Lubricating couplers

[SouthPenn]

Does any body here lubricate the hinge pins on their couplers? What do you use for lubricant?

South Penn

[hon30critter]

Kadee offers powdered graphite in a tube which works great for lubricating couplers and anything else where you don't want to attract dust:

http://www.kadee.com/htmbord/page231.htm

Dave

[Alantrains]

That's what I use and it works great!

[zstripe]

Labelle #134 lubricating powder..it's Teflon and also is a great lube for coupler's...been using it quite a few yrs. Tiny puff, goes a long way.

http://www.modeltrainstuff.com/Labelle-134-30-oz-Micro-Fine-Teflon-Non-Staining-D-p/lab-134.htm

 

Take Care! 

Frank

[charlie9]

I like to use a product called NEOLUBE.  It is a solution of graphite in an alcohol base.  Paint it on and the liquid evaporates right away leaving the lubricating material stuck to the surface you put it on.  Unlike the powders, it stays put.  A little pricey but it works

Charlie

[riogrande5761]

Generally Kadee's work fine without lubricant, but but I've used their recommended graphite when I do find it as helpful.

[BroadwayLion]

LION had a tube of Kadee lubricant. Works good. But it was an OLD tube, must have been close to 30 years old. It was just resting on a shelf, minging its own business, when all of a sudden, I just tocuked it, perhaps to move it, and the plastic tube simply disintegrated leaving a pile of graphite on the shelf. As far as I know it is still there, just the way I left it.

ROAR

[tstage]

I don't need no stinkin' coupler lube.  Seriously, I've never lubed nor needed to lube any of my Kadee #58/#158 couplers.  They work just great.

Tom

[RR_Mel]

I use standard lock/key graphite lube from a Big Box store for most things where dust has access and Neolube in the truck mount pockets of my diesels, the leftover graphite improves the conduction as well as lubricates the pivot point.

 

Mel

 

 

Modeling the early to mid 1950s SP in HO scale since 1951

 

My Model Railroad   

http://melvineperry.blogspot.com/

 

Bakersfield, California

 

I'm beginning to realize that aging is not for wimps.

[dstarr]

I never bothered to lube the knuckle hinge pins, never had any trouble with them either.  I do lubricate the coupler box with powdered graphite to make sure the entire coupler swings easily from side to side.  Kadee sells a graphite lube, but I buy mine at the hardware store in little tubes sold to lubricate locks. 

[dinwitty]

grime whatever is going to work into couplers as time goes, I don't/won't lube couplers. Use a reverse end of a small drill bit and polish all surfaces, coupler insides, coupler shank, inside of coupler hole and its pin. Eventually it might work into the inner workings of the coupler you can't get to. I know, I've cleaned club cars couplers. yuck. old greasem.