Traction tires

[rondon47]

Anybody else having problems with the traction tires on the 2-6-0 or any of the other Bachmann steamers?  I ran mine around the club layout a couple times and one of the tires came off.  Are there tires available and are they as hard to put on as they look?  thanks.

[gatrhumpy]

I have not had issues with them, but yes, they're somewhat difficult to replaced because you have to remove the side rods from the drivers to replace them.

[skipgear]

Most of the current Bachmann loco's are very easy to replace traction tires on. The side rods are generally not attached to the driver with a traction tire. Although not always true, many of them are designed that way.

As far as traction tires coming off, most of the time it seems to be from people having the bad habit of sliding the locomotive on the rails when placing on the track. Any loco with traction tires, especially steam, should not be slid on the rails to re-rail it. Pick it up and place it on the rails. Sliding a loco with traction tires tends to stretch them and roll them off of the rims.

[rondon47]

Thanks for the replies.  I don't scoot nscale locos on the track either.  The traction tire came off while the loco was running for only the second time on the tract.  The tires are very thin and I have yet to find a replacement.  I guess Bullfrog snot is my next alternative.

[brokemoto]

Stewart/Virnex sells universal traction tyres for N scale steam locomotives.  The Walthers catalogue used to have them listed, but I have not checked lately.

For larger drivers, you will need to stretch them, but for the smaller drivers, such as those on the B-mann 2-6-0 or USRA 0-6-0, it should not be necessary.

WARNING:  If you do stretch the tyres, do so,slowly and gradually, or they will break.  I have put them on cylindrical objects of gradually increasing size.  I put it onto the larger cylindrical object, let it it sit for a day, then find a larger one until it is close to the driver size.  I have done this for the Con-Cor hudson and Rivarossi USRA pacific (both light and heavy have the same size drivers).

[kmcsjr]

Bmann lists 5 and 6mm traction tires under steam loco parts

[rondon47]

Thanks for the info on the traction tires.  The 5mm are too small, this is a new locomotive.  The 6mm tires are always sold out.  I guess lots of folks are having traction tire problems.  Maybe I could just send the loco back to Bachmann and have them replaced if I can't get them anywhere else.  Again, thanks for the replies.

[Ken G Price]

Bull Frog Snot seems like the solution. It will give you an instant fix.
Then you will have it for any other engine wheels that needs it.