HO EMD F9 Diesel

[EMDF9]

Can someone tell me if all 4 of the drive wheels should have rubber on them. On our train only the two frontmost wheels have rubber on them. My problem is the locomotive regularly jumps the tracks but everything is level with no rails higher than any other one. 

Also are the drive wheel assemblies available and at what cost ....  I searched the parts site and found no reference for my locomotive....

Thanks in advance

Rob

[simkon]

Contact the service department by phone on Monday to check for the availability of parts.

[Jim Banner]

Sometimes the manufacturer will use only two rubber tires to avoid giving the locomotive too much traction.  Excessive traction can overload the motor and damage it.  So it is possible that your locomotive was designed to have only two rubber tires.  And yes, rubber tires, whether two or four of them are used, can cause more derailing problems.  But rubber tires and off level rails are not the only causes of derailments.  Wheels that are too far apart or rails that are too close together can also force the wheels up out of the track.  The best way to detect this type of problem is with an NMRA track and wheel gauge, available from your local hobby shop.  But by all means check with the service department (phone works better than email) to see if you have the right number of rubber tires first.

How well does your locomotive stay on the track if you turn it end for and end run it backwards? 

Jim

[bobwrgt]

If the drive wheels have groves for the tires they are probably missing. Have you checked to see if the wheels are in gauge with the track. That is the distance the two wheels span. If they are under gauge or over ,that will cause derailments. If the traction tires are missing the empty groves may also causing it to derail. Does it derail in the same place on the track?   Check the front coupler to see if it is hitting the front of the engine or the top of the rails in turns or curves.

Bob