Steam engine question

[Tracklayer]

Not to sound like a total dunkoff (idiot), but what all is involved in the care and upkeep of a typical HO or N scale steam locomotive ?.

Tracklayer

[tstage]

Mark,

Lubrication, much like the diesels, but more involved. Kalmbach has a good book entitled "Maintaining and Repairing Your Scale Model Trains" that has all that information. Here's the link: http://store.yahoo.net/kalmbachcatalog/12210.html

Tom

[Anonymous]

The proper lubricant ingredients but I will let the pros give you specific answers.

[Tracklayer]

QUOTE: Originally posted by tstage

Mark,

Lubrication, muck like the diesels, but more involved. Kalmbach has a good book entitled "Maintaining and Repairing Your Scale Model Trains" that has all that information. Here's the link: http://store.yahoo.net/kalmbachcatalog/12210.html

Tom

Thank you Tom, I appreciate the link very much, but my money's a little tight right now. I was kind of hoping for a few "free" pointers on basic care and maintenance.

Tracklayer (Mark)

[Anonymous]

Your instruction sheet may offer lubrication instructions.

The correct lubricants must be obtained from a related hobby shop., Jel gear lube, motor bearing lub, conducta lube & cleaner.

I can US mail you some MR articles on care, tuning up, if you want to send me your address.

[e-mail]

[tstage]

Mark,

You could still just browse through a copy, if your LHS has one. Thankfully, I have an LHS that has a vast reference library. I can "thumb through" a number of books and magaiznes for info. I do buy my share, as well. Check you local library, too. They're a good source and you might be surprised what you can find.

Every locomotive is going to be slightly different but there are some general similarities that should apply. Labelle tends to be the preferred lube. I think it's #103 & #106?...but I don't have the bottles in front of me to check. One is a paste-like lube for the gears; the other a geneal lightweight oil for everything else.

Tom

[dgwinup]

Cleaning and proper lubrication, following the instructions you received with your locomotive.

Do spend the money for the proper lubricants. WD-40 IS NOT a proper lubricant (although it does have some uses). LaBelle products are excellent and not very costly.

Darrell, quiet...for now

[selector]

Tracklayer, in no particular order:

a. Handle with care, and do it as seldom as you can, particularly if the engine is highly detailed and/or weathered;

b. Keep them away from the edge of your layout when not in use...little hands like to hold locomotives, and elbows don't know any better;

c. Cover them up to keep them dust free when not in use, or park them in a tunnel; and

d: Lube them with an appropriate hobby lube about once a year, more often if your run them pretty much daily, less often if 30 minutes a week.

[Anonymous]

Tracklayer, a total dunkoff wouldn't even have asked. You're smarter than you think.

[JohnT14808]

Well, I'm thinking that the book referenced by tstage may be worth the $18, but I still don't want to take my new Hudson apart....yet. I'm going to have to do it sooner or later, tho....[:-^]

[oleirish]

[2c]Who makes an wrench set for working on H.O. steam engines??[you know the little bitty drive gear bolts]my mike had a couple lose ones I had to put loctite on[sigh]sockets or wrenches that small would be nice[?][?]
JIM

[Tracklayer]

QUOTE: Originally posted by GearDrivenSteam

Tracklayer, a total dunkoff wouldn't even have asked. You're smarter than you think.

Thank you GearDrivenSteam. I'd rather be safe than sorry...

Tracklayer [:D]

[Tracklayer]

QUOTE: Originally posted by selector

Tracklayer, in no particular order:

a. Handle with care, and do it as seldom as you can, particularly if the engine is highly detailed and/or weathered;

b. Keep them away from the edge of your layout when not in use...little hands like to hold locomotives, and elbows don't know any better;

c. Cover them up to keep them dust free when not in use, or park them in a tunnel; and

d: Lube them with an appropriate hobby lube about once a year, more often if your run them pretty much daily, less often if 30 minutes a week.

Thank you selector.

I run mine about an hour a week because that's about all I have time for. I'm kind of new to steamers, and thought I'd better get on the ball and find out how to take care of them before I found out the hard way how not to...

Tracklayer

[Tracklayer]

QUOTE: Originally posted by tstage

Mark,

You could still just browse through a copy, if your LHS has one. Thankfully, I have an LHS that has a vast reference library. I can "thumb through" a number of books and magaiznes for info. I do buy my share, as well. Check you local library, too. They're a good source and you might be surprised what you can find.

Every locomotive is going to be slightly different but there are some general similarities that should apply. Labelle tends to be the preferred lube. I think it's #103 & #106?...but I don't have the bottles in front of me to check. One is a paste-like lube for the gears; the other a geneal lightweight oil for everything else.

Tom

Thank you Tom. I'll do just that next time I'm at one of my area hobby shops. I'll also check into the lube.

Tracklayer (Mark)

[Tracklayer]

QUOTE: Originally posted by locomotive3

Your instruction sheet may offer lubrication instructions.

