Model Railroading > "That Will Do Slick!"

I purchased a ScaleTrains DRGW GP40 last month, but just got around to working on it today. I installed a decoder and then went to replace the couplers with Kadee couplers. In turning it over I found a oily mess with pooled oil on the bottom of the trucks. Whoever lubricated the locomotive at the factory went overboard. I cleaned it up and installed the Kadee couplers. But then when I turned it right side up, I found that oil had leaked out around the nose headlight and the small vent on the inertial air filter behind the cab. I know this a model of a GM product, but I didn't expect it leak oil like one!

Ted Curphey
Ontario, OR

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Good thing the true to scale toilet was empty.

TCnR Wrote:
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> Good thing the true to scale toilet was empty.

Are you sure about that?

Jerry Martin
Los Angeles, CA
Central Coast Railroad Festival

Well, if it wasn’t, it is now.

Posted from iPhone

Maybe Funnelfan’s shirt is now blue.

I try to fix things myself, but I'm sending that one back to ST. They need to know about this.

I've experienced issue this on all brands. Must be a better way, particularly with engineering plastic which is supposedly "slippery"..

I've seen the same issue and some of my Scaletrains locomotives. It compounds the problem with some of the six axle locomotives contact issues seen on this thread.
https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?3,5911897,5911897#5911897
Thanks for posting this.

dmaffei Wrote:
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> I've seen the same issue and some of my
> Scaletrains locomotives. It compounds the problem
> with some of the six axle locomotives contact
> issues seen on this thread.
> https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?3,
> 5911897,5911897#5911897
> Thanks for posting this.

I still have not had those contact issues with my ST units, although most have factory sound. I wonder if applying a small amount of solder to where the wipers where they would contact the axle bearings making a small bump would help ensure contact? Lightly sand the solder bump on the contact point to remove any residue from the rosin.

Ted Curphey
Ontario, OR

> I still have not had those contact issues with my
> ST units, although most have factory sound. 

The factory sound includes keep-alive which masks the problem if it exists. If you install your own decoder without keep-alive, it my surface. It's more evident in six axle power than four axle. 

Tryed many fixes, including yours, but I believe the contacts need improvement 

Thanks again for pointing the over lube issue. More in this case is not good.

dmaffei Wrote:
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> > I still have not had those contact issues with
> my
> > ST units, although most have factory sound. 
>
> The factory sound includes keep-alive which masks
> the problem if it exists. If you install your own
> decoder without keep-alive, it my surface. It's
> more evident in six axle power than four axle.

I've installed LokPilot deocders in some of my ScaleTrains loco's and there is instructions to flip a dip switch which will allow the built in keep alive to function, so it appears the DCC Ready ScaleTrains still has the caps that can still give the keep alive feature, at least for ESU decoders.

On Scale Trains 4 axle GP30 and 40 their are dip switch’s to set for non ESU decoders and then the keep alive works for non ESU decoders.On six axle no such feature so no keep alive using non ESU decoders on 6 axle.

Rapido engines with the Mo Power keep alive feature only work on ESU decoders . Using any other decoder should be called No Power.

Scale Trains is aware of the electrical pickup problem on their six axle units and the over greasing but nothing is done , the Sd45x has a redesigned electrical pickup that is somewhat better . Generally the keep alive masks the electrical pickup problem on Scale Trains 6 axle units . I know one modeler who is replacing the the Scale Trains Sd45 and Sd40-2 chassis with Kato drives to eliminate the pickup problems.

Dave

Posted from iPhone

dmaffei Wrote:
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> On Scale Trains 4 axle GP30 and 40 their are dip
> switch’s to set for non ESU decoders and then
> the keep alive works for non ESU decoders.On six
> axle no such feature so no keep alive using non
> ESU decoders on 6 axle.


Good to know they've changed this.

> Rapido engines with the Mo Power keep alive
> feature only work on ESU decoders . 

Actually this is no longer the case, at least with the 44 tonner. Soundtraxx , a customer and Rapido have come up with a work around and posted a YT video. You have to set FX6 so that it's always on. IIRC, its CV 1.391 (Don't take my word on it, look it up) I set it to a value of 15 and was able to get the Mo Power feature to work.



 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/12/25 15:32 by ChrisCampi.

> I still have not had those contact issues with my ST units, although most have factory sound.

I don't understand why a little oil on the track would cause contact issues, especially such a light oil. This is the whole premise for using "wet track". The oil doesn't insulate the wheel from the rail. What it DOES do is reduce arcing as the wheel turns, minimizing pitting and keeping the track from direct exposure to the oxidizing air. If you have wheel slip problems I suggest a paper towel wiped lightly over the rail to absorb the excess, but that's also a valid reason to add another power unit.
 

steeplecab Wrote:
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> > I still have not had those contact issues with
> my ST units, although most have factory sound.
>
> I don't understand why a little oil on the track
> would cause contact issues, especially such a
> light oil. This is the whole premise for using
> "wet track". The oil doesn't insulate the wheel
> from the rail. What it DOES do is reduce arcing as
> the wheel turns, minimizing pitting and keeping
> the track from direct exposure to the oxidizing
> air. If you have wheel slip problems I suggest a
> paper towel wiped lightly over the rail to absorb
> the excess, but that's also a valid reason to add
> another power unit.
>  

In my experience, oil attracts dirt, dust and other contaminants that end up sticking to the rail and wheels which gets spread around. Then the oil gunks up as it dries out. With as much oil as Ted has in his GP40 that oil is coating the electrical contact areas in that locomotives trucks and whatever else it comes into contact with.

Mineral spirits and graphite is the new thing for cleaning track these days, but you have to make sure you really scrub as much MS as possible from your rails before adding graphite or running trains. If not, the  wet MS will strip all the gunk off your rolling stock wheels and spread it around and you'll be cleaning for days. Ask me how I know :-).

Even with No-Ox or Rail Zip, you add just a tiny amount. A drop, then spread it around.  Any slipping and you have way to much on the rails. The shear amount in Ted's loco is ridiculous over kill.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/03/25 16:23 by ChrisCampi.

To each his own, Chris. I've run wet track for well over a decade, and probably two. I've never had problems, and the only thing I do is wipe the track with a folded paper towel once in a while and possibly add a drop to each rail. From your comment about sticky gunk I'd guess you need to use a much better quality of oil. Synthetics and highly refined light mineral oil shouldn't leave any significant residue. Try one of the light LaBelle platic-compatible oils, or something related to ATF. By the way, "mineral spirits" is not one specific chemical, and I'm reasonably certain it's not a synthetic.

I have a friend who ran meticulously clean track. It was spotless, wiped with IPA until nothing would wipe off. It was HORRIBLE to operate on! Units wouldn't run, even with full power; they might start and would then hesitate or stop completely. He tried a few drops of LaBelle 108 light oil after I left and was convinced immediately. It got rid of his contact problems, and his locomotives operated fine. The trick is to use just a drop or two on each rail. And if you wipe the rail and it looks a little gray, that seems to be pretty normal.

And since you know about Rail-Zip. I'm guessing you've tried it as well.

How did this morph from an over lubricated HO engine to oil on the tracks?

SPDRGWfan Wrote:
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> How did this morph from an over lubricated HO
> engine to oil on the tracks?

Thread creep, it happens.

SPDRGWfan Wrote:
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> How did this morph from an over lubricated HO
> engine to oil on the tracks?

Not much of a leap from overly lubed engine to oil on the tracks :-) And Steeplecab, I agree with you. By all means continue doing what works for you!

Or maybe you can ask Ted if you can borrow his new GP40 and let it oil your track for you.