I have an older williams f3 both As are powered. 4 motors altogether. They were before rubber tires were put on. My question is there a way to add any tires to them?
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Not easily. Wheels designed for traction tires have a groove for them to seat into.
@Ccriss posted:I have an older williams f3 both As are powered. 4 motors altogether. They were before rubber tires were put on. My question is there a way to add any tires to them?
I would imagine your 4-motored F3s have plenty of power on their own, so I have to ask:
Why? Traction tires are a PITA, and not needed for the most part.
Just curious, mind you...
Mark in Oregon
Thank you, that is exactly what I will do Rob.
Can you post a photo Charlie? Before Williams brought out their 'Golden Memories' F3s in Lionel's iconic PW F3s they had a line of F7s from older Kusan tooling. They didn't have the grooved wheels yet but I thought all the F3's did. Could be 'old memory cells' too!
@Strummer posted:I would imagine your 4-motored F3s have plenty of power on their own, so I have to ask:
Why? Traction tires a PITA, and not needed for the most part.
Just curious, mind you...
Mark in Oregon
I would tend to agree. I tend to leave traction tires off my locos after they fly away. Mind you, I am not trying to pull Every Boxcar Ever Made, either. Most people aren't.
A traction tire (an electrical insulator) can also cause problems over switches and the like. It's usually the center-rail pickup, but not always, and tires can lead to chasing down the wrong rabbit hole. I know.
I inquired about MTH tires/sizes/availability a month back, got good response from several on here, heard from an MTH worker.
I wanted to run the Chessie Steam Special on a friends Christmas layout...I tried it a week prior, but as soon as I ran the Chessie, the offending tire rode off, kept getting caught in the drive gear and killing any attempts to pull cars.
Before I ordered them, (I will still do so this month) a week later, I decided to take it over again, cut the offending tire off, and see if it ran that way. Went around the loop fine.
Put it on the line with about 9 cars that his 1952 diesel was pulling and took that engine off.... added power, and the MTH pulled those fine even around all the curves. Would have run all day, though lopsided due to me leaving the tire on the other side. (no reason to cut it off, it worked fine.)
Just a simple observation about traction on my part, no real scientific input here. Greg
In a recent post someone mentioned adding weight to a locomotive to improve its pulling power. That sounds easier than replacing wheels with ones grooved out for traction tires. Added weight is rather "maintenance-free".
Rich
Thank you all for the input. I have learned quite a lot thanks to you all.
What vintage are your Williams F3s? Do they have can motors and flywheels?
I remember the early Williams diesel trucks looking like the ones in ADCX Rob's post. A large, flat Zamac surface with in-board rollers mounted on springs. And the Williams diesels I messed with in the early-to-mid 1990s had four rubber tires from the factory. Yours look almost like Lionel trucks, except for the shiny pickup roller instead of a powdered iron one typically used by Lionel.
Agree with others that unless you have steep grades, etc., tires aren't needed.
A picture of the top of this engine might be useful. Those look like old Williams F7 trucks.
Definitely a early Williams F7 from the 1980s
If you're looking at getting some traction, get a jar of this!!!! Good Luck
Bullfrog SNOT :: The Performance Improvement YOU Can Install
@stubbsO posted:If you're looking at getting some traction, get a jar of this!!!! Good Luck...
Does this work on wheels that do not have the tire groove cut in them?
@ADCX Rob posted:Does this work on wheels that do not have the tire groove cut in them?
Yes sir, that's what I think it was made for. It even works with traction tires too! I've used it on some HO's and is currently on a Lionel 520 box cab, there's tons of youtube vids so check them out, just search "bullfrog snot". Don't forget to read the FAQ page. Good Luck
@stubbsO posted:If you're looking at getting some traction, get a jar of this!!!! Good Luck
Bullfrog SNOT :: The Performance Improvement YOU Can Install
This stuff has been discussed frequently on the forum. It’s a sloppy application that’s difficult to apply and takes practice, especially on ungrooved wheels. Also, it causes the same problem as putting traction tires on ungrooved wheels.
Some people say it’s worth the effort. Not everyone agrees. I prefer properly fitted traction tires, or none at all — which is my choice for the locomotive mentioned in this thread.
@stubbsO posted:Yes sir, that's what I think it was made for... Good Luck
Not going to do it if I need luck.
@Jim R. posted:It’s a sloppy application that’s difficult to apply and takes practice, ...
I'd agree. Can't see how putting it on a wheel tread would ever go smoothly... literally.
@Jim R. posted:...causes the same problem as putting traction tires on ungrooved wheels...
That, I have experience with. The 222-108 tire works OK, but the poly tires work perfectly.
Throw some money at them! A roll or 4 of nickels or pennies, or even some random scrap steel from the garage will add lots of weight. I've filled square tube with bb's before for the O27 Lionel Lines FA - that was really heavy.
