John,
Check the archives for an August 21, 2002, post from Jim Crabb that
included a discourse from Chris at Roundhouse regarding Roundhouse steam
oil, which was described as a 220 weight. I had been using only Roundhouse
steam oil in my Roundhouse/Brandbright locomotive and, after reading the
post from Chris, have determined that I will continue that practice. Maybe
it's just manufacturer exclusivity propaganda, but what harm can come from
using the manufacturer's steam oil in the manufacturer's locomotive? I use
Pearse oil in my Pearse locos. For my other locos I carry a bottle of
Sulphur Springs steam oil. I have also seen articles that recommend using a
heavier steam oil with the AccuCraft "Ruby" and its mutations. Whether Down
Under or here in the USA, it takes only a credit card and a telephone call
to Pearse and Roundhouse in the UK to get as much steam oil as you want to
order, and now that Jim Crabb is in business the latter is available here.
Bob Blackson
