| Clean the wheels (where
they touch the track) of built up grease and dirt,. Use tweezers to
remove carpet fuzz, hair, and tinsel from the gears and axles. Clean
grease and dirt from the center rail roller pickups with mineral
spirits, denatured alcohol, or a spray degreaser. Pay special attention
to the roller axles. DO NOT OIL the roller pickups. Ensure the wheels
roll freely and that no debris is caught in the gears.
Oil the locomotive drive wheel axles at six
points. Oil the front and rear trucks where the axles touch the truck
frame. Oil the two intermediate gears in the center on the pivot stud. I
use clean 30 wt motor oil for these applications. |
Lionel produced and sold hundreds of thousands of train sets from 1945 to
1969 in what is commonly called the Postwar Era. We will address the lubrication
and maintenance of a six wheel steam locomotive that will most likely apply to
the model train you own. Here’s what you do to keep it in tiptop running
condition.
