# Squeaking Wheel Solution?



## Jerry McColgan (Feb 8, 2008)

Years ago I built an elevated layout (7' high) in my shop that I sometimes run on a VCS timer in the dark at night. The track has all LGB R-3 8' diameter brass curves & turnouts.

Whether I run LGB Moguls with 6 LGB lighted coaches, MTH Hudson with 4 or 5 MTH Coaches or LGB Mikados with 6 Aristo Heavyweights I eventually end up with some squeaking (mainly on curves).

Since the trains are high, heavy & hard to reach in the dark it is hard to be sure what is squeaking (coach wheels, tender wheels or loco drivers).

Over the years I have tried different locos & coaches but I always end up with some squeaking.

My goal is to gradually wear the trains out with usage but I don't want to cause preventable wear. 

I like running 6 coaches so would prefer not running fewer coaches if possible but the VCS Timer is limited to 4 amps which stopped running the Mike & Heavyweights.

Ideas on eliminating the squeaks? Perhaps semi-conducting paste inside the curves? I thought of wax but that would be an insulator.

I suspect the weight of the trains is forcing the wheels to rub the inside head of the inside rail but I am not sure.

I know that railroads have some sort of wheel lubrication to minimize wheel wear.

Perhaps someone running a commercial layout might have a solution?

Thanks,

Jerry


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## chuck n (Jan 2, 2008)

In all likely hood you are slowly grinding down the rail head on the inside of the outside rail. The metal wheels are harder than the brass rail. Check to see if the inside of the rail head is more polished and there is a sharp angle where the side meets the top, not a rounded corner.

My first suggestion would be to run just the engines and see if they squeak. If they do, then try a shorter wheel based loco like an LGB Stainz. If it doesn't squeak, then add a few cars and see what happens. My guess is, that it is the locomotives and the heavyweights that are causing the problem.

You could try LGBs graphite paste for rail joiners, a small dab on the inside of the rail head where the train enters the curve and a couple more small dabs along the curve. You don't want to use too much as it is very messy.

Chuck

Jerry, here is a picture of a piece of R1 (LGB) curve that has been ground down enough to increase the gauge to a point where the engine falls down onto the ties.


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## Jerry McColgan (Feb 8, 2008)

Hi Chuck,

I suspect you are right. I bought LGB brass track years ago From Ridge Road that came from a grocery store worn to the point that a lot of the inside head of the rail on the curves was completely worn away. I recurved some of it with the inside rail turned around and moved to the outside rail and then used the track for storage until eventually I sold it at a train show after showing the wear to the new buyer. The inside of the track boxes was coated black (probably from graphite).

At least I started out with all new LGB brass track and so far it is not showing much wear (I don't run trains that often and stopped running the Mike and Heavyweights awhile ago) - but even my inside layouts have 8' diameter curves so there will be some wear over time. 

I figure I might as well run the wheels off everything a bit at a time since the trains aren't doing any good sitting on the sidings.

I've always used LGB's Conductive Paste on all joiners. That is what I was considering trying on the curves but these days it is harder for me to get up to work on the elevated layout.

Since the LGB wheels are plated brass, I expect them to wear the track less than other trains with steel wheels (I don't know what MTH wheels are made of but I suspect they are steel). I guess I could put a magnet to them but they have been sitting on the shelf for years so I ran them for several months.

I ran LGB & Aristo Starter Sets for awhile but I just like the LGB Moguls & lighted coaches enough that I prefer running them. Forneys might be a better choice and I may try running them for awhile.

At least I could run DRGW & PRR with them.

My memory is getting so bad I don't remember what I ran when and what the results were. 

