 Joined: 05/07/2020(UTC) Posts: 326 Location: Mississippi, Vancleave
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What is a good lubricating oil for locomotives that can be obtained locally (not from online stores)?
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 Joined: 04/02/2011(UTC) Posts: 3,563 Location: Paris, France
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Hi Ron
During many years Märklin advised to use winter grade oil for cars.
Because now there is more and more non metal parts in gears, my personal choice for recent engines is to follow the manufacturers recommendations (avoid corrosive oils and "cleaning" or "derusting" oils)
On old Märklin motor oil for cars is good enough I think.
Anyway modern Märklin engines need such small quantities (using a syringe) that cost is not a decisive factor.
Cheers
Jean |
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 3 users liked this useful post by JohnjeanB
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Joined: 05/07/2020(UTC) Posts: 326 Location: Mississippi, Vancleave
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Originally Posted by: JohnjeanB  Hi Ron
During many years Märklin advised to use winter grade oil for cars.
Because now there is more and more non metal parts in gears, my personal choice for recent engines is to follow the manufacturers recommendations (avoid corrosive oils and "cleaning" or "derusting" oils)
On old Märklin motor oil for cars is good enough I think.
Anyway modern Märklin engines need such small quantities (using a syringe) that cost is not a decisive factor.
Cheers
Jean The reason why I ask is because if I need to use Marklin oil, I have to order it online and that takes many days to get. I need something I can get at my local store.
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Joined: 15/12/2015(UTC) Posts: 523 Location: Maryland, Baltimore
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Ron, I use Woodland Scenics products. These are available locally and are plastic compatible which I think is useful for today's Märklin products. I have the light oil and gear lube. The light oil I use for axles etc. Hope this helps! https://woodlandscenics....tegory/PremiumHob-E-Lube
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1 user liked this useful post by skeeterbuck
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Joined: 05/07/2020(UTC) Posts: 326 Location: Mississippi, Vancleave
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Where I live, (south Mississippi), there are no hobby shops that sell Woodland products. Is 3 in 1 oil OK to use?
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Joined: 15/12/2015(UTC) Posts: 523 Location: Maryland, Baltimore
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I would NOT recommend 3 in1 oil because it's not plastic compatible. What type of oil do the hobby shops carry? I would think they would carry something that is designed for use on model trains. LaBelle is another brand that makes good hobby lubricants.
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3 users liked this useful post by skeeterbuck
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 Joined: 03/08/2011(UTC) Posts: 1,571
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I use the labella range of lubricants, but if you can’t get that go to a sewing shop and buy their most expensive sewing machine oil, which normally would be a synthetic based and safe on plastics.
In the old days, before manufactures made their own brands, many modellers would use sewing machine oil.
Best Regards
Lasse |
Digital 11m2 layout / C (M&K) tracks / Era IV / CS3 60226 / Train Controller Gold 9 with 4D sound. Mainly Danish and German Locomotives. |
3 users liked this useful post by Danlake
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 Joined: 14/12/2002(UTC) Posts: 800 Location: Newcastle NSW Australia
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I have been using Whal hair cutter lubricant . Light in color & also density so minimal amount to use . It is also used on running surfaces such as track , wipe on & then light wipe off .
Cheers Tom in Oz.
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5 users liked this useful post by Tom Jessop
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 Joined: 21/12/2012(UTC) Posts: 1,486 Location: Hrvatska
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Kerosene has an unpleasant odor, but similar in composition, the oil for kerosene lamps smells better and smokes fine. I have been using it for years and have had no problems with constipation 
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3 users liked this useful post by 1borna
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Joined: 05/07/2020(UTC) Posts: 326 Location: Mississippi, Vancleave
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Sewing machine oil or Whal oil sounds good to me. Thanks Lasse and Tom.
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2 users liked this useful post by Mr. Ron
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Joined: 20/01/2015(UTC) Posts: 1,202 Location: Kerikeri
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I was given a litre bottle of fully synthetic engine oil. Seems ok to me. |
Northland. NZ REMEMBER 0228 for ä |
1 user liked this useful post by dominator
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Joined: 21/12/2012(UTC) Posts: 1,486 Location: Hrvatska
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Oils for internal combustion engines contain various additives that are not needed for our models.
These oils are designed to change completely at certain intervals and in addition constantly pass through the filter.
With long-term use in models and in small quantities, the oil can dry out over time and then additives remain that can cause shafts and gears to lock - this was a regular case with old Marklin oil from the 50s to 70s!
