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I have been using the MTH grease in my engines. I'm just about out and its time to resupply. Should I stick with the MTH stuff or are there better products out there? What do you use?

 

EDIT: Wow! Thanks for all of the replies. Looks like the Red & Tacky comes in first by a landslide, followed by the Labelle. And a surprise third place to Mobil. I never thought about using automotive products on my trains. I think I will be trying the Red & Tacky.

Last edited by SouthernMike
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The problem I have with greases is that I cannot find any technical data on them.  For motor oil, I can find information that states that the vapor pressure of motor oil is 10^-2 torr at 100 deg C.  With that said, some of the guy on the forums have been using red and tacky for some years without a problem.  I am an engineer, and I don't believe much that is not technical data.  

I use white lithium grease recommended by most people on the forum before Red & Tacky was discovered.  I didn't switch because I have a large tube of it.  Labelle products are also good and have been around a long time.  For oil I use the tubes of model train oil you can pick up at train shows for a buck or so.

.....

Dennis

I looked at the web site for red and tacky.  Missing from the data is the vapor pressure of the oil used to make the grease.  The vapor pressure tells you how fast the oil evaporates.  While it appears that many people are using red and tacky, we don't have any data on how long it lasts before the oil evaporates and the grease gets hard.  

I use Labelle #106 plastic compatible grease on gears

 

I just use MTH grease on MTH Loco's because thats what MTH gave me and if it ruins something I can yell at them.

 

I use white lithium grease recommended by most people on the forum before Red & Tacky was discovered.  I didn't switch because I have a large tube of it.  Labelle products are also good and have been around a long time.

 

Red and tacky

 

Any of the above are reasonable choices and should serve our needs for model trains.

 

Lucas Red and Tacky has built quite a following.  From what I have read it is just another good quality NLGI 2 lithium grease with red coloring added.  Maybe people like red!  If red is your color Mobile makes Mobilelith SCH 22O. It is a nice synthetic NLGI 2 EP lithium grease too. 

 

But then there is nothing wrong with white, blue or good old tan grease either. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Originally Posted by Hot Water:
Originally Posted by Popi:

white Lithium Grease purchased in large Tubes. I sqeeze it into a food injector purchased at Walmart for about $4 bucks, Viola!!

OK, just what is a "food injector"?  Is it actually used to "inject food" into someone or something?

that's exactly right. its used to inject and/or infuse flavor into food such as steaks, chicken, turkey. instead of basting, the injector is filled with broth and injected into the meat.

It makes a great grease gun though, been using it for years.

hello guys and gals..........

 

I use Red & Tacky in the large gear box of my 1300 dollar Sunset 3rd brass locomotive. The red grease has been in the gear box for 2 years since I purchased it in 2012 and I did a inspection and found out the grease did a outstanding job protecting as it show very little if any wear marks on the teeth of the gear.  I ran the engine for more than 12 hours with the Madison cars. The MTH Madison cars are heavy and they do not roll freely.  I use the grease on the Lionel classic F-3 and the Williams Geep.  I will buy another tube of that.  I believe its the best grease for heavy"O" gauge or larger trains.

 

the woman who loves the S.F.5011,2678,2003,200

Tiffany

I have a 2025 steamer that I oiled in 1965 and then put in the closet for 40 years or more.  It was oiled with Valvolene 20W-40.  When I took it out of the box it ran just fine.  The oil was not dried out or sticky.  This is the kind of information I am looking for.  Very long term storage or use of a loco.  Two years is not enough time.

Originally Posted by Hot Water:
Originally Posted by Popi:

white Lithium Grease purchased in large Tubes. I sqeeze it into a food injector purchased at Walmart for about $4 bucks, Viola!!

OK, just what is a "food injector"?  Is it actually used to "inject food" into someone or something?

It's for those who don't have time to stop and eat. Load it up with PB&J or leftover turkey and mainline it into your arm! Gets all those vitamins and minerals into the bloodstream quicker too!  LOL

Originally Posted by Laidoffsick:
Do we really need all the technical data for Red N Tacky? They are model trains, not the space shuttle. It really doesn't need to be that complicated. Sooo many people on this forum use it, and no one's trains have blown up......

Well, I had a derailment exiting the engine terminal with my Sunset/3rd Rail C&O H-8, and it shorted the 180 brick and burned some wires up in the tender. Suppose my using Red "N" Tacky had anything to do with THAT?

Originally Posted by Laidoffsick:
Do we really need all the technical data for Red N Tacky? They are model trains, not the space shuttle. It really doesn't need to be that complicated. Sooo many people on this forum use it, and no one's trains have blown up......

Precisely. The vapor pressure is a non-issue at these operating temps. I've told that to Bruce a few times.

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