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Locomotive maintenance

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  • Member since
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Posted by snjroy on Sunday, December 13, 2015 8:40 AM
The MR book on locomotive maintenance is quite good and worth the money, especially if you have older locos.
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  • From: Good ol' USA
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Posted by AntonioFP45 on Sunday, December 13, 2015 7:40 AM

There are quite a number of vids on "The Tube".  The videos below may be helpful.  If the links aren't clickable, copy and paste them to your URL bar.

Enjoy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lU1N9k64HQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYkzmwS-sYg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YINsBLGM330

 

"I like my Pullman Standards & Budds in Stainless Steel flavors, thank you!"

 


  • Member since
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  • From: Moneta, VA USA
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Posted by gdelmoro on Sunday, December 13, 2015 7:30 AM
Thanks for the posts

Gary

  • Member since
    January 2010
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Posted by peahrens on Saturday, December 12, 2015 3:15 PM

Here's a related video from LaBelle, though it only gets to some of the basics:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQkU18WmuWw

EDIT: I just watched this as I recalled something confusing.  The guy lubes the steam loco driver shaft gear with grease, then lubes the worm gear (that meshes with the drive gear directly from above as far as I can see) with a liquid gear lube.  Makes no sense to me as the two will just mix; i.e., pick one. 

I use the grease for all gears and the light (not gear) liquid for motor bearings.  Maybe I'm missing something. The liquid gear lube has a needle applicator, which may be useful in some tight gear access places.  I use a toothpick to apply the grease in tight spots.

One of the dilemmas I've faced is how far to disassemble diesel loco gear towers to clean (and then grease).  In one case the parts disassembly looked uncertain in terms of unclipping parts without potentially breaking a tab, etc.  So I cleaned the whole gear tower intact by submerging and swirling and toothbrushing the exposed cogs.  Used denatured alcohol. Not certain which solvents (e.g., paint thinner) might damage the plastic gears.  Eventually it got pretty darn clean, so lubed and good as new.

This is from a google search and will point you to some prior threads with various insights.

https://www.google.com/search?espv=2&q=site%3A+cs.trains+solvent+to+clean+locomotive+gears&oq=site%3A+cs.trains+solvent+to+clean+locomotive+gears&gs_l=serp.3...21939.29746.0.31325.16.14.0.0.0.0.379.1948.0j4j1j3.8.0....0...1c.1.64.serp..13.3.671.Okh4OpcE5Wc

Hint: on google searches try: "site: cs.trains (your subject)" for many items on this site 

 

 

 

 

 

Paul

Modeling HO with a transition era UP bent

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Posted by Darth Santa Fe on Saturday, December 12, 2015 1:26 PM

This is a tough one. There's no standard as to how manufacturers put their locomotives together, so the best way to learn is to look at parts diagrams for whatever it is that needs a tune up and figure out how it's put together. Old grease and oil can be cleaned with soap and water, alcohol, or even a dry tissue to a point. Light oil is used for bearings and axles, and a light to medium grease should be used for gears. A small drop of oil is all that's needed for bearings, and only enough grease to lightly coat the gear teeth should be used (I'll often spread grease around one gear and let it works through the rest as it runs).

_________________________________________________________________

  • Member since
    January 2014
  • From: Moneta, VA USA
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Locomotive maintenance
Posted by gdelmoro on Saturday, December 12, 2015 11:53 AM

Tongue TiedSubscribed to MRVP and serched for HO Locomotive Maintenance and Nothing.

Does anyone know of a You Tube or other good video on cleaning, oiling and maintaining diesel and steam locomotives?

Gary

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