Importance of good lubrication!

Your best bet, even if you are working with models that you believe to be all metal, is to always use plastic compatible lubricants.  Can't really go wrong with that approach.  Compatibility will be indicated on the container or bottle.

My apologies. I meant to ask what damage is there? Melting?

Here's one clue I follow...   If it states in BIG letters on the bottle "Sewing Machine Oil", I avoid it altogether.  Perhaps later generations of oils associated with this product line and current manufacturers is more 'plastic compatible', but our (LHS) experience in dealing with customer train repairs is that in more than a handful of cases, they reached for 'sewing machine oil' believing it to be of the same ilk as for toy trains.  Well, in the vast majority of metal-to-metal situations, that may be so.  But for a few later generation products featuring metal shafts in plastic bearings, it was a ticket to disaster...and, in some cases, trashing of a perfectly good product for which no repair parts were available any longer! (Mostly in the HO and N scale categories, mind you.)

 

LaBelle lubricants are our highest selling, highest recommended products for their purpose in the Trains Dept.. 

 

Period.

 

(And, unlike some politicians, our "period" is believable!)

 

KD

Depends on the type of plastic the lubricant contacts.  Could be anything from crazing to softening, I suppose.

The damage isn't necessarily obvious. The plastic can be weakened, or made brittle. So a plastic gear can crack. Here is some material.

From the "material:"

 

"Recommendations. Mineral-oil-based lubricants don’t attack most plastic materials and offer excellent performance for the dollar in general plastics applications."

 

This confirms my experience.  Some car motors contain plastic parts which requires the oil to be compatible with plastic.

Thanks for all the info. Does anyone lubricate the Lionel plastic trucks that come on the RTR sets and expansion sets?

Motorcycle chain lube seems to of worked in mind it's in an aerosol can and already has a straw nozzle to squirt little holes.  if you've ever used it as soon as it settles it gets very sticky (so it won't fly off the chain doing 100 miles an hour) thought that would be great in a worm gearbox, maybe not but it made my jerky train smooth out!

I have been using plastic-safe Marvel and Lucas air tool oils on HO trains for nearly twenty years, no problem.  Haven't been in O but a few years, but also zero problems with those lubricants.

 

Pete

Typically I too use Labelle with no issues. However, after the holidays I went to grease the gearbox on our 785 Hudson -- had seen a lot of action under the tree -- and realized that I was out of Labelle.  Just for kicks, I tried a couple drops of Amsoil GL-4 gear oil I had in the garage and I noticed it actually runs smoother and quieter than it ever has before.  It even freewheels a bit when it stops, kind of like it has a flywheel.  I will pick up the Labelle next time I am in the store, and I don't know if I am brave enough to leave that oil in the Hudson, but so far it seems to have certainly done no harm. 

I agree and it's one reason why I have been experimenting. Non detergent 20 weight oil seems to be the best all around and I can use it on appliances too. Mobil One which I tried, seemd to dry out fast. I looked up Mobil One on line and a car forum was explaining that M1 used to be made of mostly plastic safe PAO type synthetic oil with additives. Apparently now they are blending the PAO with other type oils which they won't disclose for proprietary reasons. Also there are so many additives in a bottle of modern engine oil, that there's not a lot of oil in a bottle of oil. Hence the reason why it can dry out quickly etc.
Another reason for experimenting is that a 1 ounce bottle of LaBelle is about $6 - $7 plus shipping and I don't know what's in the bottle. It could be a few cents worth of something readily available at Walmart in a quart bottle. I can buy 2 quarts of engine oil to experiment with for the same money. When I'm done experimenting I use the remaining oil in my car or in lawn equipment. Oil for trains is almost free and I know what's in the bottle. 

Just a bit on my limited experience:

Lubed my Big Boy (and others) with Red N Tacky #2 in 2009.

Has not needed anything since. I run it regularly so the miles are piling up.

14of tube is $5.99 at amazon but you can save the shipping at the local car parts store. This one tube is a lifetime supply.

Side note: I also used teflon gun oil on squeaky axles and that worked well too. but it costs a bit more.

Hello guys and gals..........

 

I use Red & Tacky#2 in my O scale Sunset 3rd S.F. Texan locomotive since 2012.  This engine has about 15 hours of run time. I removed the gear box bottom cover and did a close up eye inspection of the large heavy gear and much to my surprise there is very little if any wear patterns on the teeth. I believe that Red & Tacky grease is best choice for heavy steam locomotives.  My brass Texan weights 9 1/2 pounds but will add another half pound to the front end to "balance" the engine. 

 

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

Tiffany

I have used the Red and Tacky too.  Seems to stick or hang in there better.  I have wanted to experiment with various gun oils on the other parts for a while now.  Perhaps I will do this next.  Rem Oil, WeaponShield, Frog Lube, I have a bunch of samples.