Thomas engine - underside roller maintenance

[Anonymous]

We've had the Thomas O Gauge set for a week now, and I've posted questions on the CW80 elsewhere which are being worked out.

On the engine itself, I can't find a detailed manual for it, it is only briefly covered in the print, DVD, and on-line starter kit manual, basically with a diagram of where to lube. So I plan to order the lube and maintenance kit (62927) - any recommended on-line dealers?

As I mentioned previously, in addition to the direction/cw-80 issues, there were intermittent freezes and times when Thomas just wouldn't start from a stand still, or go slower over certain sections of the fastrack, even though the rails were reading AC fine on a DMM.

I'm finding that the dual spring loaded center contacts on the belly of thomas need to be finely adjusted, but the single philips screw holding it on there looks very tiny, like an eyeglass type screw, and there is not another screw, just a plastic round block that maintains the centering of this dual spring contact.

Is there a gauge, or methods of telling what the optimum angles or pressure settings are for this contact? Better yet, is there a manual or list of parts for the Thomas engine?

[Jumijo]

I've encountered all the issues you've mentioned with our Thomas. Any local hobby shop will stock a lube kit, be it Lionel or Labell. We use Labell plastic compatable oil and grease.

Oil Thomas' wheels and axles as indicated, but also put a drop of oil on each side of each roller. It will help the roller move along the track better.

Remove the black part of Thomas' boiler by lifting straight up on his funnel. Doing so will expose the gears that make the eyes move. Lightly grease those gears and put the boiler top back on. This will also help Thomas run more smoothly.

Just don't ever remove his face by pulling it out horizontally (If you ever need to). You have to remove the boiler top first as directed above, then lift the face out vertically. Otherwise, you will snap off the small plastic clips that keep his face where it should be.

Jim

[Anonymous]

Thanks Jim,

It is very encouraging to hear you've got through most of this already. Lionel's tech dept. is out until 5/24, but I did get the new terminal strip and should have an update on it tonight.

On oiling, do you actually oil the wheels where they roll on the track? the arrows aren't clear, but the wording says axles, and somewhere I read to keep the track completely free of oils, though it certainly makes sense that some oil would reduce the friction of the metal to metal contact.

I've also read on some train forums that wahl (shaver/clipper) oil or 3 in 1 may work?? What about WD-40 or 3 in 1? Do I have to use the hobby store lionel / labelle? (long drive for me). Thanks!

QUOTE: Originally posted by jaabat

I've encountered all the issues you've mentioned with our Thomas. Any local hobby shop will stock a lube kit, be it Lionel or Labell. We use Labell plastic compatable oil and grease.

Oil Thomas' wheels and axles as indicated, but also put a drop of oil on each side of each roller. It will help the roller move along the track better and promote conductivity.

Remove the black part of Thomas' boiler by lifting straight up on his funnel. Doing so will expose the gears that make the eyes move. Lightly grease those gears and put the boiler top back on. This will also help Thomas run more smoothly.

Just don't ever remove his face by pulling it out horizontally (If you ever need to). You have to remove the boiler top first as directed above, then lift the face out vertically. Otherwise, you will snap off the small plastic clips that keep his face where it should be.

Jim

[Anonymous]

ampguy,

Stop!......Stop!......Stop right now! ......Put the oil can down and s-l-o-w-l-y back away from it.

Do NOT oil the face of the rollers.

Do NOT oil where the wheels or the rollers contact the track.

Do NOT oil the track.

Do NOT pour oil into the transformer -- no, not even Mobil 1.

By the way. Will your Thomas loco run smoothly and continuously if you hold it up in the air and run hookup wires directly from the transformer to the contact rollers?

I'll let someone else try to help you from here.

wolverine49

[Anonymous]

OK, thanks, but a previous post indicated that some oil on the center contact roller would help conduct electricity, and the ends of those rollers are clearly pointed out where some oil should go.

I understand about not oiling the track or metal wheels.

