Wear on my HO F7A truck

[DougInCal]

While researching "traction tires" mentioned in the topic "Tool for loading cars on track", I also checked my lokies to see if they had traction tires, and I saw some wear.  Is this typical, or am I just a "lucky" newbie?  I am wondering if this would be caused during any derailments.

You can right click on the image and "copy image location", paste into a browser to get greater detail, 1600 x 1200.

[Jerrys HO]

Doug if you have any re railer's  this is where those marks are coming from. If you put the loco on a regular piece of track you will see nothing close to the bottom of the loco, now put it on the re railer and you will notice it rubs. This is normal but if you wish you can file it down a little but not necessary.

[jbrock27]

Like Jerry said Dougie this is normal.  This loco does not have traction tires.  I don't know of any modern day DCC equipped diesel locos that have traction tires; this was an old time thing and I for one, am glad it got left in the past.

Where exactly on the track is your derailing occurring? Bachmann rereailers have been known to have their issues (doing some research here will disclose that).

BTW, one of the best ways to clean dirt and gunk off your loco wheels is to spray some WD-40 or PB Blaster on a paper towel and put it on a straight section of track.  Then, run one set of trucks on the track and the other set over the paper towel on the tracks.  Hold it in place while you put power to the track.  You will see the junk come off on the paper towel.  Then do the other truck.

[DougInCal]

Thanks for the info on the underside of the loco.  I really haven't had that much of a problem with the locos derailing, but I wasn't able to think of anything else.  I wouldn't have thought of the rerailers. 

I do have rerailers, one for each of the loops in my folded fig 8.  Originally, the second one was for power for the second, separate oval, which was recently joined to the other oval with a 30 deg crossing.  The 30 deg crossing in HO is a lot noisier than the N scale, so maybe there is some rubbing there as well.

BTW, one of the best ways to clean dirt and gunk off your loco wheels is to spray some WD-40 ...

Okay, I get the hint .  I think a R/R store owner mentioned something like your tip on cleaning the wheels.  Although she hadn't seen my HO loco, I may have mentioned that I used to have a lot of slowdowns on my ovals. 

Years ago, when I first bought my HO kits I wasn't able to get the tracks clean so I finally put it all away, for about nine years.  Recently, I purchased 70% Isopropyl Alcohol Wipes for my N scale tracks and they worked well, so out came the HO gear and those tracks received a good cleaning, as well.

Will these wipes be okay for use with the wheel cleaning technique you mentioned?

[jbrock27]

I never used them, but you could try them Doug but I don't like Isopropyl at that % bc I find it leaves some residue.   To clean track I use either a softer track cleaning block, Denatured alcohol or Wahl's Clipper oil.  What kind of track did you have a hard time keeping clean?  Was it steel?

[DougInCal]

I ran the locos over the wipe, and really came up with a lot of junk.  I also hit the rails again, and picked up junk there also.  Seems to build up quickly.  Does this happen to large layouts as well?

I have seen various opinions about cleaners in various forums, so I decided to try the Isopropyl alcohol.  I tried an "eraser", before putting the HO away, and that did not help.   

All of the track, N and HO, is Bachmann nickel/silver.

[jbrock27]

What kind of "eraser" did you try Doug?

You have had you track laid out on carpet, correct?

The degree of cleaning necessary to keep locos running well, depends on type of track (rails) used and enviormental factors; not so much size, outside of the obvious that when there is more track, there is more track to clean, when it needs cleaning.

[rogertra]

Never, ever lay track on carpet, never.

Did I say laying track on carpet was a bad idea?  I've known that since I was 10 years old.  Never lay track on carpet.  Used to come as a warning on Hornby Dublo models back in the early 1960s, Bachmann should put a warning on all their models as well.

Carpets are dusty, even well vacuumed carpets are dusty and that dirt and dust will get drawn up into the gears, motors, journal boxes, etc., etc., of your locos and rolling stock.

Really bad idea laying track on carpet.

Cheers

Roger T.

[jbrock27]

I will wait for answers to my questions to Dougie, but what does this look like to you Roger?

...I currently rebuilt my setup as two ovals with a trestle.  The outer oval has additional 9" straights at the ends of the oval to make it work around the inner oval.  This is what it looked like at my last apartment before I put it away:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/51625787@N00/16490381228/in/photostream/lightbox/

BTW, while not at all advocating for running track on carpet, I do so, with EZ track at Christmas time, around the tree.  It is a down for a short time, gets cleaned when it needs to, as well as loco wheels, no big deal.

[DougInCal]

I don't recall the name of the track eraser, but it did seem a bit "gritty", so I didn't use it very much.  It really wasn't effective, especially compared to the wipes that I have been using.

The HO ovals were converted to an folded fig 8 using a 30 deg crossing and using a few of the trestles, no longer going over the other track.  Yes it is still on the carpet.  I do take the points made about having the track on the carpet.  I don't know exactly what I will be doing with the HO, as I plan to build my first layout using the N scale equipment.

[jbrock27]

While I am not a fan of the "gritty" style track cleaning blocks because I think they can create slight scratches in the rail tops, I have to say what you report is very strange bc they do an excellent job of cleaning gunk off the rails.  Were you perhaps not using it properly?

When you have the track on carpet, you are going to have to expect it is going to get dirty faster than if it was not on carpet.

[DougInCal]

I stopped using the "eraser" before I put the HO set away, about 9 years ago.  I am happy with the Isopropyl wipes, so far.

When you have the track on carpet, you are going to have to expect it is going to get dirty faster than if it was not on carpet.

I think I agree with this, just from the short time that I have had the HO on the carpet  The N scale is on a 2' x 4' table, and recently I put a rug under the tracks to reduce the noise.  The need for cleaning is much less.

[Len]

Another thing that can cause to crud up fast is plastic wheels on the rolling stock. If any of your HO cars have plastic wheels, changing them out for metal ones will help.

Len

[jbrock27]

Agree

[Jerrys HO]

Not only dust and dirt from carpets, you ever tried removing carpet fibers from around the wheelsets and gear shafts  .