Railway Tool Maintenance: A Mechanic's Guide to Fewer Breakdowns

By the Backtrack Team

At Backtrack, we repair a lot of tools — and after three decades of it, we can tell you that most of what comes across the bench didn’t have to break. A handful of simple habits, the kind every seasoned mechanic knows, keep Maintenance-of-Way tools running and out of the shop. Here’s what we tell our own customers.

Fuel and the change of seasons

The single most common spring headache is stale gas. A gas-powered tool that sat all winter with fuel in the tank will fight you when you try to start it. The fix happens in the fall: run your gas tools until they’re dry, then store them with an empty tank. Come spring, start on fresh gas — not last year’s jerry can — and if it’s a two-stroke, mix that fresh fuel with the proper two-stroke oil. Starting the season on a clean, fresh supply eliminates a surprising number of no-start problems before they happen.

Storing tools over winter

If larger tools and engines have to sit outside, protect them from the weather and from pests. Cover the muffler, and block any opening where a rodent could crawl in and nest — that kind of damage is common and completely avoidable. Ideally, wrap engines in canvas or plastic to keep rain and snow off. And spray any exposed metal with a light lubricant to hold off rust over the winter, paying special attention to long chrome surfaces like the puller rods on a rail puller.

Everyday checks that prevent big repairs

A lot of shop visits start as something small a crew could have caught in the field. As you use your tools, keep an eye out for loose nuts and bolts and snug them up. Belts — on rail saws, for example — work loose over time and need occasional adjustment. And abrasive debris builds up inside blade guards; scrape it out periodically so it isn’t grinding away where it shouldn’t. None of this takes long, and all of it saves downtime.

Keep it greased

Tools that call for grease need it checked on a schedule, especially hydraulic and gas impact wrenches. As a general rule of thumb, regrease the anvil and hammer roughly every 25 hours of use with a proper molybdenum-disulfide grease. A tool run dry wears fast and fails early. If you’re not sure of the right interval or grease for your specific model, contact us — we’ll give you the manufacturer’s spec.

Get the two-stroke mix right

Fuel mixture matters more than most people think, and getting it wrong causes real downtime. Too rich — too much oil — builds carbon, blocks the muffler, and leaves the tool sluggish and down on power. Too lean — not enough oil — is worse: the piston and cylinder run too hot, and that heat causes wear and damage. Mix to the manufacturer’s ratio with fresh fuel, every time.

Hydraulic tools live and die by cleanliness

With hydraulic tools, the most important thing you can do is keep dirt out of the system — contamination is the number-one killer. Before you connect hydraulic couplers, wipe them clean; a dirty coupler pushes grit straight into the system. Check the screen and filter on the tank’s filler, and if it’s damaged, replace it before you pour oil in — a torn screen is an open door for debris. And make sure there’s no water in your hydraulic oil when you fill a power unit, because whatever goes into that power pack goes into every tool running off it. Keep it clean, service it regularly, and the whole fleet stays reliable.

Sockets: replace the cheap part before it kills the expensive one

Here’s one that costs crews real money. A worn, sloppy impact socket doesn’t just do a poor job — it wears out the anvil on your impact wrench, and the anvil is worth many times what a socket costs. When your sockets start looking worn and sloppy, dispose of them and fit new ones. You’ll extend the life of a far more expensive tool and skip the downtime of getting it rebuilt.

A couple of tool-specific notes

Rail saw blades should be kept dry and free of oil, which helps avoid damage and breakage — and don’t stack them too high. Rail drills use coolant, and straight water will rust the tool; use the manufacturer’s specified coolant instead to protect it.

Transporting tools without damaging them

Give your tools a safe, dedicated spot on the truck where nothing gets piled on top of them. A lot of modern tools use plastic components to keep them light and easy to handle, and that makes them vulnerable to crush and impact damage in transit. A case or box is ideal; if you don’t have one, at least set aside a protected place so they arrive at the job in the same shape they left the shop.

Measuring gear: keep it cased and calibrated

Roadmasters rely on precise, delicate measuring equipment, and it’s worth treating that way — keep it in its case between uses. If you ever have doubt about whether a gauge is still reading accurately, don’t guess. Bring it in and we’ll calibrate it, so the numbers your crew is working to are the right ones.

When in doubt, call us

If you’re ever unsure which lubricant to use, what the right operating procedure is, or you simply don’t have the operator’s manual handy, contact your nearest Backtrack location. We’ll give you the specifications, the correct lubricants and quantities, and the right way to do the job. And when a tool does need more than field maintenance, our factory-authorized shops handle repairs, rebuilds, and warranty work at all five of our Canadian locations. Learn about our repair & service or find your nearest location.