Morris Lubricants’ Quality Cylinder Oils Help Riley & Son Maintain Black Five Locomotive Fleet
Riley & Son Ltd (Rileys) has praised the quality cylinder oils from Morris Lubricants for helping maintain and operate its Black Five fleet on the West Highland Extension. Morris Lubricants has provided specialist oils to increase the mechanical life of the locomotives by reducing the wear on the engines.
Rileys, based in Rochdale, offers a complete range of locomotive and component overhaul, repair, and replacement for heritage steam engines. The business runs three Black Fives - 45407, 44871, and 45212 - on the Fort William to Mallaig line, which is a notoriously difficult route, and the engineers were finding it a challenge to maintain the locomotives effectively.
The oils and lubricants used previously meant there was a continued strain on various parts of the locomotives, and Rileys found it had to renew parts of the engine that had been worn on a regular basis, which was costly and time consuming.
To decrease the wear of the engines, Rileys needed to make a change and switched to Mainline 1000 Steam Cylinder Oil from Morris Lubricants. This resulted in less need to rebore the cylinders and valves or renew the pistons, decreasing time in the workshop, reducing costs and extending the running time of the locomotives.
Colin Green, Director at Rileys, explains: “In the heritage steam industry we are looking to protect our history so we can teach and educate young people, and reminisce with the older generation. It’s vital to run these engines to give them exposure, and the correct lubrication is key when it comes to maintenance.
“After experiencing costly wear and tear using alternative lubrications, we decided to make the switch to Morris Lubricants’ Mainline 1000 Steam Cylinder Oil product. After a year, we pulled the engines apart and found the wear and tear was phenomenally reduced, indicating the excellent performance of the product.
“The cylinder boring was reduced, the wear and tear on the bearings was also reduced, and the axle boxes have all run sufficiently for the year with no elevated temperatures.
“This means we don’t have to renew the valves and the pistons or rebore the cylinders as frequently, as the mechanical life of the components is increased. When it comes to winter maintenance, we can just change the piston rings – even though this wasn’t necessary on all of them this year due to the limited wear.”
The key to the success of the Mainline 1000 Steam Cylinder Oil is its non-staining, robust formulation that can withstand high piston speeds and superheat temperatures. Plus, it can impart rust resistance during operation and long after shutdown by using unique, highly efficient surface additives.
Simon Holroyd, Heritage Account Manager at Morris Lubricants, added: “Here at Morris Lubricants we understand the importance of the heritage steam industry and its role in education and enjoyment for the public.
“We have a passion for ensuring that locomotives with great historical value, like the Black Fives, keep steaming on the tracks. I’m so glad to be working with the Rileys team. The work they do in the heritage steam industry is outstanding, and I’m glad we can help extend the life of these treasured locomotives.”
For more information on the Mainline 1000 Steam Cylinder Oil, click here.