Does anyone know if these oils are conductive ? I want to use them on the pick up rollers of locomotives and passenger cars.
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I do not think so. Bachmann's E-Z lube is conductive.
Personally, I prefer the Atlas "Electro-Lube" for pick-up rollers.
I have had good luck with Daylight Sales "Never Stall".
I would suggest not using Labelle for roller pickup. The other suggestions above are great. I've also used WD-40 in the past. Just wipe off the excess. Works for me though I'm sure some here will disagree.
I use 5W20 motor oil. I even oil the commtators of the motors. If you are worried about the pickup rollers, why are you not concerned about the wheel bearings of the drivers? The electricity has to go through them, also.
When I started oiling the commutators, I posted what I was doing. Several guys told me it wouldn't work, but the locos are still running just fine. Oiling the commutators reduces the motor friction significantly.
I been using Labelle for years without any problems.
I use the woodland scenics oils and it works very well. There's another company that makes like the are conductive the name escapes me at the moment
I'm pretty sure labelle lubes are conductive
I don't think any oils are very conductive. The wheels and rollers just push it out of the way for the most part. Those parts don't run in an oil wedge, but instead, I think the high spots of the roller or wheel surface conduct to the shaft or axle.
I oil the rollers and wheels with a 100% synthetic oil. Everything runs just fine.
OK, my mistake, its EXCELL Lubes that are conductive
If you have an ohm meter, could you put a drop of it on say a plastic bag and measure the resistance between the two probes in the drop without the probes touching?
If theyre hydrocarbon based and they do not have any additives in them to make them conductive they will only have limited conductivity they will be more like insulators
I use De-oxit D5 on my rollers. It is made to clean contacts, and has a minor lubricating effect.
I have received good reports from fellow model railroaders using Labelle oil but old habits are hard to break. Full synthetic motor of different viscosity are used in my cars, on my firearms and 0W-20 Mobil 1 on my trains. P/W cars appear to roll far better with it. Can't claim its better than any other oil but it seems to work on my layout.
I use De-oxit D5 on my rollers. It is made to clean contacts, and has a minor lubricating effect.
I have several different Caig Labs products on hand, including Deoxit D5.
I think D5 is really just a cleaner.
They make other products that are lubricants.
I have used their fader lubricants to rescue stereo equipment with noisy pots on a number of occasions. I suppose you could use it to lubricate rollers.
I use a very small amount of whatever lubricant is at hand at the moment. Lately I have been using the oil that comes in the original Zoom Spout oiler, which was Unicol turbine oil. The company that originally marketed this oiler is gone, and several other companies are making the same oiler. But I do not know what they put in their dispensers.
I also use Labelle lubricants.
Here is the Caig Site. They sell retail, but you can get better prices elsewhere.
Dennis LaGrua posted:I have received good reports from fellow model railroaders using Labelle oil but old habits are hard to break. Full synthetic motor of different viscosity are used in my cars, on my firearms and 0W-20 Mobil 1 on my trains. P/W cars appear to roll far better with it. Can't claim its better than any other oil but it seems to work on my layout.
I do the same on trains. What synth would you use on a 1911? Always wanted to try that.
lionelbob posted:I use De-oxit D5 on my rollers. It is made to clean contacts, and has a minor lubricating effect.
DeOxit is great stuff for electrical. I use it on stereo stuff too. Never thought to use it on trains. DUH!!
lionelbob posted:I use De-oxit D5 on my rollers. It is made to clean contacts, and has a minor lubricating effect.
I've used that for years...the only way to keep Heathkits alive. I thought about it for the rollers, but the synth oil seems to work without issue.
I now prefer the EXCELL line of lubricants. As I posted above, the product "Electro-Lube" from Atlas is conductive, and is for use on pick-up rollers.
Wahl Clipper Oil for pick-up rollers was popular here from a few years back. Surprised it wasn't mentioned to this point. I have used it with no issues for about 5 years or so.
Hot Water posted:I now prefer the EXCELL line of lubricants. As I posted above, the product "Electro-Lube" from Atlas is conductive, and is for use on pick-up rollers.
