Lucas Red n Tacky Grease

I would use the Red N Tacky in all those locations.

there is a lot of pages talking about it.

IMO keep off of that, instead use motor oil and silicon grease for plastic part involved.

3 on 1, wd40, tacky and different other lubricant are not so good.

I say it again IMO. You will be find a lot of different point of view anyway.

Andre.

I would not mix the red stuff with what is already in use on your locomotives. Use what the manufacturer recommends.

I would of thought that the red "n" tacky would be to thick for the motor bearings.

I would totally clean out the engines altogether first then relube it.

Tin 

I wouldn't "mix it" with other types either. First I'd clean out the old gunk as best I could and then use Red 'n' Tacky everywhere I needed a lubricant that would stay put. (And how many places are there where you don't want your lubricant to stay put?)

Old saying re lubrication: "If you can see it (in place) you've used too much." The red color of R 'n' T is hard to miss, of course, even when applied properly--very, very thinly--but the fact that it is so tacky and will stay on spining gears and shafts where other lubes won't is its major selling point. You shouldn't apply R 'n' T like sheep-dip.

If it doesn't drip, doesn't get slung off, lubes and lasts, what more do you want?

On the other hand, you might try some of the original Lionel grease. It was "factory recommended." Over time, it waxed up so badly you could shove a wick in it and use it for a candle. Hard to come by now, but you can likely find some if you search for it.

Every "white" grease that I've ever tried eventually separated into a nasty liquid and something resembling cottage-cheese.

I have had no problems with R 'n' T since I learned how little it takes to do the job.

 (Extra Tip: Don't work with it on the dining-room table if your wife's best Irish-linen table-cloth is in the same zip code.)

My repairs are almost 100% post war O and O-27 and have no experience with smaller scales. 

By the way, some years ago, shortly after Jim Barrett recommended R 'n' T in an OGR article, I called the Lucas tech service department who claimed it was "safe for plastic." So far, it hasn't damaged any of mine, but, as always, your mileage may vary.

Originally I worried about the viscosity too. I don't any more--when it is applied properly, i.e., barely there.

I used to use Kendall high speed wheel bearing grease until I switched to red and tacky. A thin layer of the thick stuff is not so thick especially on small parts turning at high rpm.

Many Lionel motors have two different types of bearings:

There are oilite bearings in which shafts turn. These bearings should only be lubricated with light oil, never grease. The bearing are porous by design, grease would clog the pores.

There are ball bearings, sometimes loose, and sometimes mounted in a race, that act as thrust bearings. I typically use Labelle 106 grease on the ones mounted in a race.

C.W., You may have a technical point, but in my experience two things happen to bearings, of whatever type. Either they are neglected, dry out, rust, drag, squeak, and get out of round; or, they get over-lubed with the lubricant running out or getting thrown everywhere except where it's needed.

If the "oilite pores" were to get clogged with sand or diamond dust I would have some concern, but clogged with  a high-quality, stay-at-home grease? Really? Precisely what dire event would you expect to happen next?

Bottom line: Lubricate with whatever you choose, but try not to over- or under-lube. I find that Lucas Red 'n' Tacky #2 makes finding this happy medium easier and longer-lasting than anything else that I have experimented with. I really don't think this is rocket science, much as I hate to use that tired expression. 

Possibly the worst thing you can do is to fail to check a brand-new locomotive to ensure that it is factory-lubed at all. Somebody posted recently that they opened the gearbox of a major-brand locomotive straight out of the box and found totally dry gears accompanied by a single blob of grease off to one side. Now that constitutes a concern -- unless of course the owner's manual instructed them to get inside and apply the grease before operating the loco. Of course that would be silly on the part of the manufacturer because it is clear that nobody ever reads the "friendly" manual.

Gee Wolverine, do you think you could offer an opposing opinion without getting rude and nasty?

Do whatever you like to your trains.

There always is going to be a certain amount of poor advice posted on public boards. Folks just have to wade through, and decide for themselves.

Sorry you took offense, C.W., I assure you none was intended.

It's almost all opinion on these forums. I base mine on personal experience which others may or may not be able to replicate.

That said, I would appreciate a factual response to my "dire event" question. No one wants to post advice that would cause someone to do harm to his equipment, but unless someone can provide evidence of  Red 'n' Tacky having done such damage, I will stick with my opinion that, when appled sparingly, R 'n' T #2 is a unique and useful all-purpose grease for O-gauge equipment.

I work almost exclusively with post-war equipment that I bought used and in many occasions somewhat hashed. In many cases, the bearings were already sloppy, and traditional lubricants, both oil and grease, tended to ooze out and/or get slung off. LaBelle products were central to my arsenal up to that point, but after Jim Barrent mentioned R 'n' T I tried it and have not gone back.

Disclaimer: I have no financial or personal interest in this product whatsoever.    

