What's your favorite lubricating oil for your trains?

I use nothing but "EXCELLE LUBRICANTS" (P.O. Box 503, Huntly, IL 60142). They have everything from extremely light oils to nice heavy thick grease for steam locomotive model side rods. I use only the Lucas "Red N Tacky" grease for gear boxes.

After using the Excelle Lubricants, we decided to add their products to our line. They are all plastic compatible and conductive and are the perfect lubricant for model trains.

see www.megasteam.com.

 

Jeb Kriigel

Mega-Steam

Proud Forum Sponsor

Used to use Excelle but when those bottles were empty, I refilled them with synthetic motor oil. 30wt. Works great and you get a whole quart for the same price as a couple ounces.

Excelle Lubricants....the best!

I use automotive lubricants. Lithium grease for gears, SAE 10 oil for axle bearings, and SAE 140 hypoid gear oil for drive rod pivots. I prefer synthetic lubricants.

 

I would not mix types of grease products, so if the manufacturer recommends Lithium grease and that is the type of grease that comes in an engine from the factory, that is what I use. The color of the grease is irrelevant so long as it is Lithium.

Exactly right.  I suspect the quart will outlast me.

Labelle Lubricants...#'s 102, 106, 107, and 108.  Available through Walthers and their dealers.

 

KD

Ditto, here.  All I use.

the leftover oil from my autos. I keep the empty quarts after an oil change, and there is always enough left on the bottle to fill my little train bottle several times.

I use Mobil 1. Great stuff.  One quart will last forever.

 

-Roger

I use lily white light sewing machine oil.

I use whatever good-quality, appropriate lube is in my lube box. They all work just fine.

 

Having said that, I lean toward automotive lubricants. 30wt oil for to-be-oiled things, and axle grease for gears; from the auto parts store. A can/container of each will outlast most of us, even the younger ones (the axle grease does tend to "liquify" with age).

 

3-in-One is also very good oil. 

laidoffsick, I've never seen a single grade synthetic motor oil--only multi-grade.  What is the brand?

Another vote for Labelle.

 

Brad

Excelle and at time Labelle, both excellent

I prefer Lucas' High Performance Gun Oil. It has the same quality points as Red-N-Tacky.(It stays put without drips)

+1!

Another vote for Mobil1. And Lucas RednTacky for grease.

I'm thinking a good lube will fix this? This is audio of my rear truck on a VL genset.

I use a brand of synthetic motor oil with a Teflon additive.  The brand I use is T-Plus but there are other similar lubricants like Slick 50 and others.  The synthetic is perfectly compatible with plastic and the Teflon really aids in slipperiness.  Best stuff I have ever used over many long years of train running.

 

Paul Fischer

Oster Hair clipper grease, "Red n Tacky", Labelle oil, Tri-Flow, White PTFE grease that is plastic compatible that I buy from the Dewalt tools repair center. 

KY Sensations or Astro-glide.

Sorry, I couldn't resist!

Matt

I guess if Jim Barrett told us to use peanut butter, we would all be using that!

US Army sewing machine oil.  Got it at a gun show works great.

I use Moly-Kote grease for gears. It's got the same molybdnum di-sulphide crap in it that the high performance tool makers use for their maintenance free and angle drive gearboxes.

And Lucas 80w for oiling.

Oil - IBM #10      Grease IBM #23

I use white Lithium in the gear boxes, no problems in years, and years of running.

For rods, axles, etc. I use a synthetic additive called Prolong.  It was made for the automotive industry and had gas additives, oil additives, tranny, gearbox, etc.  Use to buy in a package that contained one of each.  Used for years in my 421cu, 411 posi, Summit cam, etc. Can Am.  Only, no longer manufactured, but do find sometimes at an occasional auto store, in the back of all other products, leftover from years ago.  I have found nothing to come close to it. An older PW Lionel will coast for what seems forever after loosening up with it.  If you ever come across it... GET IT !!

 

Jesse

along the lines of overlandflyer, I use Chevron Superla 10w. used by commercial sewing companies.

Totally inert.

 

I have quart. Most likely will leave it to my grandson.

 

besides, Lionel has always recommended 10w.

 

.020 needle point bottle.

 

Edit: I have a small puffer of graphite for couplers. Didn't like the mess. I now use the Superla 10w

Nano oils and grease. 

 

http://www.nano-oil.com/

 

https://ogrforum.ogaugerr.com/t...at-grease-do-you-use

Jesse (texastrain),

 

Check out Amazon for your PROLONG, they have it listed (LINK) as currently available...

 

Best,

Dave

Dave, thanks!  It really is the only lub I have used for years, and it lasts once applied.

My many Post war engines and rolling stock all run/roll freely and can pull longer consists than before I used it.

Again, many thanks.....

 

Jesse

Surely this is the only train thread on the internet that recommends prolong, k-y and astro-glide in the same thread.

It really depends on the context. IN the right context, this is the best lube in my whole  world! 

Excelle Lubricants from Mega Steam is all I use now. It lubricates yet it doesn't drip off. I have never seen anything else that good.

Scott Smith

Marvel Mystery Oil - safe for use with plastic, does an excellent job of keeping parts lubed properly, a quart at Wally World is under 10 bucks and will last a lifetime.  I've been using it for over 25 years on my trains and it works great.  

Rye Whiskey, Rye Whiskey, Rye Whiskey I'm dry.........

If I don't have Rye Whiskey I surely will die..........

       
       Yes, we are special!!

Valvoline Synthetic 5W 40.

 

Oh wait...you mean for our trains, don't you?

 

Never mind.