out from there summer sleep and it fells like my hardly used Walther’s Empire Builder set got its brakes set ? whats the best way to loosen these guys up? dont remember em being such a drag last year when new ? I’m sure I gave em a very,very light lube last year per directions ,dont really like using oil .
who got the secret on the tune up or lube for these guys ?..Jerry
The wheelset axles might be too tight in the sideframes. If so, this should help:
On all my new Walthers passenger cars, I use teflon spray lubricant. You can get it at any auto parts store. It doesn’t attract dust. It’s kinda waxy.
I’ve noticed this on both the Amtrak Superliners and Streamliners.
Jerry,
What kind of lube did you use on the wheels?
Tom
Micro-Mark makes a “truck tuner” that looks a lot like the Reboxx one.
I’ve got one of them, and I used it on my Walthers express reefers, which have passenger trucks on them. On mine, the axles were indeed too tight in the sideframes, so the tuner helped a lot.
What did you use to lubricate the bearings? Some lubricants are not designed for the plastic used in the sideframes, and the long period of inactivity may have given them time to “mush up” the bearings a bit. Again, a good cleaning and some work with the truck tuner should clean them up. Even if the lubricant doesn’t interact with the plastic, it may have gotten gummy over the summer, and might need to be cleaned up.
You guys, these passenger cars have metal trucks. So I don’t think a tool will work.
Actually, Michael, the reaming tool will work on both plastic and metal trucks. However, it’s best to have one designated for each type of material and to keep them separate. And, using cutting oil will help increase the life of the reamer when cutting metal.
Tom
Tom; I beleive I used aerocar light oil (recomended by Bruce @litchfield) its for pickups and motor bearing if I recall, very light and elctroconductive,but I just used a tiny needle tip,not even a drop per axel…Jerry
The blunt ended axle rides in sideframe bushings, I only placed a drop of Labelle 104, but any light oil or as mentioned teflon should work fine. I have not had to reoil any of my pass cars in over 3 years. They have seen some serious running also.
Do you remember just what you used to lube these? Some oils/ greases can dry out or gum up. Sounds more likely that this is the trouble.
Guys,
This is what I’ve been using for several years and comes highly recommended by Tampa’s DCC guru.
Stays in place quite well, doesn’t run out, and has the added bonus in that if you decide to use interior lighting, it contains graphite which helps with electrical conductivity. Just squeeze a dab into each journal, and you’re done. One tube will last you a long time.
http://woodlandscenics.woodlandscenics.com/show/Item/HL656/page/2