The characteristic feature of greases is that they possess a high initial viscosity, which upon the application of shear, drops to give the effect of an oil-lubricated bearing of approximately the same viscosity as the base oil used in the grease.

Greases are applied to mechanisms that can only be lubricated infrequently and where a lubricating oil would not stay in position.  The "Tacky" part of the Lucas grease makes it even more desirable.

It's actually very inexpensive, shipped to your house FREE... $6.83 HERE.

Thanks, there is a store near me here in Wilkes Barre, Pa.

    Thanks again.

Red N Tacky is what my local train shop repair guys use, and they highly recomeneded to me.

Okay, I'm doing the Red "N" Tacky now and I can see why you guy's like it,

I added it to my GG-1 power trucks and after awhile it really quiets down the 

gear chatter wow!

Tin 

I have been using Militec-1 synthetic oil and grease for many years. It's top quality material, forms a molecular bond with the metal to which it is applied, and doesn't evaporate or become "varnish". About 10-12 years ago I removed all the old oil/grease from a 2343 and relubricated the armature shafts, gears, and axles with Militec-1, and the engine quieted while speed increased 25% due to a significant reduction in friction. I've been using it on all my engines and rolling stock.

Phil

After reading so many endorsements of it on this forum, I went to AutoZone yesterday and bought a tube of Red n' Tacky No. 2.  $5.99 plus tax for a 14 oz. tube that will probably outlast me.

Curt

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

I put in fresh red & tacky#2 in my Sunset 3rd S.F. 5011 which was purchased  back in Dec 2012 and after few hours of running, it became one of my smooooooooooothest running Texas type steamer i ever had.

the woman who loves the S.F.5011

Tiffany

I opened the wrong end, duh! now I have to find a cap or something to seal 

the one side with.

Tin 

That's very good. But, just how many "Texas Type" models have you had?

The last four next WBB locomotive I have seen were all shipped with NO grease on the gears. They've all been lubed with R&T and run quiet and smooth. I bought one big tube and then filled medicine bottles to give to our club members.

Gilly

hello Hot Water.........

I had 3"H.O."scale PFM S.F. 5011's, 1"N"scale hallmark models S.F. 5011(NO axle bearings except the gearbox), 2"H.O."scale Westside Pennsy J-1a's, 1"O"scale (2 rail) Westside Pennsy J-1, 1"O"scale (3 rail) Sunset 3rd rail early 1997 era Pennsy J-1 with JUNK gearbox ( they all needed better motors and gearboxes upgrades).  1 MTH "O"(3 rail) Die-cast # 20-3056-1 S.F. 5012 (first FRONT driver, the axle holes was drilled "out of round" and waddled like a duck and undersize boiler.   Finally the Sunset 3rd (3 rail) S.F. 5011 which I purchased Dec 2012.  Of all the brass 2-10-4 types, the last one I purchased came with the quiet drive (2002 model of the Sunset 3rd S.F. 5011) is one with the best motor and gearbox and using red & tacky in the gearbox made it even better runner. 

the woman who loves the S.F. 5011

Tiffany

I hope you guys and gals checked out the three links that I posted at the end of my February 01, 2013 post at 11.08 A.M. Wouldn't want to leave any stone unturned.

wolverine

My local Tractor Supply store carries Red N'Tacky.

Hi all,

   Well I finished both motors in my GG-1 tonight and I got to say it's running 

smooth, I have it pulling five American Model Toy's passenger cars behind 

it and it pulls them great a ten and a half volts, put it up to twelve and 

it's going to fly, that stuff is good.

Tin 

It is very slippery.

I've been filling syringes with Red N Tacky 2 and selling them at our local train meets. I use it in almost all of my enines. 

Hi Guys,

How does one clean off the old grease and clean those areas where this new lubricant will go?  Any solvents involved?  Some of these gearboxes have just a small screw that plugs the access hole to the gearbox.

Steve

Donald,

  Where did you get the little red cover for the tip of the syringe?

          Mel

      I just ordered some as I have been using LaBell. Will give it a try and thanks to all on another informative post.

If its a modern steamer, just add .5-1.0 ml of redntacky. Redntacky is a lithium based grease as is typically whats in a loco gearbox. There usually isn't enough grease in the gearbox from the factory to be much of a factor anyway, this isn't a high heat industrial type application.

I use electronic contact cleaner, it's comes with the red tube that helps control 

direction and gets it in those tight spaces like gear boxes.

Tin 

Hey were'd it go, I put the RNT on the truck gears and looked today it kinda 

gone most of it is on the big wheels, did I do something wrong.

Tin 

There should not be so much that you can see gobs of it.  It should remain on the gears, if it makes it to the wheels there is far too much and you need to clean it off of the wheels.  A thin film on the gears is plenty.