasion, put conductive oil (very small amount) on and it has improved motor performance.  Test this out for yourself.  I'm sure this will start a landslide but there are a couple of "threads" of thought on this.  Hope that helps,  Stephen

[Neon Man]

Ummm . . . how about a blast of WD-40 . . . then wiping off any excess? 


Would this help or hurt an N scale loco?   Isn't WD-40 conductive?



All best,
joe

[ABC]

Ummm . . . how about a blast of WD-40 . . . then wiping off any excess? 
Would this help or hurt an N scale loco?   Isn't WD-40 conductive?

That is not a good idea, because WD-40 isn't plastic compatible, you'll just make it worse then it was before and may end up with a loco that won't run.