Driver Life for HO Spectrum Engines

[Pacific Northern]

I was reading various postings at the Yahoo-Brass Collectors site and ran across someone who was comparing brass engines to plastic engines.

The poster mentioned that after 22 hours of running various steam engines non-stop for 4 hour intervals up a 2 1/2% grade that the brass engines had little to no wear.

However, the plastic engines had heavy wear on their drivers. The engine he was referring to was the Bachmann Spectrum Consolidation 2-8-0.

I find this hard to believe, I have a few Spectrum engines with more accumulated hours on the layout (I would estimate at least 35 hours) and there is little wear on the drivers of these engines. I am referring to two Spectrum 4-6-0's, two Spectrum 2-8-0's and both a heavy and a light Spectrum Mountain engines.

All of these engines have some wear on their drivers but not anywhere near substantial/heavy wear.

I wonder why his Bachmann engines are experiencing such heavy wear after that much use.

Here is the link, but you have to be a member

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/brasscollectors/message/10074

Has anyone run their Spectrum Steamers to the degree there is heavy wear on the drivers? At what point would they need replacement?

[richg]

I am suspecting driver slippage. No mention of that issue if it exist on the Bachmann locos on the layout display.
I have read in the past about driver slippage on continuously running plastic trains. Cannot remember where i saw the issue, though.
Brass locos are heavier and not as susceptible to driver slippage. Real locos drivers did not like driver slippage.

Rich

[WoundedBear]

I have Shays and 4-6-0's with probably five times as many hours. I had a good look at the drivers on those units of mine.....there's a pattern of discoloration where she rides, but nothing that I would be concerned about.....and certainly nothing that could be classed as "heavy wear".

The pattern I see is more of a "polishing" caused by rail contact.....I would expect that to be normal. It looks no different than the pattern I see on freight car wheels.

I think the guy is a fruitloop trying to justify his investment in brass, so he runs down the "plastic" models.

Sid

[WoundedBear]

As a footnote......

He's also wrong about no parts being available for the Two Truck Climax model...........I spoke to service 2 weeks ago and they assured me that the gears and driveline parts they show in stock for the Climax model fit both the 2 and 3 truck versions.

I put in an order on the 31st of January for an assortment of everything available......I should have enough spare parts to keep the Climax fleet running for years.

Sid

[Doneldon]

PacNo-

I'm guessing that the poster either had a loco which had spent its life spinning its wheels or his/her definition of heavy wear is significantly
different that what the rest of humanity uses. I can certainly believe evidence of having been run showing up on a loco with 22 hours
but not heavy wear or anything close to it.

                                                                     -- D

[on30gn15]

I wonder why his Bachmann engines are experiencing such heavy wear after that much use.

Are they being used to pull the same 35 pound train his brassies are pulling?