Hi, I am relatively new to model railroading. I am hoping that someone can tell what type of lubricant to use on N scale equipement. Oil (petroleum based or synthetic) or grease. I have been reading imformation on the net which is mostly coming from manufacturers and retailers and obviously they all have a vested interest in what they make or sell.
Thanks for you time and I will appreciate the help
Cheers
Harry Boyd
Perth WA Australia
Although I model HO scale, I use lubricants produced by ROCO. I have used it on my ROCO, Atlas, and Walhters locomotives without any problems. One note, if your locomotives have traction tires on any of the wheels, make sure whatever lubricant you use, does not get on the tires as it will cause them to break over a eriod of time.
I used nothing except Labelle’s grease and/or oil for lubrication. Their products are all plastic compatible.
I use Labelle also on my HO rolling stock. A tube or bottle will likely last a couple decades. I use the tube of creamy grease on gears as that makes more sense to me than the optional liquid gear oil they also sell. On steam loco side rods or wheel journals (where recommended) I use the light or medium oil. Be sure not to overlubricate.
You might like to view the following Labelle video:
Not all LaBelle lubricants are plastic compatible, so be sure you read the label on the bottle carefully to make sure.
I have several LaBelle lubricants, and some say “Harmful to Plastic”
And above all else, DON’T use 3-in-1 sewing machine oil – it is definitely not for use on plastics.
I recently purchased some light machine oil at an auto parts store and discovered that it is labeled as Mineral Oil, which you can get at any pharmacy for a much cheaper price.
Harry,
[#welcome].
As others have said, light lubrication, and plastic compatible. I use Labelle, light oil (108) for bearings, Grease (106) for gears. And by the lightly lubricate, everyone means very lightly… Can not stress that enough. I’ve seen way more issues from over lubricating than under.
Axle bearings, motor bearings, rod bearings and the like want a light oil. Gears want a thin grease. Coupler boxes and perhaps tender trucks want powdered graphite. Go easy on the lube. Excess lubricant gets flung off and makes a mess. Never lubricate a motor commutator.
Despite countless warnings to use a “plastic compatible oil” I have had excellent performance from 3-in-1 oil and white lithium grease from the auto parts store. Ocassionally I have used Vaseline and automotive axle grease. I get powdered graphite in little squeeze tubes at my hardware store.
thanks DRtan I appreciate the information cheers Harry Boyd
Thanks Medina1128 I appreciate the advice. cheers Harry Boyd
thanks peahrens I appreciate the advice. cheers Harry Boyd
thanks cacole I appreciate the advice. cheers Harry Boyd
thanks ricktrains4824 I appreciate the advice. cheers Harry Boyd
thanks dstarr I appreciate the advice. cheers Harry Boyd
Good advice regarding Labelle lubricants. Very effective as long as it is applied sparingly, as mentioned above.
Regarding vaseline: Not a bad option for the “old school” open frame locomotive style drives of the 70s, but be careful as it can potentially gunk-up modern drives in the long run as dirt and grime deposits build up.
When buying older run locomotives from web dealers (including ebay) don’t assume that just because it’s “New in the box” that the lubricants are still in a good state. After sitting on a shelf for so many months or years some factory lubricants can dry out, causing unpleasant surprises when the unit is placed on the track for the first time and the throttle is cracked open. Older run LL P2K units are notorious for this.
(Ironically when they were brand new, out of the factory, the opposite was also a problem in that a lot of units were over lubricated).
Good idea to carefully check the mechanism first. Over lubed mechanisms are easy to clean up. However, dried out lubricants must be completely flushed out. Spray cleaners, like CRC Electronic Cleaner are safe on plastics and work well. Otherwise, 70% iso-alcohol along with a toothbrush and tooth picks (and patience) can fit the bill.
I’m going to be going through 8 of my 11 P2K E-units as they have not been run in several years. I’m hoping that the lubricants haven’t dried out in them yet.
A while ago I purchased three tubes of various weights of Nano-Oil, #5, #10, and #85. They came as a set.
The #5 is recommended as a penetrating oil where things are mostly seized up and you need to get something into the joint to start loosening it.
The #10 is recommended for bearings of all kinds.
The #85 is recommended as a gear lubricant.
My experience in general is that the #10 and #85 when applied as suggested make a noticeable difference in the performance of the locomotive. The most extreme example I have had involved a new Hollywood Foundry BullAnt drive. The manufacturer recommends a two hour break in period. After running the BullAnt with the factory supplied lubricants for a few minutes, I added the Nano-Oil lubes as appropriate for the gears and bearings. Within a few seconds the BullAnt had almost doubled its maximum speed. It would also crawl at speed step 1 of 128 without any hesitation even over turnout frogs.
I’ll admit that it is not cheap, but I am impressed with its performance.
Dave
Since I was just lubing my HO scale engines today… I am using Labelle #106 Plastic Compatible Grease and Labelle #107 Synthetic Light Motor Oil Medium Weight. These are recommended my name and number for Walther’s HO scale Trainline Locomotives in their instructions.
The back of the Labelle package of grease says use #108 Oil for N scale.