Good news on the new lighted terminal strip that came today, it works -- allows reverse to work, so my homemade bulbs load can go away. It has a bulb/load thingie, about 30% larger than the original.

Now how do I test Thomas off the track, I'd need to hook a wire to the center, which would be easy, but the other wire would need to go to the rotating metal wheels, right? Well if it does work, then these wheels are going to spin.

Are you aware that all of the thomas wheels (3 per side) are coupled with metal rods, so if one turns, they all turn?

As sir Topham Hat would say, "Thomas is a very special Engine".

So any word on if I can use Wahls clipper oil for the axle ends and places where the manual specifically say to oil?

Since putting the new terminal strip on, Thomas has not been acting up, he's happy to haul Annie and Clarabel around in forward or reverse. So we're good for about 1 hr. with the new terminal strip.

QUOTE: Originally posted by wolverine49

ampguy,

Stop!......Stop!......Stop right now! ......Put the oil can down and s-l-o-w-l-y back away from it.

Do NOT oil the face of the rollers.

Do NOT oil where the wheels or the rollers contact the track.

Do NOT oil the track.

Do NOT pour oil into the transformer -- no, not even Mobil 1.

By the way. Will your Thomas loco run smoothly and continuously if you hold it up in the air and run hookup wires directly from the transformer to the contact rollers?

I'll let someone else try to help you from here.

wolverine49

[Anonymous]

Oil and lube sparsely --very sparsely---and blot with cue tips, paper towels,etc.
If possible get a LaBelle needle oiler which facilitates oiling sparsely.

[Anonymous]

Thanks Leonard,

I'm going to make a trip this weekend to a hobby store with LaBelle's oil. I'd prefer a plastic safe ones, do I need one of the kits below, or just a single oil? Thanks!

#0430-001001 Labelle Lube Kit #1
Comes with one each of the following Labelle #'s 102, 107, and #106. Use for "HO" / "O" / "S" / "LGB (Garden Railway) Size trains

#0430-001002 Labelle Lube Kit #2
Comes with one each of the following Labelle #'s 102, 108, and 106. Use for "N" or "Z" Size trains

#102 Gear Oil
Very stable gear oil for musical instrument keys, fishing reels, business machines, gears, and shock absorbers for RC cars.

#106 Grease W/ PTFE*
Useful for bicycles and riding toys, sewing machines, mechanical toys, typewriters, model railroads, buisiness machines, and gear sets of RC cars.

#107 Multi-Purpose Oil (Medium Weight)
For fractional horsepower motors, bearings, sewing machines, reels, power tools, fans, HO and larger model trains, and steering points, motor bushings, bearings and axle shafts on RC cars.

#108 Multi-Purpose Oil (Light Weight)
Used for HO and N model trains, household doors and windows, drawer slides, precision instruments, office machines, model race cars and timers.

QUOTE: Originally posted by Leonard

Oil and lube sparsely --very sparsely---and blot with cue tips, paper towels,etc.
If possible get a LaBelle needle oiler which facilitates oiling sparsely.

[Jumijo]

Thomas has too many plastic gears to use 3-in1, WD-40, or Wahle's oil. Use the plastic-safe Labelle's or Lionel oil and grease.

Oil the axles where they go into Thomas' underside.

And yes, oil the SIDES of each roller, where the pins/shafts are. Don't oil the surface of it. The SIDES. Just a small drop will do. I never said to oil the center of the roller! The oil will not help conduct, but will make the rollers turn more freely. It will not harm the engine. As a matter of fact, several manufacturers recommend this practice in writing.

Jim

[lionelsoni]

Oil on the rollers' bearings is fine; but it won't conduct electricity.

[Anonymous]

Thanks Jabaat,

Would you know the # of the main oil to get from my above post of the LaBelle products? I mainly want to just oil the axles on the underside and the sides of the contact roller, but if the same oil can be used, I'll do the gears for the eyes under the funnel too, or consider getting the separate oil for that, if necessary.

