Maintenance and Care
of Your Garden Railway.

Like keeping up the maintenance of your car, or your house, your Garden railway including track, locomotives and carriages also require ongoing maintenance and care. Sometimes these factors are totally ignored by some, or overdone by others. And care must be taken to use the correct products for the job.

Maintenance of the Track, Trackside Equipment

Track maintenance is essential to maintaining trouble-free operation of your trains. It begins with the initial laying of your track. The diameter of your curves is determined by the size of your locomotives and rolling stock. Running large locomotives on tight curves can wear out wheel flanges especially at higher speeds.

To avoid dry rail joints, it recommended when laying brass track that ‘Graphite Grease’ be used sparingly in the rail joiners. This assists conductivity through the joiner. This product is available in both Piko and Massoth brands and is designed for this purpose.

Prior to running your trains, the surface of the rail should be cleaned with a nonabrasive track cleaner such as the LGB 50040 ‘Track Cleaning Block’. A few rubs on the top surface of rail, will remove plastic deposits from carriage wheels, and corrosive grime and abrasive material, that may have adhered to the rail in between uses. Not only does this assist with locomotives drawing power from the track, but also removes particles and obstacles that if ignored can cause unnecessary wear and tear to loco and carriage wheels

Non waterproof equipment such as LGB Point Motors and Electric Signal Solenoids should also have a dab of Vaseline Grease wiped over the screw heads, especially the screws holding the power cables, to prevent them from rusting up.

Maintenance of the Carriages and other Rolling Stock.

Rolling Stock and wheels should be kept clean of grime and dirt. Dust should be removed with a new soft paint brush, set aside for the purpose. Any dirt on the carriages should be removed with a damp cloth, and dried with a dry cloth, so as not to leave stains. A few drops of Piko or Massoth oil should also be used from time to time, to lubricate both the axle tips and axle sockets on the bogies, to avoid wear.

Regularly check the couplers for wear and tear, and replace if un-serviceable. It is also advisable to use double hooks on your carriages to prevent the trains from losing rolling stock. This usually happens when your back is turned. Only to find that the locomotive has run into the ‘lost load’ and caused a derailment. It might look funny, but in reality, it can result in unnecessary or costly damage occurring.

Maintenance of the Locomotives

Locomotive servicing must be maintained on a regular basis, according to the manufacture’s specifications!

Maintaining a Gscale model locomotive involves regular cleaning, occasional lubrication of moving parts and repairs, all crucial for a smooth operation. A light smear of Massoth grease is used for the internal gears of the locomotive. And oil for everything that squeaks on the outside of the locomotive. Oil should not be used on the internal gears, and grease should never be used on the outside running gear of the Locomotives.

Care should also be taken not to over oil or grease your locomotives. A minimal amount of oil and grease is good. Too much can lead to disaster. A very small drop of oil should be applied to external moving parts including locomotive crankpins and running gear attached to the locomotive wheels. If excess oil or grease works it way into the motor, the motor may malfunction and need to be replaced!

Both Piko and Lgb Locomotives have power pickup shoes that slide along the track. Their purpose is to feed extra current into the locomotive motor. They are important, as without the pickups, the locomotive could be under-powered. A locomotive motor is constantly working hard, until it reaches 7 Volts. When it reaches this point, the locomotive will coast. Worn or dirty pick-up shoes may contribute to strain on the motor, and should be checked at regular intervals, and replaced if worn, or cleaned when dirty.

The track area needs to be kept free of weeds. If vegetation is run over by the locomotive or carriage wheels, the sappy grime will adhere to the wheels, and locomotive pickup shoes. When it dries on, it can become difficult to remove.

NB: Storage of electrical equipment used to operate a Garden Railway

The locomotives operate from a controller, that emits between 17-24 volts to the track. The controller in turn is connected to a 240-volt power transformer. Both of these units should be set up indoors in either a garage or a shed with power available. And under no circumstances should they come in contact with water.