The correct lubricants must be obtained from a related hobby shop., Jel gear lube, motor bearing lub, conducta lube & cleaner.

I can US mail you some MR articles on care, tuning up, if you want to send me your address.

[e-mail]

Thanks for the offer locomotive3, but I don't want to put you to that much trouble. I think I'll just take my engine(s) to one of my area hobby shops the first chance I get and confess that I'm a newbie and need some instruction.

Tracklayer

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Tracklayer

QUOTE: [i]t

Thanks for the offer locomotive3, but I don't want to put you to that much trouble. I think I'll just take my engine(s) to one of my area hobby shops the first chance I get and confess that I'm a newbie and need some instruction.

Tracklayer

It's no trouble at all Mark.
I have extra copies of MR June 2002"Care & feeding of diesel locos & MR Sept 2003" Tune up your steam loco".
I can mail them out Friday. Let me know.
The key; clean, correct lubricants and tiny applications.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by oleirish

[2c]Who makes an wrench set for working on H.O. steam engines??[you know the little bitty drive gear bolts]my mike had a couple lose ones I had to put loctite on[sigh]sockets or wrenches that small would be nice[?][?]
JIM

Those little bitty drive gear bolts are " hex head screws & nuts.
Depending upon how extensive your steam engine roster will get may effect how much you want to spend since the nuts can either be "inch or metric" and that depends if it is domestic manufactured(inch)
A good set (inch or metric) comes in 3/32",, 7/64", 1/8", 9/64", 5/32", 3/16", 7/32", 1/4".
Then there's http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/285-750
Cheaper, http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/947-1321 and http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/947-1322 no view.
For starters I would at least go with the 285-750 but only has five sizes.

[Berk-fan284]

If I may add to locomotive3's post: you might want to be careful with the wrenches, I discovered (the hard way) that all nut drivers and nuts aren't necessarily sized consistently even if they are the "same" size due to production tolerances varying slightly. The nut driver might fit one bolt dead on, but be very loose on the next one and round it off, or be too small to fit (I exprienced this on a Rivarossi Allegheny).

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Berk-fan284

(I exprienced this on a Rivarossi Allegheny).

I too own an Allegheny. What make, specific size, inch or metric do you recommend?
Did you use open end or nut driver?

[Berk-fan284]

locomotive3, I tried emailing you direct, but in case it didn't work (I'm not so hot with a computer): I was using a Woodland Scenics "Hobits"( from the local hobby shop) line nutdriver that was marked MORRIS 0 on the Allegheny's crankpin bolt swapping it to the traction tire equipped driver set. One bolt was dead on for size the other side was a bit loose so I rounded that one off a little ( it's still usable but I wouldn't use it too often all the same). Another way to get a nutdriver is go to the local industrial bolt supply store and buy some Allen head (hex head) bolts that take a 1millimeter (mm) ,1.5mm and a 2mm Allen wrench or the imperial equivalent (I am using metric sizes because that is the "standard" in Canada). The Allen head bolt(s) is probably the cheaper way to go, I have a "no name" set of hobby wrenches and nudrivers that only go down to 4mm, so I still need the Woodland Scenic nutdrivers.

[Berk-fan284]

It is a 2 millimeter nutdriver for the Rivarossi Allegheny's crankpin bolt. I sized it up with an Allen wrench after the driver swap and promptly forgot it until after the previous post. My apologies to one and all for my forgeting it.

[Scoopster]

oleirish

Who makes an wrench set for working on H.O. steam engines??[you know the little bitty drive gear bolts]my mike had a couple lose ones I had to put loctite onsockets or wrenches that small would be nice
JIM

 

did you ever get an answer regarding train wrenches?

[dstarr]

Clean the wheels for good electrical pickup.  I use GooGone for that.  Oil (lightly, just a drop) wheel bearings and motor bearings and rod bearings.  Light grease on gears.  Powdered graphite for tender truck axles and Kadee coupler boxes.  I use 3in1 oil, and a white moly grease I get in tubes at the auto parts store. 

   Sometimes on diesels it is necessary to take the gear towers in the trucks completele apart and clean old dried grease out with solvent.  Then wipe each tooth of each gear with a pipecleaner to pick up any plastic flash that may be floating around in side.  Regrease lightly.  The plastic gears are made from a slippery engineering plastic that doesn't need as much grease as metal gears do.  If you over lube, the locomotive will sling the extra off, all over the locomotive, your track, and anything else in sight. So go easy.

[emdmike]

Alot of the upkeep depends on the brand/model of steam engine you decide to by.  Certain brands are easier to upkeep, some have issues with gears splitting.  If considering a brass steam.  Please seek the advise of someone that is experienced in brass trains(like myself or someone of your choice).  I prefer brass steam engines, espically older models from PFM/United, Tenshodo and Akane.   Overland also makes some stunning models, however most are very expensive.  I just bought my first Overland brass steamer, will take me 4 months to pay for it.   Mike