Tire replacement with Green Frog stuff

With the model up-side-down, in a soft cradle, use a small power supply to run the model very slowly, so that the Bull Frog Snot can be applied lightly, when the wheels turn a 1/4 turn at a time. After the "snot" sets for about a half hour or so, then apply a second layer. Repeat multiple times until there is sufficient "snot" filling the tire groove. At least that's how I have done it previously.

I use Green Frog Snot also for a number of applications, it's really good stuff. But when filling tire groves I prefer to use silicon sealer, let it dry overnight and then cap it off with a coating of snot. The Silicon works fine but I  think GFS provides a more durable running surface.

When applying you silicon have the engine upside down in a soft cradle, take a flat head screwdriver that's about the size of the wheel width and with a small amount on the tip of your screwdriver apply to the tire grove with the engine running slowly.

smooth seal flush to the surface of the tire grove and clean excess carefully.

GFS has to be applied in very thin coats. This process can be very time consuming considering that it has to go on thin layers and takes time to dry each coat.

My "secret" is using traction tires.

Hey John, for such a smart guy sometimes you can be a real simpleton!

I tried the "green goo" once, and I was not impressed.  Also, I had it for a couple of months and someone came over and wanted to try it, I opened the jar and it was a solid mass, it totally tried out in a sealed jar after on use!  Sorry, I stick to tires, they last a long time for me and it's what the locomotive was designed for.  For replacing traction tires, you need to fill the groove first, so the two-step process with some sort of RTV has to happen first.  Way too much drama for something as simple as traction tires.

I confess, the one place I'd like to use something else if it was more permanent is something like the Vision Line PRR CC2S 0-8-8-0.  Those traction tires are on the wheel next to the cylinders, and for all four tires, you have to remove ALL the rods to replace the tires!  What a major PITA that is!.  It's also why mine doesn't have traction tires right now.

Hot Water posted:

With the model up-side-down, in a soft cradle, use a small power supply to run the model very slowly, so that the Bull Frog Snot can be applied lightly, when the wheels turn a 1/4 turn at a time. After the "snot" sets for about a half hour or so, then apply a second layer. Repeat multiple times until there is sufficient "snot" filling the tire groove. At least that's how I have done it previously.

Sounds a lot easier than replacing these tires on the MTH Cab Forward.  Don't see how to do them without almost total disassemble of the locomotive, so this looks a LOT easier!  How long do these new "tires" last?

Kerrigan posted:

Hot Water posted:

With the model up-side-down, in a soft cradle, use a small power supply to run the model very slowly, so that the Bull Frog Snot can be applied lightly, when the wheels turn a 1/4 turn at a time. After the "snot" sets for about a half hour or so, then apply a second layer. Repeat multiple times until there is sufficient "snot" filling the tire groove. At least that's how I have done it previously.

Sounds a lot easier than replacing these tires on the MTH Cab Forward.  Don't see how to do them without almost total disassemble of the locomotive, so this looks a LOT easier!  How long do these new "tires" last?

I would think it depends on how much you run them.

Hot Water posted:

Kerrigan posted:

Hot Water posted:

With the model up-side-down, in a soft cradle, use a small power supply to run the model very slowly, so that the Bull Frog Snot can be applied lightly, when the wheels turn a 1/4 turn at a time. After the "snot" sets for about a half hour or so, then apply a second layer. Repeat multiple times until there is sufficient "snot" filling the tire groove. At least that's how I have done it previously.

Sounds a lot easier than replacing these tires on the MTH Cab Forward.  Don't see how to do them without almost total disassemble of the locomotive, so this looks a LOT easier!  How long do these new "tires" last?

I would think it depends on how much you run them.

Comparing them side to side, which lasts longer in your experience?  I'm finding more traction tires line-side these days.  Most off diesels.

I use rubber cement to adhere the traction tires to the wheels. Keeps them on, yet with a little effort you can remove them and clean if needed. Been doing it for years with little to no traction tire failure.

Been searching for the magic traction tire since I bought my first Williams brass loco back in the eighties. Unable to get more than a year out of Williams tires on a PRR K4 and being such a pain to pull the rods and all,  I decided to try and find a workable alternative solution. The first workable solution I found was to lightly rough up the groove in the driver with a emery-board cut to the width of the groove.  I then used the long nozzle on a tube of liquid rubber with a 1/16" hole in the tip to squeeze a bead of the rubber into the groove while the wheels were turning. I then made some little squeegees out of plastic milk jugs and with the wheels still turning used the squeegees to skin the liquid rubber flush with the outer diameter of the wheel. The stuff shrinks a bit while curing so two or three days later I added a second coat.  There after every three, four years I take the 1/8" wide emery board and hold it against the rubber in the groove and just break the surface glaze then I used a brush to lay down another fresh coat and squeegeed it flush with the outer diameter of the wheel. No pulling the rods, the locos pull fine and it seems a good bit more permanent than factory tires. Certainly easier than pulling the rods and gluing new tires on.   I plan to try Flex Seal next time I have to repair traction tires.  Does anyone remember AMT trains made in the fifties ?  Their diesels had tires about 3/32" thick.  I have some of these still running/pulling fine after 60 years. No flat tires so to speak. All in all I would rather have a caboose with 40 lb of lead shot inside than have to deal with the traction tires on our current locomotives.