parts for 44 ton switcher

[speeddemon5]

ok to go one step further,i used to do quite a bit of "model railroading" bk in the 70's and 80's....so i have been 'out of touch' with trains for a very long time. i do have some older locos from that era from various mfgr's...and i do remember them having traction tires. i looked at a pic of a new powered truck for my 41-0804-14 bachmann switcher.....i do not see traction tires there illustrated...did they in fact use them? this slipping condition is new experience for me.. the bf snot DID in fact  improve another small RSO switcher.....and as i stated in other posts...i use a 'pulse power' powerpack because i like that creeping start,like real life. this loco  slips with or without cars...any help apppreciated.

[Doneldon]

speedy-

I don't think the Bman 44-tonner ever had traction tires. It was never intended to be more than an industrial switcher or perhaps a switcher for a small yard or hostler.

The wheels for traction tires are different from regular wheels in that they have a groove in the tread where the tire sits. The tires would quickly come off of the wheel without these grooves so you cannot add traction tires to your 44-tonner unless you can either find comparable wheels with grooves or can machine grooves in your existing wheels. I'm not sure either endeavor would be worth the effort; you'd still have a small, light, low-powered unit. You could add some weight but, at some point, that small motor will have trouble moving a heavy engine with a train and traction tires.
                                                                                                                                                         -- D

[Ken G Price]

I use DCC and also have a MRC DC power pack from the early 1970's for testing engines before installing a decoder.
It has pulse power and works as good as ever.
I have no slipping with any engine I have run on it.
So I have to think it may be the power pack is going bonkers.
Do you have an other power pack to try?
If so and you get the same results then you have Gremlins.

[speeddemon5]

thanks for the suggestions...as i wrote in another post yesterday,i found the front powered truck was dead...due to a disconnected wire! nothing will stop a dual motored unit like a motor that is not running! seek and ye shall find. ;)no need for traction tires now as i will only use it as a small freight switcher!! and yes,i know there should be grooves in original wheels,thats what had me wondering!!

[JerryB]

speeddemon5:

You originally reported that your two AHM engines as well as your Bachmann engines were all slipping on the EZ Track.

What was the resolution to the other engines slipping? Is there still a problem with EZ Track? How did you get all the other engines to work?

Inquiring minds want to know.

Happy RRing,

Jerry

[speeddemon5]

hi Jerry, i thought i posted this already but i do not see it here. i applied bullfrog snot traction maker to the ahm locos, now they seem to pull normally. one thing i did notice however, the flanges on the wheels of those older ahm locos are very tall....much larger than the bachmann 44 tonner wheel flanges,..i am curious now if they are in fact so deep into the track,that they are 'bottoming out' on the ties.has anyone ever noticed this? or am i shootin in the dark?

[richg]

hi Jerry, i thought i posted this already but i do not see it here. i applied bullfrog snot traction maker to the ahm locos, now they seem to pull normally. one thing i did notice however, the flanges on the wheels of those older ahm locos are very tall....much larger than the bachmann 44 tonner wheel flanges,..i am curious now if they are in fact so deep into the track,that they are 'bottoming out' on the ties.has anyone ever noticed this? or am i shootin in the dark?

The tall flange issue is as old as the hills and I am over seventy.
Those old ones were made for code 100 track. Many grind down the flanges.
Do a Google search for grinding down locomotive flanges is a suggestion.
Years ago when smaller size code rails came into being, many did grind down the flanges with a Dremel, lathe, electric drill and file, etc.
Don't run into this discussion much anymore

With the motor, I found my old two motor 44 ton, one brush would hang up. Touch it with a fine tip jewelers screwdriver and the brush would make contact for a while. I figured that out when it first happened as I used my multimeter to check the motor continuity after it stopped working. I had continuity so I knew the motor was ok. The meter probe tip pushed the brush back into contact with the armature. Put it back on the track and good for a few hours.

Rich