Is there a resource somewhere that lays out when to use what type of lube to use and the best way to apply it? in a recent post I was advised to use graphite powder to lubricate the wheels of my walthers passenger cars but embarrassingly I was not sure how to apply the tube of it I bought. And it is not clear to me when to use graphite powder vs teflon powder vs the very light oils. is there something out there that is easy to refer to? many thanks in advance.
I am afraid that common sense is the best resource when it comes to lubricating your equipment. Just a dab of grease on gears less than a drop of light oil in bearings that have shafts run through them and loco side rods. The graphite powder for coupler shanks and your axle ends on your cars. Most modelers do not lube the axle ends and rely on the slippery nature of the plastic side frames. The most important thing to remember is its better to have too little than too much lube. You do not need oil and grease dripping on your layout. Graphite is conductive to a point. too much and you can have a short but not likely. It could just mess up your scenery. When I do axle ends I pop the axle out of the truck and clean both axle and bearing cone with a cotton swab and just puff a very tiny bit of lube and reinstall the axle. All your lubricants should be plastic compatible. Some petroleum products will destroy your trains. Labelle lubes is the most popular.
Pete
can anybody give a tip on what graese brand to use on proto and atlas engines? the oil i used runs out down to the track.
You’re putting too much oil on everything if it runs off onto the track. Just a little dab will do it. I prefer automatic transmission fluid for most uses, but it must be applied very sparingly.
I generally use LaBelle lubricants–make sure that they are plastic compatable, though. For locomotive gears, I use a bead of the LaBelle gear grease–about half the size of a pea. For siderods and locomotive eccentric gear, I use Labelle #8, which is a very light lubricating oil. I generally squeeze about a drop on a toothpick and apply it that way. A little goes a long, LONG way.
You asked about the Walthers passenger car trucks–they’re metal against metal, and they do need lubrication to run smoothly. I do the same thing I do with my loco siderods, apply a drop of Labelle #8 to a toothpick and dab it to the inside of the truck frame. A drop will generally suffice to do at least one side of the truck. But be STINGY! Too much oil will run down the inside of the frame or down the side of the wheel and eventually find its way onto the track.
Frankly, I wish Walthers had found a way to put nylon inserts into the truck frames, like Branchline does with their passenger cars. It would save a lot of work with toothpicks, LOL!
Tom [:D]
very much obliged thanks. im going to by the labelle at my hobby store. somebody said on a post that grafite graese is better for the walters truk lite kit inside the body. is that better than labelle?