Servicing a 141. what do I use?

[Sean]

One of the 141's i picked up over the past few weeks is the only one im pretty sure had never been run, however once i got it onto the track there was a slight rubbing noise from the mechanism, more like dryness than anything else and it runs as good as any of the other ones, mostly went away running in but its still there a little bit so ive put it to one side until i can pop the bonnet off for a better look.

Pretty sure the mechanism and possibly the gears may be somewhat dry from storage and the thing needs a bit of a service, which got me to thinking the others probabaly could do  with it as well.

Are there any threads already detailing this? as i have done a search and couldnt find much on it(im sure there are though).

What sort of oil should i use? my gut says sillicone but my brain says to double check on here.

Should i pop the bogies open to see if they need greasing too? if soo what kinda grease would be best?

Also going to need to clean a decent amount of loco wheels soon, what is the best type of thing to use for this? are there any guides?

 

Sean

[Broithe]

I use these - again, not cheap, but I expect all four tubes to outlast me.

Hob-E-Lube, via Woodland Scenics.

Four grades -> = paraffin, 3 in one, motor oil, treacle, in layman's terms...

[irishthump]

4 hours ago, Sean said:

One of the 141's i picked up over the past few weeks is the only one im pretty sure had never been run, however once i got it onto the track there was a slight rubbing noise from the mechanism, more like dryness than anything else and it runs as good as any of the other ones, mostly went away running in but its still there a little bit so ive put it to one side until i can pop the bonnet off for a better look.

Pretty sure the mechanism and possibly the gears may be somewhat dry from storage and the thing needs a bit of a service, which got me to thinking the others probabaly could do  with it as well.

Are there any threads already detailing this? as i have done a search and couldnt find much on it(im sure there are though).

What sort of oil should i use? my gut says sillicone but my brain says to double check on here.

Should i pop the bogies open to see if they need greasing too? if soo what kinda grease would be best?

Also going to need to clean a decent amount of loco wheels soon, what is the best type of thing to use for this? are there any guides?

 

Sean

I would open up the bogies to see if any of the grease has gone hard, which is a common problem. Luckily the bogies can be open easily enough and the wheelsets can be removed.

I would clean the gears inside with a soft toothbrush and a little isopropyl alcohol, the same for the wheelsets. Then, after reinserting the wheels you can add a couple of drops of oil. If you can't find an oil specifically for model trains then you can also use sewing machine oil.

[irishthump]

1 hour ago, Fowler4f said:

On further investigation, Woodlands Scenics HL 656 Moly (Molybdenum) grease is recommended for model railway locos, where as the white grease is for RC Boats/Cars. BACHMANN do a grease but I can’t find any recommendations.

Regular silicone or teflon spray grease is probably thin enough to use on model gear trains. You can buy it in Halfords and Woodies. I wouldn't spray it directly into the gears though, just spray some onto a piece of card and apply it to the gears with a cocktail stick.

[David Holman]

Ideally, clean wheels with solvent like meths, isopropyl, lighter fluid, using a cotton bud. I either use a couple of crocodile clips, from my old H&M Clipper, or two bare wires from a redundant wall plug transformer, pressing on the wheels. Make sure it is DC and no more than 12v though!

 I use Peco lubricating oil on bearings and gears, giving all locos a thorough wheel clean before a show. Also check pick ups for dirt - likewise where these bear on the wheels. Keep track clean the same way, especially as soon as running becomes hesitant.

 Cleanliness comes well before godliness where model railways are concerned! 

 Reminds of the joke about the man who prayed everyday that he might win the lottery jackpot. Eventually after a particularly impassioned prayer, there was the crack of thunder and a voice from on high said 'My son, at least do me the favour of meeting half way by actually buying a ticket'.

 Probably why I don't win either.