MTH Steam Throwing Traction Tires

definitely replace the traction tires on the loco, and clean the track, that should take care of it.

You need new traction tires! I have an MTH steam engine, a Reading Lines T-1, that did the same thing but with less freight cars behind it.

From experience "all attempts to put off buying new tires don't work!" Just break down and buy your new tires.

Lee Fritz

The tires are being taxed beyond their ability to grip the wheel and grip the rails - and

the grip of the rails is winning.

If your tires are older, they are stiffer and will come off. If your train is very heavy,

and the tires are tired (as it were), they will come off. If your tires are new but the

train is too heavy, the tires will come off. If the grades are steep and the train is

heavy....you get the picture. Curves can be as bad as grades.

First, try a little CA (Super Glue) under each tire; no luck? try a shorter train; no luck?

try new tires; no luck? you've gone beyond the equipment's design parameters. The track has nothing to do with it - but if you've gotten oil from a sloppy lube job under the tires, it can contribute.

The main thing that we must remember, though, is that: these are not real trains

and locomotives; they are models, and have their own limits. Don't abuse them.

What Lee said.

The MTH READING T-1 is a great looking Northern.

If you store the engine on the track, the tires can get flat spots that don't help the lifespan.

Not familiar with your engine but I had a Big Boy eating tires. Turned out it had a bad motor so one set of drivers was dragging the other, BAD for traction tires.Since I replaced the motor I've pulled a 58 car consist with no issues. (including PW, Die Cast and old hard dragging cars) 

Many of the cleaning agents are bad for the tires as well, they can break up the chemical bonds in the material.

I clean with alcohol if anything, dry usually works just fine.

Haven't seen dirty track cause tire problems but it's the bane of a good DCS signal.

Thanks for all the responses.  The engine's been sitting for a few years.  I'll drop some of the cars, but also try new tires.

Thanks Charlie! 

I'm looking at getting a second Reading T-1 sometime. I have a Philadelphia & Reading woodside caboose from MTH.

Lee Fritz

I have tried both rubber cement and super glue, at different times, on MTH traction tires with no success, so I just replace the tires when they come off.

Lee Fritz

Hi! My name is John and am the co-ordinator of the Raritan Valley Hi-Railers. I have 2 articulate steam loco's that every once in a while I bring out to run as  coal trains at the Greenberg shows. Both engines are MTH (N&WY6b & Clinchfield 4-6-6-4). I put 85-87 coal cars behind the engine, this count includes a caboose and a water aux. car. Almost half of the cars are die cast while the rest being plastic, with real coal loads in them,(made with real coal, just top portion of car is coal with black insulflex as the base for gluing the coal to). It is a massive sight to see and sometimes I wonder if it's going to pull (the key is to make sure you have slack in each car).

My second time experiance using the same loco's a year later found that the tires came off with the same trains. I came to the conclusion that the rubber stretches along with the smoke fluid fouling things up on the tires & track (slippage). I changed the tires to vinyl, which was a bad idea, then put new rubber on wheels (that wasn't stretched out either). I got the original results, which was great, and have been pleased ever since. I know this was a blessing from God. 

My point is don't skimp, change tires often(you'll know when they come off,or even sooner replace them). I always talk to other people to get their experiances & opinions for solutions. If there is something you want to take away from your challanges, is to learn from them! I hope you are successful and hope others can advise you as well. God Bless!

I had the same problem on my Premier PRR T1 and replaced the tires with Peratex Black silicone sealant and works like a champ with no problems. There was another thread that talked to a replacement for traction tires that I got the idea from.