How often should I change my oil?

[Keith Addenbrooke]

I appreciated the help and advice last time I posed a question here, so I hope it’s OK to ask another, very general one.
 

Some years ago now I bought a small bottle of Javis Model Oil for lubricating my locos. The oil still lives tightly sealed in the original bottle, which is itself kept in an airtight tin.  I don’t have a permanent layout, so rarely run trains, which means the oil is very little used once I’ve run in each new purchase (I buy second hand).  The oil still looks clean, and when I dip the sewing pin I use for occasional light lubrication in the top the viscosity and colour look fine to me.

 

But I know nothing at all about petrochemicals, so have no idea if my oil should have a “use by” or “best before” date - it’s possible I’ve had it for fifteen or more years already, and there could still be enough for at least the next decade at the current rate of usage.

 

Would it be wise to replace it at some point?  The locos I currently own are nearly all Continental outline H0 Roco or Fleischmann models also made between ten and thirty years ago (ie: my oil can probably be described as era-appropriate).  
 

Just wondered?  Thanks, Keith.

 

Edited February 18 by Keith Addenbrooke

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

It will be fine.

[Nearholmer]

Modern synthetic oils last for absolutely ages. I’ve got both synthetic oil, and grease, at least 25yo, and both fine. The old mineral oils and greases were very different.

[Keith Addenbrooke]

22 minutes ago, Nearholmer said:

Modern synthetic oils last for absolutely ages. I’ve got both synthetic oil, and grease, at least 25yo, and both fine. The old mineral oils and greases were very different.

Thank you - I suppose for me the question is when the change from “old” to “modern” types (roughly) occurred - sounds like it was longer ago than I thought, Keith.

[Nearholmer]

I think synthetics first arrived in the 1970s (I vaguely remember changing to synthetic two-stroke oil in my motorbike at some stage in the late-70s) but you can still get both types now.

 

Do you know what exactly you’ve got?
 

Mine is a LaBelle product, a known synthetic.

 

If yours has not separated or begun to smell sour after 30 yrs, you may well be onto a winner.

 

 

 

Edited February 18 by Nearholmer

[Keith Addenbrooke]

Thanks @Nearholmer: it’s this (which - no surprise or complaint - no longer seems to be listed on the Javis website):

 

 

  

 

The spill which stained the labels happened many years ago.  It was most likely bought in the original Hattons Smithdown Road store in the late 1990s - the only real clue as to the age of my bottle is probably the absence of the more modern safety labelling.  There is no sign of the contents separating, Keith.

[kevinlms]

11 hours ago, Keith Addenbrooke said:

Thanks @Nearholmer: it’s this (which - no surprise or complaint - no longer seems to be listed on the Javis website):

 

 

  

 

The spill which stained the labels happened many years ago.  It was most likely bought in the original Hattons Smithdown Road store in the late 1990s - the only real clue as to the age of my bottle is probably the absence of the more modern safety labelling.  There is no sign of the contents separating, Keith.

I believe the COSHH safety standard labelling came in around 1994. Of course there would have been a period, where stockists would have been able to clear old stock.

[DCB]

I was intrigued by the title.   I can not remember ever seeing an oil drain plug on an 00 loco.    But hang on a minute, why not have a tin sump under the worm wheel so the oil remains on the gear train and not on the track  I know some plastic chassis have little dints but why not a proper oil bath. You may have started me on a foray into Bulliedesque lubrication  for my fleet of ancient  60s era locos.

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

On 21/02/2024 at 02:51, DCB said:

...why not have a tin sump under the worm wheel so the oil remains on the gear train and not on the track. 

Why not? because once the oil is transported to the worm it is flung around the interior of the model including the commutator and brushes of an open frame motor and drips down the body interior and exterior falling on the wheels and the layout. Experiment performed on an H-D N2 in the mid sixties in an attempt to quiet its drive. Result: FAIL. I did not attempt a fully oil sealed enclosure...

[Nearholmer]

Surely one should use grease, with appropriate “fling resistance”, on fast-moving parts such as worms and spur-gears? Oil in toy trains is for bearings, despite the long and dishonourable tradition of using it for other things.

[roythebus1]

The oil must be OK if the bottle doesn't squeak.

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

17 hours ago, Nearholmer said:

Surely one should use grease, with appropriate “fling resistance”, on fast-moving parts such as worms and spur-gears?

Indeed, but sixty odd years ago, very young and broke, sewing machine oil from mum was what was available - if you peeled the taters,  laid and cleared the table and did the washing-up without complaint.

 

Grease came later when in my teens, and had a Saturday job and a  bike. Quickly discovered that the plastic hub insulators on Triang-Hornby mechanisms swiftly became about as strong as liqourice and 'all wheels fall off right now!' when Moly grease for the bike bearings was trialled.

 

Now I use plastics compatible grease for all the drive train  and exterior moving parts in RTR and kit model mechanisms; with the sole exceptions of crankpins on a bi-monthly oil round schedule, and (extremely rarely) motor bearings when one complains, which get oil.

 

Reason is that the grease stays put and keeps on doing the job with no attention required. I learned this back in the 1970s with the Athearn PA1 centre motor mechanism (transplanted into Brush 2 bodies) and various US steam models; all now gone except my 52 Y.O. Big Boy, still going as well as ever.

[Keith Addenbrooke]

4 hours ago, 34theletterbetweenB&D said:

Indeed, but sixty odd years ago, very young and broke, sewing machine oil from mum was what was available - if you peeled the taters,  laid and cleared the table and did the washing-up without complaint.

 

Grease came later when in my teens, and had a Saturday job and a  bike. Quickly discovered that the plastic hub insulators on Triang-Hornby mechanisms swiftly became about as strong as liqourice and 'all wheels fall off right now!' when Moly grease for the bike bearings was trialled.

 

Now I use plastics compatible grease for all the drive train  and exterior moving parts in RTR and kit model mechanisms; with the sole exceptions of crankpins on a bi-monthly oil round schedule, and (extremely rarely) motor bearings when one complains, which get oil.

 

Reason is that the grease stays put and keeps on doing the job with no attention required. I learned this back in the 1970s with the Athearn PA1 centre motor mechanism (transplanted into Brush 2 bodies) and various US steam models; all now gone except my 52 Y.O. Big Boy, still going as well as ever.

Could I ask which brand(s) of plastics compatible grease is / are to be recommended?  Might be wise for me to get some now my collection is almost exclusively second hand locos; even if they don’t get run very often I’m trying to maintain them better, Keith.

[Nearholmer]

LaBelle.

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

Or Woodland Scenics. (I particularly like the dark grey Moly grease as it looks mucky on slide bars.)