The December MR had an article about tuning/lubing locomotives and rolling stock. It mentioned a product called Aristo-electrolube. I’ve been having a problem with conductivity from the truck side frame and the axle hubs on a Bowser AS616. Another person on a different forum had the same problem, same loco. His fix and probably mine, was to take the trucks apart and scrape the holes where the hubs engage the brass pickup bar on the side frame. Apparently some residue from the axles or on the pickup bar was preventing good electrical contact. When I read the article and saw the “conductive lube” I thought this would be the ideal solution. I did some searching and here’s what I found:
Long story short, according to the posters all seemed to agree that the Aristo product will attack plastic and conductivity is questionable. I’m sure I’m not the only one who read the article and thought that this would be the ideal product to enhance pickup. Check the link out and see what you think. I, for one, will be sticking to tried and true Labelle.
This is one reason I never follow a articles advice on cleaning/servicing a locomotive since a good cleaning and adjusting usually does the trick far better then a stop gap method that usually needs repeated.As far as improving electrical contact on a Athearn or most any drive sandpaper or a small file can work wonders…
In some cases old school methods still works the best.
It should be noted that the product in question was used on the metal to metal connection between the Athearn truck bolster and the mating pin on the frame. I don’t believe that it was to be used as a general gear lube. Used in moderation at that point it would probably not cause a problem with any plastic parts.
I agree with the use of the Labelle products for everything else in the model, but I don’t think one would want to use the Labelle grease at the point in question because I believe it to be non-conductive.
That said, I believe the video link I posted in my post to the referenced previous thread sort of implied that the Aristo lube ate its own container. If that’s true, probably best to avoid the product. The last poster in the referenced thread recommended another conductive grease that one may wish to try.
For those with Walthers passenger cars, I use this for my fleet. Moly Grease quiets those “squealing” journals and helps with electrical pickup for lighting:
Walthers sells it for $6.29 per tube. Part # 785-656
I don’t know why this just came to mind, but I thought I recalled someone using a synthetic auto lube for trains - anyone heard of that? I think being synthetic it didn’t attack plastics.
I think it is SuperLube you are referring to. I have some in a tube, I have some spare gears out of an Athearn loco, I’m going to try the lube on one for a week or so & see what happens. It’s synthetic & the website states it’s good for most plastics including polystyrene & delrin.
Also states it’s an excellent dielectric so should be good on the pivots for locomotives trucks.
Gordon, What I recall was definitely an auto synthetic lube but it was probably mentioned as a way to get something that was equivelent to a product that was re-packaged and sold at a much higher cost in the hobby market. But my memory fails me, which is why I brought it up hoping someone else would remember it also.