i think this is what they are talking about

Crest Aristo-Electralube...  aristocrafts website is being worked on so its down right now but they sell it at the little choo choo shop 

http://www.littlechoochooshop.com/cgi-bin/db/search.pl?_cgifunction=search&category=Modeling%20Supplies&sub_category=lubricants

Thanks, gunfighter

I do have a couple of follow-up questions.  

1.  Electrolube has a reputation for not playing nice with plastic.  Is this true?

2.  Is an electrically conductive lubricant even necessary in this fix?  What lube are other Athearn Genesis owners using in the journals?

Thanks,

John C

i have no firsthand experiance with it

i have just read about it, i have heard that it does not play well with plastics

But as an a guy who has been an electrician for 30 years, lubricants used in conjunction with electrical conductivity usually end up attracting dust,dirt and debris and often end up being a bigger problem.

but if used for a break in period, or an occasionally used loco it might be just the right thing

Cool-Amp "Conducto-lube"

 I am not sure if this is what you are looking for, but they are definitely in business.  Actually they are local to my area!  It doesn't say anything about plastics ...

http://www.cool-amp.com/conducto_lube.html

Yikes!  Just looked at the price - $77 FOR AN OUNCE!  Of course an ounce of the stuff may be a lifetime supply.

Toni

WOW

that stuff is not even close to cheap

Dear John C,Electrolube is

Dear John C,

Electrolube is graphite dust suspended in some carrier liquid. "Neolube" from Micromark for example is graphite in isopropyl alcohol. You can make up the equivalent using graphite dust (sold as "dry lock lubricant"in most any hardwarestore), and the same isopropyl you use for scenery work.

Electrolube, if we are talking about the stuff made by PECO under that name, is a thing ultra-light oil, similar to Seuthe cleaner/lube. Some Euro manufacturers used to do a multi-day show demo where they ran a loco with alligator clip power contacts, with the loco fully immersed in a bath of this fluid (and I mean fully as in above the cab roof!)

Personally, I'd recheck all of the existing power path connections thoroughly,(inc cleaning z away all excess oil and grease based lube!), and then sparingly go with the graphite + isopropyl...

Happy Modelling,
Aim to Improve,
Prof Klyzlr

EDIT: all spelling, grammar, and typo errors due to dodgy touchscreen and predictive text on a "Smart Phone"...

Try Never-Stall

Try the "Never-Stall" product instead. You can buy a small tube of it from Litchfield Station or other stores for around $11.95 It claims to be plastic compatible. I have used it, but only for a few weeks now on one locomotive so I can't say too much about it since it was just one small part of a rebuilding project. The Loco runs great but it involved gear replacement and the installation of a "Keep-Alive", I am sure that the "Never-Stall" helps, but the "Keep-Alive" (and new gears) is what really made the big difference.

Another fix that some people have done is to solder a flexible wire from the bronze bearings to the frame. I have a loco where this area is always a problem, seems to collect dirt on those bearings and that impairs the electrical pick-up. Interestingly, an identical locomotive has no problems, but this one particular loco seems to need regular cleaning of the bearings to maintain conductivity. I am going to solder the wires onto this one next time I have to take it apart.

Brent

Thanks for the responses

Brent, the Never-Stall looks like it would work just fine.

Prof, when mixing the graphite with isopropyl, wouldn't the isopropyl alcohol evaporate leaving just the graphite?  Or, is that the idea?

John C

Dear John C, in a word,

Dear John C,

in a word, yes...

http://www.micromark.com/neolube-2-fl-oz,8383.html

Happy Modelling,
Aim to Improve,
Prof Klyzlr

Clean the bearing surfaces first.

By bearing surface, I mean any surfaces that rub against each other and conduct electricity.  A loco of mine had the tips of the axles (blunt end, not like freight car trucks) covered with something that kept it from picking up electricity.  These axle ends are the electrical connection to the metal sideframe (behind the detailed plastic sideframe) and once cleaned (they were covered with metal blackening stuff, not paint), once I scraped and polished these surfaces clean, the switcher ran great.  Later, I found the small wire soldered to the metal sideframe had come loose (it was secure when I cleaned the axle ends)...I didn't just resolder the wire, I installed a new one because the wire inside the insulation might have broken from flexing (what I assume to be the cause of the wire coming loose).  All is well with my BLI switcher now...except for keeping the wheels/rails clean (I don't use any rail treatment to improve pickup as I have not found it necessary).  A tiny bit of conductive, or any kind of lube, to the axle ends might have helped but because lube attracts dirt and my locos aren't high mileage, I usually don't use any.

If cleaning and inspecting ALL the electrical connections doesn't improve operation, then try lube.  Use a tiny (micro?) brush to apply a very small amount...lube tends to creep across surfaces over the years and will collect dirt/dust and turn into gunk later.  Everyone who uses lube has learned to use it correctly...probably by trial and error  The new Nano lubes look promising, but I'm waiting to hear something like...Nano lube is just mineral oil...or something like that...which is when I'll go buy a big bottle if it for a fraction of what a small bottle costs (like when someone found out Rail Zip is synthetic trans fluid).  I got a Trackmobile and I have a feeling I'm going to have to get my freight car fleet up to a better free-rolling standard, so I might cave in and buy some nano lube if I can't mechanically tweak the friction out of the trucks...clean, polish, shorten/lengthen axle and ream the journals, etc).  I know, too much info...but I worked hard at work to finish early and now have some time to kill.lol

What I have done so far

Delray, thanks for the input.

I installed NWSL wheels on my Genesis loco's, and they have helped enormously.  My F7A/B sound units run without any hiccups now.  My MP-15 sound unit is much better, but not quite perfect.  Like you, I also decided not to use any lube and see what the units do without it.  I can always add lube later.

I did notice that a couple of my sideframes were not completely fixed and had some wobble in them.  This may have contributed to the pickup problems.  I glued them on to eliminate movement, and the locos are happier.  My current thinking is that this step plus the NWSL wheelsets are what corrected the pickup problems.  

Now, do I risk adding some sort of lube?

John C

No Risk option available

Dear John C,

Unlike "lubes" or oils, graphite is a no-risk conductive-lube option. Easily removed if not required, it is a _Dry_ material, and thus does not suffer the "dust attraction" and other issues commonly found with _Wet_ lubes. Consider, graphite is used in high-grade lock, tumbler, and safe mechanisms, where the "mission critical" nature of the task is far in excess of any model train mission. (and the mechanism component sizes and complexity are the equal of even the most convoluted brass geared-loco mech I've seen...)

Graphite is available in dust form as "Dry Lock Lube" at most hardware stores,
(Hint ; Kadee Greas'em = powered graphite)

and is available in stick-form at art supply stores as "woodless pencils".
(personally use the "Progresso" brand 2B hardness, but that's just me).

Happy Modelling,
Aim to Improve,
Prof Klyzlr

CRC 226

Try a electronic spray cleaner CRC 226 - it works. It does not harm plastic and it just takes a little. I have been using it over 5 years with no problems. I spray a small dab on each rail and let the train spread it throughout the layout. I clean track once a year. You can purchase it at Home Depot, Ace Hardware and Amazon for under $10.00.

CRC : still wet...

Dear ??? (J),

The OP context is the pickup-path/contact points on the loco itself, not the wheel<> rail contact point.

Yes, CRC works, but it also leaves a wet film which is one of the OPs concerns
(wet = dust attractant/adhesive)

Happy Modelling,
Aim to Improve,
Prof Klyzlr