Thanks for your comments and suggestions,

Jerry


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## chuck n (Jan 2, 2008)

Jerry

A lot of the "black dust" in the boxes is probably finely ground up pieces of brass. Many years ago there was a discussion about the black dust and I cleaned my rails and the wheels on a locomotive (an Aristo Mallet I think) and ran it for a couple of hours. I was then and am now using Aristo 10' diameter curves. I wiped down the track to collect the black dust. A friend of mine analyzed the particles. They were made up of copper, zinc and lead, very little if any carbon (graphite and plastic).

The plating on the wheels could be harder than the brass. Only when the plating on the flange wears off will the brass be exposed. From my experience the plating on the wheel tread does wear off fairly quickly, but not on the flanges.

Chuck


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## Dan Pierce (Jan 2, 2008)

I have some rolling stock that squeaked and found it to be the axles in the side frames needing lubrication. I now place a small dab (Jerry, remember the brylcream ad 'a little dab will do ya') and now I rarely hear a squeak.


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## grandpa jay (Jun 24, 2014)

My experience in the past has been that one wheel has to slide around the curves and can cause ther squeak. The fix is to add a drop or two of oil the the top of the rail and let the train spread it around the track.


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## Jerry McColgan (Feb 8, 2008)

chuck n said:


> Jerry
> 
> A lot of the "black dust" in the boxes is probably finely ground up pieces of brass. Many years ago there was a discussion about the black dust and I cleaned my rails and the wheels on a locomotive (an Aristo Mallet I think) and ran it for a couple of hours. I was then and am now using Aristo 10' diameter curves. I wiped down the track to collect the black dust. A friend of mine analyzed the particles. They were made up of copper, zinc and lead, very little if any carbon (graphite and plastic).
> 
> ...


Hi Chuck,

I never would have guessed that! It makes sense because I could not imagine that much graphite coming from the carbon brushes - yet I has assumed(?) brass dust would have been brass colored.

Still learning...

Jerry


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## Jerry McColgan (Feb 8, 2008)

Dan Pierce said:


> I have some rolling stock that squeaked and found it to be the axles in the side frames needing lubrication. I now place a small dab (Jerry, remember the brylcream ad 'a little dab will do ya') and now I rarely hear a squeak.


Hi Dan, 

I always lube the axles with drop of LGB Oil. The needle tube makes it easy.

Lately I have started to wonder if an aerosol lube like 3M 5 Way (similar to WD40) might be better.

A friend uses WD40 on all his Bachmann & Aristo metal wheels and does not end up with the rust & corrosion I used to get by just lubing the axles. He keeps his trains outside while I bring mine indoors - after getting rust on some outdoor Bachmann & Aristo metal wheels.

I know all the axles on the shop layout were lubed with LGB Oil yet that did not eliminate the squeaks.

Sometimes speed affects the squeaking but the squeaks always occur when some part of the train is on a curve. Often it is in the same parts of the same curves but it is in the dark & I am in bed so it would be too challenging to try to fix it then.

Often the loco may be in one part of one curve while trailing coaches may be in a part of a different curve.

Thanks,

Jerry


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## chuck n (Jan 2, 2008)

Jerry

Most metals when ground very fine appear black.

Over the years there have been a lot of questions and complaints about the black dust that shows up on a light rug after the Christmas train has been picked up.

I have heard, but not observed, that the flanges on plastic wheels will grind off with very long run times on R1 curves. In this case the plastic is softer than the brass. With friction, the softer material will grind away.

Chuck


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## Jerry McColgan (Feb 8, 2008)

grandpa jay said:


> My experience in the past has been that one wheel has to slide around the curves and can cause ther squeak. The fix is to add a drop or two of oil the the top of the rail and let the train spread it around the track.


One grandpa to another, 

I have assumed that may be the case - sort of why limited slip lets one wheel turn at a different rate than the other wheel on the same axle.

I had thought about putting a bit of oil on the inside rail flanges of a loco to lubricate the inside head of the rails but have not done it. Some of my Moguls are quite old and some of the old ones had a tendency to bind on tight curves but I expected them to all work with R3 8' diameter curves.

