Grease for HO scale engines

Model Railroader Layouts and layout building
1

Hi,

any suggestions on what kind of grease to use for lubricating gears on an HO scale engine? I have the body off at the moment and I want to do a little lubricating maintenance before I put it back together.

Thanks, Mark

2

HI Mark,

I use Labell plastic compatible grease.Wathers part number 430-106 When it comes to grease or oil, less is better. Whatever you use, use it sparingly. Too much attracts dirt and lint and stuff you really do not want.

Paul

3

Labelle #106 is a plastic-compatible grease that works well for gears, although NorthWest Short Line recommends Labelle #102 plastic-compatible oil for gears.
Whatever you use, the key is “plastic-compatible”.

I bought a previously-owned Bachmann 2-6-6-2, which ran well both at the store and, when I got it home, on the layout. It sat in the box for a couple of years while I worked on other projects, but upon test running it before making some modifications, i found this:

Obviously, the previous owner had used a non-plastic-compatible oil. [banghead]

Wayne