traction wheels

[James in FL]

No you could not.

Perhaps Roger cannot do this, others have by following the manufacturer's instructions here;
http://www.bullfrogsnot.com/faq.asp

It has been in my case that the wheels do in fact slip within the traction tires, causing the tire to be stretched and thrown. I have yet to burn out a motor from a stalled condition.
Obviously Rogers's mileage varies.

I am not sure why anyone would load a lokie down enough to create a stall condition in the first place.
Seems somewhat foolish to me.

Try the link Len provided and buy the maximum quantity so you will have spares for many years to come.
p/n appears to be #1997

Good luck

[jward]

my experience with these poorly designed locomotives is that, when overloaded, they tend to spin their wheels. the rubber traction tires cause them, to bounce themselves off the rails?

why would anybody overload a lo0comotive? this is obviously a question from a person who has no grades on their layout. if you have upgrades, it is very easy to try to pull more cars than the locomotive can handle. this is especially true if you have many different locomotives, all with different pulling power. on a locomotive without traction tires, this overloading is usually not a problem. solid wheels spin but it causes no damage to them. I'd be much more concerned if they didn't spin as that would indicate a weak motor. if you can't pull the hill, you simply back down, drop off a couple of cars in a siding, and try again. or you add a second locomotive. in both cases, you do what the real ones do.

[rogertra]

No you could not.

Perhaps Roger cannot do this, others have by following the manufacturer's instructions here;
http://www.bullfrogsnot.com/faq.asp

I did not know that, I stand corrected.  

Pulling power and "overloading" locomotives.  

I realise the modelling experience on this forum ranges from the rank beginner, through the tabletop 4 x 8 layout to the basement sized, prototypical model railroad and everything in between.

As many of you know, I class myself as one the latter with a half basement full model railroad that I like to think is modelled and run in a prototypical manner.  Therefore, I'd say I'm not the typical modeller on this forum.

On my model railroad, 20+ car freights are, or will be, the rule.  It is being built to handle them. Therefore, I need to know what I can expect each class/type of steam loco to haul up the future 2% grades to and from staging and possibly a second level.  I established this on my previous model railroad by the simple expedient of taking a loco, starting off with 12 or so cars and sending it up the 2%+ grade from hidden staging to the modelled part of the railway.  I'd add a few cars at a time until the loco stalled, with its wheels spinning.  I then backed it down into staging, reduced the number of cars until the engine could pull the train up the grade without any wheel spin.  I then removed two freight cars and that number of cars became the tonnage rating for that type/class of steam loco.  I didn't bother with diesels as model diesels usually out pull model steam and I always run at least two powered diesels on every freight train.

As I will have hidden grades, it is important that if a locomotive does stall with an overweight train its wheels will spin as I do not want a burnt out motor.  That's why traction tires are bad.  With traction tires the locomotive will just sit there with it's motor stalled and this increases the odds of the motor overloading and burning out.  As in the real railroads, wheel spin prevents damage.

Of course, on a 4 x 8 you won't need to be able to pull 20 car trains and, in fact, on a 4 x 8 traction tires aren't even required.  Just use some modelling skills and add some weight to the engine but again, not so much weight so the wheels will stall if overloaded, they must still be able to spin.

Cheers

Roger T.

[James in FL]

No you could not.

this is obviously a question from a person who has no grades on their layout.

Funny... how what one thinks is what one knows to be true.

To me, stalling and spinning are two different things, but that's opinion for another thread.
The OP asks where, or how, to find replacement traction tires.
Len's reply offers an answer to the questions.

[oldhhobbyreborn]

Thank you James from florida....and remind me not to ask anymore questions in here.....these engines mean alot to me.......they may be junk to others but not me.....parts were ordered and they work fine for as much as they get used......Rember someday.....your prized dc will be old also

[electrical whiz kid]

...As will the rest of us.  Your sentimentality was not previously mentioned, and anyone writing here did so more from a sense of logic and experience than anything else.  I speak-at least-for my self, and anyone else who wants to join in.
To say [that you] will no longer bother with the site is rather short-sighted-but to each his own.

SGT C.

[James in FL]

You're welcome.
The oldest lokie I have that has traction tires is 30 years old still has the original tires on it and runs very well for what it is.  This is an N scale loco mind you.
The first day I owned it, I foolishly overloaded it and it threw a tire.
At that time I didn't know any better.
Was like a teenager driving a car at full speed just to see how fast it will go.
Foolish.
I order spares from Bachmann but have never used them.
This lokie has no monetary value so to speak, but to me it has a special place, as it was a gift from my better half, and will always be treasured.

Don't be discouraged from asking questions here.
Learn to separate the wheat from the chaff.
This has become the norm on this board,
OP asks a question.
A few reply with why you shouldn't do it,
A few reply with what you should do instead,
A few reply with what a piece of junk you have and how mine is so much superior tor yours,
A bunch will go off into thread drift, which has little or nothing to do with the original questions,
A few will brag about what they have, or how smart they perceive themselves to be,
Etc. etc. etc.
And after you have sorted out all that, you will find only a very small few have offered any real help.
Welcome to the boards.

Again don't be discouraged by all this and learn to grow a thick skin.
I wish you the best with those lokies

Good luck and keep posting

[jbrock27]

Nice breakdown Jimmy.
Which category would you put yourself in?

Sarge said it all and best for me and my perspective.  Thank you Sarge.