If the track was not so hard to reach these days (with all the furniture etc.) I would probably run a cloth with a dab of oil on it around the inner part of the inside rail.

It might be that with your idea the drivers would move the oil from the top of the rail to the driver flanges where it could be distributed to the inside of the rail but I have a hard time accepting the idea of putting oil on the rails where the locos are already pulling 6 coaches.

If I could oil the inside head of the rails without oiling the top of the head I would be more inclined to try it.

At least I know I would only need to lubricate the curves as there is no squeaking on the straight tracks.

Thanks,

Jerry


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## chuck n (Jan 2, 2008)

Jerry

The original LGB mogul came out with a motor block that didn't permit much lateral movement on the three drive wheel axles. It did not like R1 and 2 curves. I asked a friend who was a machinist to turn down the drivers on the center axle to create a blind set of drivers. This helped, but I think the wheel base was still to long for the limited side play. At that time I was running in the basement using R1 and R2 LGB curves.

A couple of months later a friend in the Denver Garden Railway Society mentioned that LGB was exchanging the original motor blocks with a new design. The new design had a lot more lateral play. I sent mine into LGB of America in San Diego. Not too long after I got my engine back with the new motor block. It is still running. Unfortunately, I had made some major modifications to the engine, it came back with my parts in the box and the "CORRECT" LGB parts on the engine. Fortunately, I was able to do the retrofit of my parts. I was not a happy camper.

I notice that the mogul in your first picture is the red and green mogul. Did you get it shortly after they came out with it? Or did you get it several years later? Does your grey mogul in the later picture squeak? Is it possible that you have an original motor block in your red and green mogul? That could explain why it squeaks.

Chuck


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## rdamurphy (Jan 3, 2008)

When thinking about railroad axles, how does a solid axle go around a curve? In the automotive world, they use a differential so the wheels can turn at different speeds. In the railroad world, they use an angled wheel tread. The outside wheel pushes to the outside on a curve, pushing the wheel "up" on the rail, so the larger inside radius is on the railhead, while the inside wheel also moves to the outside, pushing the smaller diameter size of the wheel "down" the rail. Kind of hard to explain, easier to illustrate.

http://www.thenakedscientists.com/HTML/experiments/exp/train-tracks-how-trains-go-round-corners

The issue you're having is that model railroad curves are waaaaaay too tight, and cars and locomotives with prototypical proportions have wheels that are slipping on one rail or the other. The flanges are tying to climb the outside rail, hence the unusually high wear seen on the inside of the outside rail.

There really are only a couple of solutions, one seen in early HO and O models: Split axles, allowing the wheels to turn at different speeds. This, of course, won't work with locomotives.

So, obviously, this problem occurs with the prototype, since we've all heard the squeal of wheels on prototype trains on "sharp" curves. I believe even the sharpest curves on real railroads would be about 20 foot radius in G scale, and that would be for narrow gauge.

So, they have two basic solutions, flange lubrication, problematic for us, and superelevation of the curves. You might try raising the outside rail about a quarter or half an inch, and see if that helps. Remember to use a transition from the straight track. In HO, I used to use toothpicks under the ends of the ties for gentle curves to pushing them further towards the rail for sharper ones. You might try kitchen matchsticks or popsicle sticks, since both are cheap.

In this case, this will allow gravity to help hold the wheels down towards the inside of the curve, in the case of the prototype, it actually lessens the diameter of the curve. It actually makes the outside rail shorter in length. It actually works much better with flex track on the model, rather than fixed curves, since the outside rail can adjust rather than being held in place. 

This works for the same reason a banked curve allows much higher speeds on a racetrack.

Robert


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## Dan Pierce (Jan 2, 2008)

I would think that raising the outer rail by 1/2 inch would make cars fall off the inside of the curve. I keep my track level sideways, and how would one do this for a switch, it is best to keep switches level side to side to prevent frog derailments.


