Cutting maintenance by 30% on heritage steam engines with Morris Lubricants: A Success Story from Riley & Son Ltd
Riley & Son Ltd (Rileys), based in Bury, is a long-established name in the heritage steam industry, offering a comprehensive range of historic locomotive and component overhaul, repair, and replacement services.
Now, thanks to the high-quality mainline 1000 steam cylinder oil and bearing 220 classic steam oil from Morris Lubricants, Rileys has cut maintenance demands by over 30 per cent. These high-quality products are not only saving the engineering team time and money – but they are helping to play their part in the ongoing preservation of historic steam locomotives.
The talented engineers at Rileys also maintain and operate a fleet of three Stanier Class steam engines, commonly known as the Black Fives. The three Black Fives that are maintained by Rileys are 45407, known as the Lancashire Fusilier, 44871, and 45212 and they run across a number of Network Rail tourist lines.
Maintaining these 1940s, mixed-traffic steam locomotives is not without its challenges; especially as the engineering team work hard to retain as many of the original components as possible to preserve the engines’ unique history.
Over the years, Rileys had experienced significant wear and tear on various steam engines and locomotive components that maintained in its extensive workshop, resulting in frequent, costly repairs. The oils and lubricants used previously from another manufacturer were insufficient in protecting the huge steam engines, leading to regular reboring of cylinders and valves, as well as the renewal of pistons. This not only increased the time spent in the workshop but also drove up maintenance costs.
That’s where Morris Lubricants came in! Since Rileys made the switch to Morris Lubricants’ mainline 1000 steam cylinder oil and bearing oil 220 classic steam oil, the expert steam engineers have recorded a significant reduction in maintenance hours and importantly, the need to replace expensive components.
As highlighted by Simon Holroyd, Heritage Account Manager at Morris Lubricants states, “At Morris Lubricants we design and manufacture custom-graded oils specifically for the demands of the heritage steam industry, meaning they are robust, reliable and can withstand high piston speeds as well as superheat temperatures. Morris Lubricants’ oils are specifically designed to help protect steam engine components.
Formulated with high-quality raw materials and minimal additives, every batch that leaves our factory in Shrewsbury follows a stringent process of formulation, manufacture, filling and thorough testing to ensure optimum performance.
Colin Green, Director at Rileys explained: "Over the past 18 months, the entire fleet has been running on Morris Lubricants’ oils, and the results speak for themselves. By using Morris Lubricants’ oils, we have achieved an incredible 30 per cent reduction in maintenance time across the entire fleet.
"Previously, we've had to replace the little end bushes and re-white metal the bearing annually. It's a labour-intensive and costly process, so we were delighted when no remedial work was needed at all.
"We've also seen a significant decrease in the need for cylinder reboring and piston replacement, which means that the integrity of the cylinder liners remains intact for longer - delivering a substantial cost saving too.
"The condition of the bearings has also improved significantly, showing much less wear compared to previous years where we have used oils from different manufacturers.
"If I was to sum up the difference that the Morris Lubricants’ oils have made, I'd say that it's not just that the quality of the oils that are superior, it's that they are purpose-made for the heritage steam industry. This means that we can continue our vital work to preserve these historic locomotives, and all the component parts that keep them running as intended, for generations to come."
To view the Morris Lubricants range of quality oils, lubricants and greases designed for steam engines as well as a range of products ideal for engineering and maintenance workshops, click here.