# Zinc Pest rumor



## seayakbill (Jan 16, 2016)

Got a call from one of my train buddies and he asked me if I had any Lionel on pre-order. Told him just some rolling stock. He said to check the trucks carefully that there has been some reports of new Lionel trucks that are crumbling.

Seems like this problem pops up every now & then. Last I heard of it was with Weaver troop cars.

Bill


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## santafe158 (Jul 14, 2010)

It seems to be popping up in a few different places. Gunrunner John posted on OGR that the couplers on his new Lionel F40PH unit were showing signs. I received a brand new unoperated Williams Peter Witt streetcar that was unusable earlier last year because the trucks had disintegrated. Several others reported finding the same thing upon inspecting ones they had sitting on shelves.

Someone else reported the body on an older MTH PRR electric locomotive had also crumbled.

All it takes are some impurities in the metal used for the castings and then a little bit of time.


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## ebtnut (Mar 9, 2017)

The culprit with Zamac corrosion is lead - ANY lead. The old joke was that if walked into the foundry room and whispered the word, the cast would be contaminated. Depending on the situation, any one pour might be OK, another not. This is why you can occasionally find some John English locos that are solid. Most, unfortunately, weren't. Tyco/Mantua generally seems to have been good.


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## walter (Jan 31, 2014)

This may help, its helped me on some items.I noticed Zink Pest corrosion on some couplers and wheel set. Collecting WW2 Medals and Badges, a collector mentioned he has coated some with Vaseline, a thin layer hand rubbed. I've done this to some medals and now my couplers and wheelsets. No crumbling to date just some paint off.


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## njrailer93 (Nov 28, 2011)

i had this problem with an atlas piece of rolling stock, literally fell apart in my hands


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## SDIV Tim (Nov 19, 2015)

GRJ had this happen to his new cabbage.


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## seayakbill (Jan 16, 2016)

SDIV Tim said:


> GRJ had this happen to his new cabbage.


That is really bad news, on a brand new loco no less. Rolling stock is one thing but a brand new loco is certainly a low mark.

Bill


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## Norton (Nov 5, 2015)

I found this on Wikipedia. The problem has been known for decades as well as the solution. Might explain why Post War Lionel was largely unaffected as both companies were in New Jersey.

Pete


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## PRR1950 (Oct 26, 2013)

To those referencing Gunrunner John's new engine with coupler issues, please take note. Lionel responded on another forum that the problem was "probably" not zinc-pest (or rot). Instead, some substance incompatible with the couplers was used as lubrication to "loosen up" stiff couplers. Lionel is working with him to resolve the problem.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Mine is already on it's way back to Lionel, they're going to replace the whole engine. It's not zinc-pest, as stated the Chinese used a corrosive lubricant to "free" the couplers, it was still sticky and also rotting away!


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## seayakbill (Jan 16, 2016)

gunrunnerjohn said:


> Mine is already on it's way back to Lionel, they're going to replace the whole engine. It's not zinc-pest, as stated the Chinese used a corrosive lubricant to "free" the couplers, it was still sticky and also rotting away!


I wonder how many more locos got the corrosive lubricant treatment.

Bill


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Hard to say, Dave Olsen from Lionel says they specifically told them not to use that lubricant as they had already observed the issue, the Chinese obviously didn't listen.


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## Lehigh74 (Sep 25, 2015)

That's bizarre. I have heard of anti-corrosive lubricants, but I have never heard of a corrosive lubricant.


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## SantaFeJim (Sep 8, 2015)

I have a small problem with zinc rot on my GG1, see if you can spot it.

http://ogrforum.ogaugerr.com/topic/gg1-with-minor-zinc-rot


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## cramden (Oct 13, 2015)

That's funny, but also sad.


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