I'm still curious as to what "conductive" means for oil. Is it just ionic like tap water? Or are there conductive particles? What liquid oil would be conductive such that a film completely separating the metal to metal path is less than say 0.2 ohms which would be required in the case of an engine? Antisieze would be so in a paste, say with with copper or aluminum dust.
I don't understand why anyone would consider lubricating pickup rollers. It is not recommended by any manufacturer, except perhaps Williams (whose rollers often squeal due to some kind of metallurgical inferiority)
Once you start oiling pickup rollers, you're trapped in a repeating cycle of cleaning and re-application.
To begin with, most of the oil will sheet out and get flung onto your track by the high RPM centrifugal forces. If that isn't enough of a mess, the combination of heat, friction and electrical arcing quickly turns whatever oil is left on the roller pins into a glazed sludge, causing poor electrical conductivity, additional friction and premature wear on both the locomotive, and cars being pulled (if they have rollers too).
I see this problem all the time on trains brought into our train store for repair. People don't follow instructions. We even get idiots who spray WD-40 all over the bottom of an engine, wheels included. Then they run it for a few hours letting that goey mess pick up cat fur, dust, and everything else, before bringing it into the store for repair when it sputters along, or the wheels are slipping.
As much as we try and make the effort to educate people about the proper care and lubrication of their equipment, it counts for nothing when they read some kind of self-ordained expert on this forum suggest that you should pour motor oil onto the brushes or commutator of an open frame AC motor.
We have all seen people that shouldn't have been allowed to have children, owing to neglect or abuse. In that same spirit, there are many who shouldn't have trains.
Actually Lionel's Mike R recommends a tiny drop of oil on the roller pins, each side, in his engine videos.
You might watch them...
Here's one if you have never gotten on the Lionel site...
I have used Labelle oils and lubricants and they are really great. The real trick is to use them and all other oils sparingly. All you need to do is have a fine coat between the surfaces that meet. I always go back after oiling and luring to check for excess. I just spent an hour cleaning crud off of locomotive wheels because someone in the best used too much oil or lube. I cleaned the wheels, oiled the axles, wiped off the excess and now I have a fine running machine.
All the best,
Miketg
cjack posted:Actually Lionel's Mike R recommends a tiny drop of oil on the roller pins, each side, in his engine videos.
You might watch them...
Here's one if you have never gotten on the Lionel site...
Cjack,
Thanks, but I am frankly quite skeptical of the advice received from Mike R, notwithstanding his glossy YouTube video shots. His time and background with Lionel is limited, despite his legendary online persona. Both you and Mike R should read through the Lionel's postwar Service Manual, and the written instruction sheets furnished with hundreds of locomotive models produced over the years where it is clearly stated "do not lubricate rollers" and "do not lubricate motor brushes".
In contrast to the consistent and clear instructions provided by Lionel in years past, it was actually Mike Reagan's service department that instructed us to do such silly things as to place oil on a felt pad for a bearing that doesn't even exist on the Conventional Classics 726 Berkshire. Then there was a remake of the 229 Alco set where his service department's instructions told us to oil the inside face of the non-powered wheels at the location where they are pressed onto the axles, instead of at the bearing points. I could document a dozen other sloppy instances like this, but it gets old.
Thankfully, I'm not one to follow such instructions.
Labelle (or any other oil) applied in the wrong place, at best does nothing and at worst causes problems. These products have no business being applied to rollers, brushes or commutators. It flat out kills the conductivity after a short time.
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I oil pickup rollers very sparingly and only at the the axle endings. I oil them there so that the rollers roll (not skid) along the center rail and in doing so pickup electricity more evenly. Otherwise they act like "sliding shoe" pickups.
"Oiling" the roller surface with a conductive material or anything seems counter-intuitive to maintaining clean track.
Tom B
Thanks for all the responses... The manual for the MTH F7 I have says to lubricate the pick up rollers that is why in inquired. I figured I would need a conductive oil or might have a problem as the oil might act as an insulator.
don't lube the rollers themselves
Bob C.
Was just going to put a small drop of Labelle 107 on each end of the roller then wipe off the excess
