I lubed the axles and all, and no effect. Squealing is just as bad as before. And whats worse, my K4 is lurching and going from mute to sound around random spots, which makes me realize that I must have over lubed.
My questions are, is there anywhere else on the passenger cars that need lubrication? Am I missing something? And how do I possibly clean the wheels of my K4?
You’ll have to use a solvent or alcohol on your drivers, but don’t forget the idler wheels on the trucks. Unfortunately, you’ll find that much of your track now needs to be cleaned if lubes have run down onto any of your tires. The only thing that can squeak on passenger cars is the truck and or it’s axle ends. Oh, if there are wipers for lighting, there might be a problem there as well. So, lube is still the answer, but it seems you haven’t found quite where to put it. First run one car at a time to find out which is squealing if you haven’t already determined it. Try dry graphite or dry molybdenum sulphide if auto-transmission fluid (Dexron III Mercon is safe on paint and plastics). Crandell
What are wipers and where are they located?
And how would I apply alcohol on each side of the wheel of my K4 ?
You are right, my track is now absolutely filthy. Tons of black residue is smearing off my hands and fingers when I touch the tracks.
Get yourself some LaBelle #108 oil, it is the best you can get for lubing axle’s and such and just a “small” drop will do the job.
Mark
Yes, thats what I just used. No effect at all. The axles must not be the problem…very frustrating, now my layout is in a state of crisis due to the accidental over lubing. I thought I used it sparingly to but I guess some must have dripped on the wheels themselves.
As far as squeaking…LOL just think of them like real 1:1 passenger cars that squeal as the go down the tracks…especially curves…
A “drop of oil” is like taking a tooth pick and dipping just the pointed tip into the lube oil, then with just that tiny itsy bit of oil on the tip putting that into the axle socket.
Molybdenum grease as mentioned is a fine product like the LaBelle oil. ANd some favor the transmission fluid as mentioned, THat brand will not attack plastic.
Re: Walthers passenger car squealing.
I’ve posted many times before that for squealing axles on the Walthers varnish, I’ve not seen a product yet that can outlast Moly Magic, including the Labelle oils. It’s more viscous than those oils and it contains graphite, which helps with electrical conductivity. Did a nice job of quieting my Walthers Budds.
The electrical path for lighting Walthers cars is as follows.
Rail to wheel, axles are insulated and the wheels/axles ends contact the metal side frames, the heads of the screws holding the side fame to the insulated bolster contact pads on the underfloor of the car. They do not have wipers on the wheels or axles.
The squealing noise may be from wheels rubbing on the bottom of the cars, especially if your trackwork is not perfectly flat and level. Thin washers inserted between the trucks and bolsters may solve this problem.
I have to agree with - cacole !
I have had a number of freight cars that made a squealing noise!
It took me a while to figure out that it was the wheels - I finally found it by lightly pressing down on the car and rolling it slowly - back and forth - and then I could hear the wheels rubbing.
On my freight cars I just ground out part of the frame or bottom of the car until the wheels cleared everything as I did not want to make the couplers height wrong.
BOB H - Clarion, PA