Axle box lubrication

[doubletop]

The Martin Evans GA and photos in the book have a lubrication box mounted on each side of the front of the tanks, but as usual no plumbing. However, there are many examples without this box on the tanks. The model I am re-furbishing has 6 separate lubrication 'pots' adjacent to each axle box, with two in the cab, nicely placed under the floor to ingest coal dust ash and whatever.





What is the consensus, go for the Martin Evans approach, stick with what I've got or something else?

Pete

[Shawki Shlemon]

There is always more than one way to do things , in this case this is a free lance engine and therefore one is free to do what is best , on scale engines if one has to follow the full size then there are no options , on the other hand if one is practical , the fine details are compromised in favour of practicality , then one have options . As far as I am concerned I don't like little scale pipes carrying oil ( this is thick oil ) so I drill the oil cups in the top of axle boxes and fill them using a long nozzle oil can through spaces between spokes , it works for me fine , the excess runs on the sides and do a good job .I have been doing this for over 32 years on a verity of engines .

[peterseager]

My Simplex is lubricated the same way as Shawki's and works fine and I would also recommend it. However my Manor had the same system when I bought it and it was a job to get the oil can between the spokes so oil boxes were fitted, four at platform level and two on the reverser stand for the rear axle. They work fine now but as Shawki intimated it took several goes to get a system which reliably fed oil (SAE 30). Pipe size, pipe run, oil box size (because of surface tension) and venting the oil boxes were key factors.

Peter

[jma1009]

if i remember correctly, it is impossible to oil the reservoirs on top of the axleboxes on simplex and super simplex by access through the spokes, so some method of oil feed by pipes is required. what bore pipe you use, and how far up you take them is a matter of personal preference, but i would still have large oil reservoirs in any event drilled into the tops of the axleboxes.

[peterseager]

if i remember correctly, it is impossible to oil the reservoirs on top of the axleboxes on simplex and super simplex by access through the spokes

Its perfectly possible on my Simplex. Maybe it depends upon where your wheel castings came from, ie on the pattern maker.

Peter

[jma1009]

there is no way the axleboxes on the super simplex i had for awhile could be oiled through the spokes, and that's with an oilcan with a long 3/32" dia copper tube on the end! i had to fit oil cups to feed the axlebox reservoirs. the wheel castings were for simplex from Reeves.

[doubletop]

Thanks everybody for your responses and sincere apologies for not acknowledging earlier.

It seems clear that local lubrication, piped to the separate axle boxes is the way to go. So I'll stick with what I have. Its does seem to have worked in the past 20 years of the locos life as there is no noticeable wear on the axles

If you look closely through the muck in this picture you can see the lube tubes for the center axle and cups on the front axle.



Maybe a bit clearer now I've started the refurbishment.



Pete