I'm trying to find all of your Thomas related posts, but the advanced search times out. Would you have direct links to your thomas threads by chance?

I have found this out so far, that the latest lighted terminal strip from lionel does allow reversing fine without any addl bulbs or anything. I can photo it, or find the p/n they assigned to it if anyone needs.

Our next expansion is going to be to buy some fastrack. Any recommended reliable discount authorized on-line stores?

Thanks all!

QUOTE: Originally posted by jaabat

Thomas has too many plastic gears to use 3-in1, WD-40, or Wahle's oil. Use the plastic-safe Labelle's or Lionel oil and grease.

Oil the axles where they go into Thomas' underside.

And yes, oil the SIDES of each roller, where the pins/shafts are. Don't oil the surface of it. The SIDES. Just a small drop will do. I never said to oil the center of the roller! The oil will not help conduct, but will make the rollers turn more freely. It will not harm the engine. As a matter of fact, several manufacturers recommend this practice in writing.

Jim

[Jumijo]

If you can, find the Labelle oil with a needlepoint applicator for those axles. It lets out one drop at a time, unless you squeeze the bottle. Use a light, plastic compatable grease for your gears only.

" . . . on models with Plastic parts use #107 or #108, and #106 Grease." Try to find those part numbers, or just buy the Lionel lube kit, OK?

I don't have links to previous Thomas threads, but in a nutshell, Thomas runs fine with most AC power sources, and a little strange with the CW-80. The lighted terminal track helps to correct that. Everything else I know about servicing your Thomas, I posted above.

I gave you wrong information about oil conducting electricity. Oil does not help conductivity. Everything else I wrote, I stand by.

Good luck with your Thomas. We have him, Percy and the troublesome trucks, and are awaiting James' arrival.

Jim

[Anonymous]

Thanks very much Jaabat,

We'll get one of those oils and applicator.

My son is a huge Thomas fan, and has been for several years. We have most of the wooden trains by learning curve, including the metal Thomas, Percy, and Lady battery engines, and maybe 1/3 of the ERTL metal ones, and a handful of TOMY and even a Japanese blue plastic set with voice sounds (from the Shinkansen train) and real steam from the Thomas.

We also have all the videos and DVDs that we know of.

We've also gone on a day out with Thomas, and met Sir Topham Hat. Maybe I can dig up some pics from that day.

I had to have a talk with my son about this Thomas thing. I told him we are NOT going to do the "collect them all" with this big expensive stuff, though maybe we'll get hm a Percy or James O-engine for Christmas, or one of the relatives will. I hope at some point his next Diesel is not Diesel 10 ...

QUOTE: Originally posted by jaabat

If you can, find the Labelle oil with a needlepoint applicator for those axles. It lets out one drop at a time, unless you squeeze the bottle. Use a light, plastic compatable grease for your gears only.

" . . . on models with Plastic parts use #107 or #108, and #106 Grease." Try to find those part numbers, or just buy the Lionel lube kit, OK?

I don't have links to previous Thomas threads, but in a nutshell, Thomas runs fine with most AC power sources, and a little strange with the CW-80. The lighted terminal track helps to correct that. Everything else I know about servicing your Thomas, I posted above.

I gave you wrong information about oil conducting electricity. Oil does not help conductivity. Everything else I wrote, I stand by.

Good luck with your Thomas. We have him, Percy and the troublesome trucks, and are awaiting James' arrival.

Jim

[dougdagrump]

On all of the pick-up rollers on my locos I use the Bachmann conductive lube on the roller sides as the directions show.

[Anonymous]

thanks everyone. I found a store with 106, the plastic safe labelle grease, but no stores with a multi-purpose labelle oil (the 107 or 108). Will the 106 do for the 6 points underneath thomas (axles, ends of contact roller) ?

One store reocommended Woodinvile (sp?), but I'm set on lionel or labelle oils as mentioned here. Thanks.