Found on the tracks ...What is this part?

Might be a spacer for steam loco linkage. Check any steamers to make sure none of the linkage is detactched

Lionel did use sintered steel axle bearings on a few items.  If you are running magne-traction locomotives, that part could have been stuck to the magnet for years, maybe even from the factory.

It looks like a coupler spacer, working on any diesel couplers lately?

--I initially thought this was a bushing/spacer between the driver linkage, but could not find parts missing from the driver linkage of the recently run engines.

--I don't have any magna-traction era equipment; all is modern-era.

--I checked half of the recently run diesels but did not notice missing coupler spacers.

Thanks for the replies.

To add to the available information here's a list of what has been recently run (last 30 days) on this track:

• Lionel Lionmaster T-1 w/ Legacy
• Atlas GP60M w/ TMCC
• Lionel RS11 w/ TMCC
• Williams E-7 A-A
• Williams BL-2

To further add, I checked over the track with a multimeter to see if there were any electrical shorts evident or areas of high resistance, but found none.  I placed the Lionel T-1 back on the track and slowly ran the engine and the engine tripped the breaker in the same spot as before.  After resetting the breaker, I replaced the T-1 with the RS11 and ran that around the track without any problems.

I looked again at the Lionmaster T-1 and noticed that the front driver set seemed extra loose and wobbly.  A closer look of the front driver set showed that the screw was almost completely backed out (see photos below).  The one wheel from the front driver and the truck's pickup roller showed slight marking from the electrical short arc.  Can the part pictured above be part of this Lionmaster T-1's truck/motor assembly?

I am hoping not to have to remove the T-1's shell, but I have a feeling that is not meant to be...

I keep a gondola handy for the odds and ends I find around the layout. This way, when I see something is amiss, I look into the gondola and usually match what I found with what is wrong. The key: patience. Mark

Well as far as the T-1, It looks like the roller assembly would touch the screw head on a bumpy piece of track. Nothing is missing so tighten the screw and see if that helps.

The ring still looks like a coupler spacer from a tender or diesel.

Not a bad idea to walk your track every now and then with a magnet . It's got to be a spacer but with no wear marks top or bottom whatever it's for doesn't have much movement .

David

LOL, too bad I can't find some money laying amongst the tracks, but if I did ...it probably would only be worth 1/48th of the printed value and could only be used to purchase goods from the businesses located on the layout.

I am tending to think it is a spacer of some sort.  There is some minor wear, in which the black finish is worn displaying the silver/gray metal base.  The wear marks look like it slid from side to side.

There was enough movement of the p/u roller to come in contact with the top of the screw head.  I tightened the screw, but it seemed as though the screw would not fully secure (I did not want to risk stripping the screw head).  I might add a drop of loc-tite if it backs out again and in the meantime place a small piece of electrical tape on the screw head.

Tonight, I'll continue to check my other couplers for missing parts as well as try the T-1 around the loop again.

Thanks to all who responded.

For your T1, I recommend some blue Locktite for the truck mounting screws.  They have a habit of backing out, mine did the same thing.

Thanks for the advice.  I was out of Locktite and for a quick fix briefly considered using a dab of my wife's nail polish on a couple of threads near the screw head to help hold it in place.

That's why I made a magnet car to run the lines every so often.

You'd be surprised what you can come up with.

Check with Jeff Kane the LIonel parts guy "The Train Tender"  Jeff has thousands of Lionel parts if anyone can recognize this item it will be him.

Paul Edgar

I tightened the screw, but it seemed as though the screw would not fully secure (I did not want to risk stripping the screw head).  

Chances are the screw won't tighten because there's a nut inside and it's turning with the screw. Nine times out of ten when I have to tighten a screw on the bottom of a locomotive I have to take the engine apart to get at a nut on top. It could well be that your mystery spacer came from inside the engine, although I can't guess what it might be.  If I were in your position I would definitely pull the boiler and see what's in there. I wouldn't be a bit surprised if that spacer is part of the pivot assembly for the front set of drivers.

There isn't a nut on the other side of that screw in the Lionmaster T-1 truck, I have the same locomotive in the Legacy version.  That holds the motor to the truck, and is somewhat infamous for backing out.

It fell into the house. Magne-Traction (or a fluctuation in Earth's magnetic fields) pulled it onto the layout. The T-1 pushed it between the rails. Mystery solved. Next question (or situation)!