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4 users liked this useful post by 1borna
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Joined: 16/02/2004(UTC)
Posts: 15,445
Location: DE-NW
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Originally Posted by: 1borna With long-term use in models and in small quantities, the oil can dry out over time and then additives remain that can cause shafts and gears to lock - this was a regular case with old Marklin oil from the 50s to 70s! I used Märklin oil in the ’70s, then stored my rolling stock for 25+ years without ever using it. Took it out again early in this century and everything worked fine, nothing had hardened. However, I had Märklin items from the ’90s, shelf-queens new from the dealer, where the motor had seized completely. Long story short: My experience: Märklin oil from the ’70s is fine, but Märklin oil from the ’90s sometimes hardens quickly. |
Regards Tom --- "In all of the gauges, we particularly emphasize a high level of quality, the best possible fidelity to the prototype, and absolute precision. You will see that in all of our products." (from Märklin New Items Brochure 2015, page 1) ROFLBTCUTS  |
3 users liked this useful post by H0
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Joined: 04/12/2013(UTC) Posts: 2,261 Location: Hobart, Australia
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Originally Posted by: H0 Originally Posted by: 1borna With long-term use in models and in small quantities, the oil can dry out over time and then additives remain that can cause shafts and gears to lock - this was a regular case with old Marklin oil from the 50s to 70s! I used Märklin oil in the ’70s, then stored my rolling stock for 25+ years without ever using it. Took it out again early in this century and everything worked fine, nothing had hardened. However, I had Märklin items from the ’90s, shelf-queens new from the dealer, where the motor had seized completely. Long story short: My experience: Märklin oil from the ’70s is fine, but Märklin oil from the ’90s sometimes hardens quickly. Hello Tom, May I ask, what oil do you use in 2021 ? Philip
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1 user liked this useful post by PJMärklin
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Joined: 16/02/2004(UTC)
Posts: 15,445
Location: DE-NW
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Originally Posted by: PJMärklin May I ask, what oil do you use in 2021? About 15 years ago a Märklin dealer told me any oil was OK, except the Märklin oil. He offered me Faller, Roco, and Fleischmann. I chose Fleischmann because I like the bottle. I also use Roco grease. |
Regards Tom --- "In all of the gauges, we particularly emphasize a high level of quality, the best possible fidelity to the prototype, and absolute precision. You will see that in all of our products." (from Märklin New Items Brochure 2015, page 1) ROFLBTCUTS |
4 users liked this useful post by H0
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 Joined: 04/08/2018(UTC) Posts: 1,159
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Originally Posted by: H0 About 15 years ago a Märklin dealer told me any oil was OK, except the Märklin oil.
He offered me Faller, Roco, and Fleischmann. I chose Fleischmann because I like the bottle.
I also use Roco grease.
The Roco grease is made by Klüber, according to the datasheet on modellbahnshop-lippe.com And interestingly the Piko oil, is rebranded Sewing machine oil from https://www.hanseline.de/en/sewing-machine-oil/So it seems that most model train oils and grease are just rebranded industry products in smaller and more expensive packing. However one should be aware that mixing different oil or grease types/brands might in some rare cases cause a chemical reaction eg like hardening or separation. One maker that has caught my interest is Super Lube: https://www.super-lube.com/oils They provide a good plastic and rubber Compatibility Chart. Anyone who has experience with using Super Lube products on model trains?
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2 users liked this useful post by bph
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Joined: 25/07/2001(UTC)
Posts: 11,165
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I mostly use the Faller "Teflon-öl", but it of course fails on the local availability issue. Even use it for door hinges, locks and such at home - works very well. I think a fully synthetic 5-40w or thinner motor oil would be rather ok also on plastic gears, but I will stand corrected if I'm wrong.   |
Juhan - "Webmaster", at your service...
He who asks a question is a fool for five minutes. He who does not ask a question remains a fool forever. [Old Chinese Proverb] |
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Joined: 04/02/2011(UTC) Posts: 3,563 Location: Paris, France
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s Originally Posted by: H0 Originally Posted by: 1borna With long-term use in models and in small quantities, the oil can dry out over time and then additives remain that can cause shafts and gears to lock - this was a regular case with old Marklin oil from the 50s to 70s! I used Märklin oil in the ’70s, then stored my rolling stock for 25+ years without ever using it. Took it out again early in this century and everything worked fine, nothing had hardened. However, I had Märklin items from the ’90s, shelf-queens new from the dealer, where the motor had seized completely. Long story short: My experience: Märklin oil from the ’70s is fine, but Märklin oil from the ’90s sometimes hardens quickly. I never observed this on my Märklin locos - more than 100 of them (the oldest were made before 1950) but I don't say it does not exist. Here in Europe, few of those "oil seizing stories" are reported but elsewhere (US for sure, OZ may be) this has definitely to do with very hot climate and long inactivity periods. My father was in the design and manufacturing of lubrication oil for cars. True they were (still are) adding components (chemicals) to improve lubrication, maintain viscosity through a wide temperature range and sometimes they were incompatible between various brands (causing chemical reactions when mixing). So for many many years the best advise by Märklin was to use regular winter grade motor oil. Some use sewing machine oil but usually its viscosity is much lower. The presently sold Märklin oil looks very much like sewing machine oil (transparent, low viscosity while the older Märklin oil (yellow, viscous) was definitely motor oil as for cars. With the advent of plastic in gears, some oil qualities attacked the plastic. For Märklin it was not a major problem as most gears are made of metal The exception I know are the conic gears in locos like the Württembergerin 3611 or nylon in very early models (only one gear to reduce the noise in the 1950s ). On its mechanisms Faller is advising to use non-acid oil. Cheers Jean |
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1 user liked this useful post by JohnjeanB
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Joined: 12/01/2016(UTC) Posts: 165 Location: Michigan, Ann Arbor
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Originally Posted by: Webmaster I mostly use the Faller "Teflon-öl", but it of course fails on the local availability issue. Even use it for door hinges, locks and such at home - works very well. I think a fully synthetic 5-40w or thinner motor oil would be rather ok also on plastic gears, but I will stand corrected if I'm wrong. It is a bad idea to use any modern motor oil whether fully synthetic or not. They all have additives specifically designed for internal combustion engines that are not appropriate for electric motors not to mention plastics. |
Phil S. |
4 users liked this useful post by phils2um
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