Axle greasing query

[daz9284]

Hi all

 

I have recently updated 10x Lima Yeoman and ARC PTA tippler wagonsby changing the ribs on the ends and changing the poor bogies to Hornby Seacow ones (I know they are not 100% correct but about 90% there). I have also added stone loads and the weight of them is now about 160g each.

 

The problem is that don't 'free wheel' much. For example giving them a slight push and the run for about 1m before stopping, whereas the Dapol HIA (which weights over 300g) runs for about 2m before stopping.

 

Question - would adding grease to the axle ends / holes on the bogies help with this and what type of grease? I have general purpose 'runny' oil for oiling parts of my bike and chain, a thick 'grease' and also vaseline (or would anyone suggest trying all 3 on different wagons and see which is the best?)

 

many thanks for any help

Darryl

[bigherb]

I prefer not to use grease It attracts dirt and the oil in the grease can wick all over the axle box.

I remove the wheels and use a soft pencil to coat the axle box bearing with graphite.

[wasdavetheroad]

'Grease' would be sticky and make the situation worse. You could try adding some soft graphite from a pencil on the bearings

[smokebox]

You can also buy very fine graphite powder which is sold for lubricating locks.

[daz9284]

cheers guys. When you mean bearings do you mean the tip at the end of the axle or the hole on the bogie? as there isn't a bearing as such.

 

[Yardman]

Try KD's "Greasem". It's a graphite powder and dosen't attract dust.

availablr here as well as other places.

https://www.dccconcepts.com/product/kadee-231-greas-em-coupler-grease/

[bigherb]

10 minutes ago, daz9284 said:

cheers guys. When you mean bearings do you mean the tip at the end of the axle or the hole on the bogie? as there isn't a bearing as such.

 

Rub the pencil around the hole.

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

Running time matters too. The axle pin point will polish the plastic recess given a few hours operation. That done I apply a tiny amount of GT85, and free rolling goes on thereafter.

 

All my rolling stock has to meet a minimum requirement of rolling away from rest on a true 1 in 100. (Got that from experienced railway modellers in my first club and it has served me well ever since. The kit method of steel pinpoint in matching brass bearing usually needed running time to optimise too. This is why you need a roundy-roundy, even if only a test track.) Now, I haven't tested all the RTR OO product on the market, but would hope that the plastics formulation of what is currently manufactured is consistent: so far I haven't found any current RTR OO with pinpoint axles that won't meet this standard. The grease had to removed from such as Bachmann's mk 1s when these were first introduced...

[DCB]

You are lucky, I am plagued with stock which free wheels into the buffers or derails on catch points and needs brakes!

 

Generally I find if the axles are metal then if you squeeze the axle boxes onto the axle ends firmly with your fingers  it usually loosens up the wheel set.

 

I second the need for a continuous run for running in, but I have suffered severe wear on the axle ends and bearings when running in the garden so there are limits to how much running amounts to running in and how much is wearing out.

[daz9284]

I would just like to say thanks to all for the replies. I tried the pencil but it didn't work as nothing came off the pencil (maybe too hard graphite). I bought and used grpahite powder and this has done the trick.

 

last night I used my Bachmann 66779 and it pulled 10x tarmac JGA's, 10x PTA's & 13x PGA's which is a total of about 3.75 kg.

 

many thanks again

Darryl

[RexAshton]

160gms is way too heavy for plastic pin point bearings. You'll just wear them out. The general advice was given 30 odd years ago was that ½ oz per axle was right for rolling stock in 4mm scale. It's proved to be good advice.

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

On ‎27‎/‎03‎/‎2019 at 20:12, DavidCBroad said:

..I have suffered severe wear on the axle ends and bearings when running in the garden so there are limits to how much running amounts to running in and how much is wearing out.

Similar experience in the garden. Fine dust gets into the bearings and knackers them at over 10x the rate of indoor operation would be my estimate. I stuck with steel pinpoint axles in brass bearings on the rolling stock used in the garden, and when I came indoors replaced all but a few of the brass bearings to make 'good as new'.

[daz9284]

On 21/04/2019 at 18:00, RexAshton said:

160gms is way too heavy for plastic pin point bearings. You'll just wear them out. The general advice was given 30 odd years ago was that ½ oz per axle was right for rolling stock in 4mm scale. It's proved to be good advice.

 

are the Dapol wagons not plastic pin point bearings, as the HIA's are over 300grams

[NIK]

On ‎21‎/‎04‎/‎2019 at 18:00, RexAshton said:

160gms is way too heavy for plastic pin point bearings. You'll just wear them out. The general advice was given 30 odd years ago was that ½ oz per axle was right for rolling stock in 4mm scale. It's proved to be good advice.

Hi,

 

Just out of interest my Bachmann Mk1 64' coaches weigh about 160 grammes and have metal axles on plastic axle box bearings.

 

A friend has used a pin point axle reamer to improve the running of his Bachmann Mk1 coaches and bogie vans.

 

I had a semi automatic layout which I ran for hundreds of hours as a teenager and eventually the plastic axle box bearings on the Palitoy Mainline coaches got very elongated.

 

I would like to mention that using solid loads in wagons that might have the side effect of noticeably increasing the weight of the wagon may cause problems if you ever run the wagons on a layout with gradients.

 

Regards

 

Nick