Lubrication Overview

Some vehicle drivetrains have complex mechanisms, such as running gear, that need to be actively lubricated in order to function properly. This is prevalent in steam locomotives.

Such vehicles typically carry oil in an onboard storage. Its amount is usually shown by the left meter found on the automatic lubricator.

This oil is supplied to the onboard lubrication systems either through automatic mechanisms, by manual cranking, or manual refilling using the oiler, depending on their type.

Over time, each of these lubrication systems will run out of oil. This is especially apparent when a vehicle has been sitting parked for a while.

If any of the lubrication systems lacks oil, the drivetrain will begin producing unpleasant screeching noise. If no action is taken it may quickly result in catastrophic damage to the drivetrain.