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## Totalwrecker (Feb 26, 2009)

I allow for super elevation, but 1/4" is tall, it doesn't take much to see the lean. 
John


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## Jerry McColgan (Feb 8, 2008)

chuck n said:


> Jerry
> 
> I notice that the mogul in your first picture is the red and green mogul. Did you get it shortly after they came out with it? Or did you get it several years later? Does your grey mogul in the later picture squeak? Is it possible that you have an original motor block in your red and green mogul? That could explain why it squeaks.
> 
> Chuck


Hi Chuck,

I have several 21181s (my favorite Mogul) and 2018Ds which were all bought used and are all old. 

My first LGB loco was a much used and abused 2018D (with a 2119D tender). Nothing matched but it was what I could afford at the time. Over the years I have replaced all incorrect parts with the proper parts to the point I no longer know which it is now. It made me an LGB Mogul lover. 

All or most probably have the problem with sharp curves but most of my Moguls are also old.

Currently I am running a 2219S PRR Mogul with matching coaches (as far as I know, the only LGB coaches with curtains). It is analog sound but at least I can turn the sound down at night and the analog sound does not bother me enough to want to change it.

I moved a 25251 Forney out and will later put it on the layout to see if it stops the squeaking.

I'll see how this turns out.

Thanks,

Jerry


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## Jerry McColgan (Feb 8, 2008)

rdamurphy said:


> they have two basic solutions, flange lubrication, problematic for us, and superelevation of the curves. You might try raising the outside rail about a quarter or half an inch, and see if that helps.
> 
> This works for the same reason a banked curve allows much higher speeds on a racetrack.
> 
> Robert


Hi Robert,

We came to similar conclusions but elevating curves is something I've never been successful at. I've tried building helixes and adding curves to Rack Rail track but I've never been happy with my results. I concluded I would probably have to redo the curves with flex track at the minimum. What would complicate the problem is that there are four R3 LGB turnouts feeding four sidings where I park inactive trains. The sidings feed off of two turnouts that are part of one of the mainline curves.








I guess my current plan is to correctly identify the cause of the squeaking and if there is no simple solution to just live with the squeaking. 

Thanks,

Jerry


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## Jerry McColgan (Feb 8, 2008)

Over the years I have concluded that (for me) the best solution is to keep my layouts as perfectly flat as possible. Of course, not seeing things from my perspective, others may have different ideas (which I welcome).

In this case, the tracks are not only 7 feet above a carpeted but concrete floor, they also run directly over my head as I sleep. The idea of a Mogul or Mikado or Hudson falling on my head (even with flat track - much less with track that might be tilted toward the bed) caused me to add the precaution of installing Bachmann telephone poles (as a safety barrier) to keep a derailed loco/train from giving me a headache. 








The photo below was taken before I installed the telephone poles. That Mikado is why I installed the telephone poles.










I am still open to ideas. There may still be a solution that is simple and works. I can live with the squeaks and track/wheel wear as long as I am satisfied I looked for better options.

Thanks,

Jerry


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## Jerry McColgan (Feb 8, 2008)

*I believe there are a lot of different factors involved with my squeaking.*

1. In the photo of the LGB Mikado pulling 6 Aristo Heavyweights, I suspect the weight of all those Heavyweights is simply pulling the Heavyweight wheels into the inside of the inside rail. I would think that super elevation might increase rather than minimize the squeaking - unless perhaps compensated by higher speed where centrifugal force might push the wheels to the outside rails.

2. Even with light LGB metal wheels, it may be that 6 LGB coaches also have enough weight to drag against the inside rail.

3. In the case of early LGB Moguls, it may be that the long wheelbase, along with a flanged center driver might be pressing against both the inner and outer rails.

4. Squeaks are somewhat dependent on the speed of the train. Perhaps the speed has an affect on whether the locos or the coach wheels are squeaking. At night I prefer to run the trains slow. The train (with 6 coaches) runs noticeably slower on the curves - more than likely due to wheel/rail friction.

