Why Is My Manual Ground Throw Squeaking After Applying Ballast?

[GuilfordRailman]

Question says it all…I applied some ballast around a turnout with a Caboose Industries manual ground throw, being careful to not get much ballast and glue around the mechanism. After it began to dry, the ground throw itself is now squeaking.

What would cause this? Can I oil it somehow?

 

[D&J RailRoad]

I would presume this is a Caboose Hobbies ground throw.
You can use just about any kind of oil on it, but I would limit that to lube oil made for locomotive or motor bushings.
The only place you should need to put the oil is on the small cylinder at the base of the throw rod. That would be the part with the land that spirals around the drum to make the switch rod move the points.

 

[GuilfordRailman]

I would presume this is a Caboose Hobbies ground throw.
You can use just about any kind of oil on it, but I would limit that to lube oil made for locomotive or motor bushings.
The only place you should need to put the oil is on the small cylinder at the base of the throw rod. That would be the part with the land that spirals around the drum to make the switch rod move the points.

Correct, It is a Caboose ground throw. I will see what I can find and give it a try.

It’s odd to me that the ground throw itself is squeaking but not anything else. I thought maybe it was squeaking because glue got into the mechanism but I didn’t see any glue and any ballast that fell in between the throw rod, I cleared out.

 

[D&J RailRoad]

Your actual moving points may be causing some stress on the parts which in turn causes the squeak.

 

[santafewillie]

I use LaBelle #108 on the cylinder and also the shaft that moves back and forth. It's not because they squeak, but it just makes them operate more smoothly.

 

[D&J RailRoad]

I use LaBelle #108 on the cylinder and also the shaft that moves back and forth. It's not because they squeak, but it just makes them operate more smoothly.

They would prolly squeak. It's just that ya have the Labelle on it so it never does.

 

[NVSrr1500]

Ballast dust got into it Removing the slick surface contact of the paths that move. You could wash it with a little water. Or oil it

 

[GuilfordRailman]

I use LaBelle #108 on the cylinder and also the shaft that moves back and forth. It's not because they squeak, but it just makes them operate more smoothly.

I’ll look into it, thanks!

 

[GuilfordRailman]

Ballast dust got into it Removing the slick surface contact of the paths that move. You could wash it with a little water. Or oil it

I’ll try an eye dropper with some water in it to see how that works out. Thanks.