Model Railroading > Using Vasaline as a model gear lube.

Asking this mostly out of curriousity. Does anyone use Vasaline as a gear lube. Many years ago I used it on Blue Box Athearns without any issues. Is it or is it not compatible with the plastics used for model gears/truck frames. I do use LaBelle teflon lube myself. The first thing I do with any loco is completly disassemble the trucks and clean all the existing thick lube from all the parts and re-assemble with LaBell lube. My experience, particularly with older P2K models is the original lube turning hard and siezing up the drive. What are yopur thoughts and comments.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/15/25 13:09 by JDRumley.

Thought i was on the wrong website for a moment there...

Spend the money and buy the right stuff..

ED, were you thinking of the using the Labelle lube for something else?

exhaustED Wrote:
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> Thought i was on the wrong website for a moment
> there...



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 04/15/25 13:34 by wabash2800.

I ues LaBelle exclusively, I was just curious about Vaseline as an alternative. As I stated, I used it on ols Atheran 40+ years ago.

wabash2800 Wrote:
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> ED, were you thinking of the using the Labelle
> lube for something else?
>
> exhaustED Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Thought i was on the wrong website for a moment
> > there...

;-) lol

I use to use Labell exclusively on my locos because "that's what all the model railroders use." That was great, until I pulled a few off the shelf that had be setting for several months. I put them on the track and powered them up. Nothing happened. I pulled the shells off and tried spinning the motor flywheels by hand. LOCKED UP. The famous Labell grease I had faithfully used had turned ROCK HARD and prevented the motor(s) from turning. Went to a teflon-based grease, and locos that have set for over a year spin freely when powered up on the layout. Be careful what grease you are using.

I have used the LaBelle Teflon grease for many years with no issues...N scale
RB

I have also had good results with silicone grease. This is also sold as dielectric grease. Very handy around the house and shop,too. I bought a large tub made for bicycle maintenance (derailers and such), that will last several generations.

Arved Grass
Fleming Island, FL

A long time ago, while working for a model railroading magazine, I got crossways with a contributor who used and recommended Vaseline for quieting down locomotive main gears.  Seemed extreme to me but it turned out he was running mostly older steam with metal worm gears and drive gears the size of a silver dollar.  So for him it kind of made sense.  Maybe even for old open frame Pittman-style motors.  Some people will recommend automotive moly greases.

My P2Ks and such get Labelle or some of the new ultra-slippery treatments for their plastic gearing.  There is never enough grease in there to lock anything up.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/17/25 12:14 by grahamline.

Who lubbed old Athern units? You just ran the dry and the growling and body vibrations was the 70s version of a sound equipped locomotive.😄