5. Perhaps the MTH Hudson & coaches might introduce a different factor I am not aware of.

The simple truth is that I don't have the answers - which is why I am asking about it here.

I don't run my trains much anymore so I have some with virtually no usage. My goal is to rotate trains so that I get some use and put some wear on as many as possible.

When I started this topic I thought I would find a quick and easy solution. It is probably going to be trial and error to discover perhaps multiple problems and multiple (or no simple) solutions.

Thanks for everyones comments and suggestions. I am learning a lot.

Jerry


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## chuck n (Jan 2, 2008)

Jerry

Looking at your pictures, I can't tell whether you have two or three axle trucks on your heavyweights.

Do any of your AristoCraft heavy weights have three axle trucks? I had some that caused problems, on my 10' d curves. I removed the center axle and all was fine. I ended up with some Aristo axles I could use else where. At some point they redesigned the trucks so they wouldn't bind on curves 10' d, but I never bought any cars with the new trucks.

Removing the center axle never caused a problem. It is not noticeable without very close inspection. No one has ever commented about the missing axle, even at meets with very knowledgable obeservers

Chuck


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## Jerry McColgan (Feb 8, 2008)

chuck n said:


> Jerry
> 
> Looking at your pictures, I can't tell whether you have two or three axle trucks on your heavyweights.
> 
> ...


Hi Chuck,

For some reason (I think the purpose of the car) some trucks are 3 axle and some are 2 axle.

Some time ago I moved them to the house because I could not keep the amps at or below 4 (the VCS limit).

For some reason (I've forgotten why) I prefer 3 axles but I leave them as Aristo shipped them. 

The LBG green Southern RR Mikes with Aristo Southern Crescent Heavyweights may be my favorite non-Mogul trains. It's too bad that LGB did not match the Aristo green. I bought a spare green LGB Mike tender that I'd like to somehow convert to an oil tender - but I don't know how.

Jerry


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## Jerry McColgan (Feb 8, 2008)

*Squeaking has become a non-issue.*

I have come to the conclusion that there are too many different factors that can cause squeaking for me to put more effort into trying to eliminate it.

Perhaps I was fortunate in choosing the Forney to test.

If a new Forney (by itself) will squeak on straight track it is highly unlikely that I would ever eliminate squeaking.

Most likely the main reason it bothered me was because I run this layout in the dark with the sound almost turned off. 

Everywhere else I run the sound at maximum.

Jerry


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## Jerry McColgan (Feb 8, 2008)

rdamurphy said:


> this problem occurs with the prototype, since we've all heard the squeal of wheels on prototype trains on "sharp" curves.
> 
> Robert


Hi Robert,

Thank you for your comments,

Clearly they never totally resolved their problem and decided that sometimes the solution may not be worth the effort & expense (me too).

Jerry


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## Jerry McColgan (Feb 8, 2008)

*No squeaking with LGB Coal Hoppers & Bachmann Metal Wheels*

Just when I was giving up on eliminating the squeaking problem, I fixed the defective sound in the 2219S Mogul & put it back with the PRR Coaches & Drover's Caboose (all with LGB Metal Wheels). Not surprisingly the occasional squeaking returned.

For variety, I parked that train on a siding & drove out a different 2219S pulling 7 LGB PRR Coal Hoppers and an LGB PRR Bobbers Caboose (with LGB Ball Bearing wheels to illuminate the lights). The hoppers all have Bachmann metal wheels.

I assumed the squeaking would return. It did not. I ran the Hopper Train around for a couple of hours and did not hear any squeaks.

If anything I would have expected the opposite with LGB Metal Wheels not squeaking but I was wrong.

I don't quite understand it. Perhaps the shorter turning radius of the hoppers and bobber caboose or perhaps the train's lighter weight or perhaps the extra weight of the Bachmann metal wheels...

