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Which lubricant to use on model railway locomotives?
There are many stories of cheap alternatives to model railway locomotive lubricants. Unfortunately, there are also many stories about locomotives that have given up on life long before expected. The chances are, the two are linked.
A model railway locomotive's mechanism contains many fine and delicate parts, all of which have very fine tolerances. And as the price of model locomotives these days is no joke, the only responsible advice is to recommend a lubricant specifically designed for the job. But what is wrong with other types of oil?
Well, some of them will be just fine, but others will cause catastrophic damage. It's all a bit of a lottery, and the problem is, you will not know the results until it's too late.
Thicker oils and those that use an aerosol spray dispenser seem to cause the most damage. Thick oil has no chance of penetrating enclosed shafts and lubricants that are supplied in a general-purpose spray can apply oil everywhere, including inside the motor, and that's not a good thing!
Another problem to be aware of is the tendency for some oils to perish certain plastics. Granted, no oil is going to dissolve plastic in front of your eyes, but it could produce premature wear to delicate cog teeth, and that's not a chance worth taking.
The advantage of purposely designed locomotive lubricants is that they are the correct thickness to penetrate where needed, they are tested and safe to use on model locomotive mechanisms and their applicators ensure an appropriate amount of oil is deposited, so only if you really know your oils should you consider using an alternative.
Posted in: Best practices
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