Your guess is as good as mine.

In a day or two t will try a 2219S with PRR boxcars (Bachmann wheels) and see how it does.

Jerry


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## JPCaputo (Jul 26, 2009)

On my small r1 layout, I use a few drops of oil on the railhead and flange. This greatly helps the squeezing and binding, and allows one wheel or the other to slide.


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## Jerry McColgan (Feb 8, 2008)

JPCaputo said:


> On my small r1 layout, I use a few drops of oil on the railhead and flange. This greatly helps the squeezing and binding, and allows one wheel or the other to slide.


I may try that on a layout with R1 curves.

Thanks,

Jerry


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## Jerry McColgan (Feb 8, 2008)

Jerry McColgan said:


> In a day or two t will try a 2219S with PRR boxcars (Bachmann wheels) and see how it does.
> 
> Jerry


I ran the train with the boxcars and had the same results that I did with the hoppers - no squeaking noises anywhere. As expected the Bachmann metal wheels make a lot more noise on the tracks than the LGB metal wheels. 

Since only the Bobber cabooses have ball bearing wheels that allow the Wheels to rotate independently, I don't think I will see more track wear from squeaking LGB wheels than I will get from non-squeaking Bachmann wheels. They are virtually the same diameter.

I still don't really know why the trains with the coaches and LGB wheels squeak and the Bachmann wheels do not but I'm not going to worry about it anymore.

Jerry


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## Jerry McColgan (Feb 8, 2008)

*End of story?*

Another day and perhaps a conclusion to the squeaking train story.

The freight car wheels were noisy but did not squeak and it was time to return to running the passenger trains.

I assumed the squeaking would return but the first passenger train ran silently without any squeaking and then I was amazed by the fact that the second passenger train now also runs silently.

I am not positive why.

While taking everything down I oiled all 124 (non-loco) axles with LGB oil and wiped any axles that seemed to be dirty.

It is also possible that some oil may have gotten on a wheel or two and migrated to the rail head.

All I know is that with these specific LGB PRR Moguls & LGB PRR freight and passenger cars the squeaking has ended.

If and when I put anything else on the layout the squeaking will probably return.


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## Jerry McColgan (Feb 8, 2008)

*Trains now running quietly*

I said:

"I moved a 25251 Forney out and will later put it on the layout to see if it stops the squeaking."

Then I said:

"The Forney squeaked all by itself on the first couple of feet of straight track!"

Followed by:

"I bought it new a few years ago and it probably has less than 5 total hours running time.

I don't know whether it is the gears or the running gear or whatever is squeaking.

Perhaps it is time for me to throw in the towel and simply except the squeaking as it does not seem likely that I will be able to get rid of it without much effort on my part."

And then:

"I assumed the squeaking would return but the first passenger train ran silently without any squeaking and then I was amazed when the second passenger train now also runs silently."

*Perhaps the answer was there all the time!

I was comparing a squeaking Forney that I bought new and I KNEW it had almost no running time to old 2219S Moguls that I bought many years ago that were pulling PRR freight and passenger cars which have hardly ever been run.*

When I say the PRR passenger trains run silently I mean they now drift around the layout in the dark as ghosts with only the lights visible and only the sound of the old analog sound units audible.

I now think the change from squeaking to silent running is simply due to the old Moguls and rolling stock finally having been broken (worn) in.

I've noticed this with other new motorized equipment that can be very noisy and then becoming very quiet as the gears wear in.

Somehow it did not occur to me to expect this from old trains - even when I knew they had been very lightly used.

Jerry


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## Jerry McColgan (Feb 8, 2008)

*Flickering Coach Lights & slightly squeaking again*

Something I just noticed...

I have always had flickering coach lights on this (and most) layout(s).

About once a year I would run a track cleaning locomotive try to minimize the flickering. I also added ball bearing wheels to try to minimize it.

Now, with no track cleaning, and no ball bearing wheels, the lights are not flickering at all.

I have run these 2219S's more in the last 10 days than in the last 10 years. Perhaps we do a disservice to these great LGB locomotives when we don't use them.

A slight squeaking has returned (which I fully intend to ignore - at least for a few months).

Jerry


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## Garratt (Sep 15, 2012)

Jerry, I would divide and conquer this issue. Which sounds like what you are doing. Try and work out where the squeaking is coming from. Is it from the locos or the rolling stock? Make sure all running gear is lubed on the locos and on the axles of the rolling stock. If the squeaking is from the wheels on the rails you could as a temporary measure put something on the rails as lubrication to prove this. WD40 perhaps? 
If it is the wheels and rails where the squeaking is coming from there may be a difference between LGB chrome plated wheels and the sintered metal Bachmann ones and how they rub against the rail. It could be their profile or the material they are made from. The frictional properties will be different so it is not necessarily a matter of 'quality'. The speed will also effect how the squeaks are generated. Like a worn diff in a car, it is only a specific speed where you will hear the 'whine' when the oscillation occurs. 

Andrew


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## Jerry McColgan (Feb 8, 2008)

Garratt said:


> Jerry,
> 
> If it is the wheels and rails where the squeaking is coming from there may be a difference between LGB chrome plated wheels and the sintered metal Bachmann ones and how they rub against the rail. It could be their profile or the material they are made from. The frictional properties will be different so it is not necessarily a matter of 'quality'. The speed will also effect how the squeaks are generated. Like a worn diff in a car, it is only a specific speed where you will hear the 'whine' when the oscillation occurs.
> 
> Andrew


Hi Andrew,

You are correct (as usual).

As I ran the trains for hours something was happening. Friction had been causing the trains to slow down both on corners - and as they got further away from the power connection. Over time the train began running faster until I eventually slowed it down.

It was when I slowed the train considerably (to my normal running speed) that I discovered some squeaking had returned.

I decided that even on this simple layout there are too many contributing factors that can have an effect on whether the trains squeak or do not squeak. 

On the one hand I believe I was correct in addressing the problem but onthe other hand I now believe I was becoming obsessed with trying to achieve perfection (no squeaking).

Elsewhere, with the sound at a normal volume, outdoor wind noise and typical daytime background noise (or if the TV was on) I would probably never have noticed any squeaking.

The train(s) are running 7 feet above the floor (above my line of sight) and the room is full of furniture and other clutter so it is impossible to actually walk around the room following the train to identify the exact squeaking source.

I think I need to simply ignore the squeaking for the moment and not worry about it unless it gets noticeably louder. For now the trains are lubricated and perhaps next year will be soon enough to rethink it.

Thanks 

Jerry


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## Jerry McColgan (Feb 8, 2008)

Each day now (with another hour or so running time) the squeaking is starting to return.

I can swap the train with a different one that is parked on a siding but I think I would be running from one train's squeaking problems to another's.

This could go on forever and drive me nuts trying to fix every little squeak.

I have reconfigured the LGB electric turnouts so I can swap trains to, from, and between the sidings with an LGB Loco Remote without leaving the recliner now. I can then run whatever train is on the layout either with an LGB Loco Remote or with the VCS timer either from the recliner or from bed.

I think the reality is that I will always have trains squeaking at some noise level. Even LGB refers to them as toy trains. Toys are not designed and manufactured tor silent running. If I want silent running I probably need to buy a toy submarine or replace the trains with Streetcars. 

I give up and accept reality. I don't think there is a permanent fix. Every train video has one thing - squeaking wheels.

Jerry


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## Jerry McColgan (Feb 8, 2008)

I had an idea of using felt pads with LGB Smoke Fluid on LGB 5005 Track Cleaners to fix the squeaking wheels.

At first it seemed to work but eventually I decided it was not the solution I was looking for.


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