Would you like to see an optional wheelset without traction tires for MTH/ Lionel 3rl engines that you can install.
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I'd love to have easy manufacturer options for my Lionel, MTH and etc to have grooveless wheels with Magne-Traction instead of traction tires.
Too late for me, as I'm fairly over-stocked and won't be buying much anymore, but, yes - I dislike traction tires on high-end equipment. I don't care what they put on the low-end and toys.
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Years ago, I seem to recall 3rd Rail resisting the traction-tire feature and offering locos with "carbon steel" tires. My PRR L1 2-10-4 had these tires. The idea was that carbon steel is not very slick and will give good rail adhesion - and be more appropriate for a scale loco - plus there was no possible common-side circuit problem that soft tires can cause.
They worked well on GG track; I imagine that they were less effective on those 10% toy grades than soft tires, but guys who run 3-rail scale typically don't have that sort of layout.
Just pull the wheel with the tire and put a stock wheel on. Traction tires are much better than magna traction ever was. Not hard to do.
As marty says..with premier engines i removed all my traction gear driven axles for solid gear driven ones. I probably have 20(traction) of them just sitting in a box. Railking can't be changed unless you have the proper wheel puller i believe.
I'll stick to changing tires when they wear out. Much better traction and pulling power. Not hard to put new ones on.
WeberCanyon4014 posted:I'll stick to changing tires when they wear out. Much better traction and pulling power. Not hard to put new ones on.
Above good advice but with me i got 5 powered engines mu'd...traction a non issue
Heck yes I would like to see this!! Of course MTH would have to retool all their steam loco chassis, and Lionel most of theirs as well :-(
Marty is a service tech with great skill and experience (not to mention comprehensive knowledge of, and access to parts.) For us mere mortals, pulling a Premier or Railking steam loco wheel and pressing another one on IN QUARTER is a daunting task.
What really burns me, is that the manufacturers know better. When MTH made the jump into HO scale, their steam locos had this feature from the very beginning. I guess they assume O scalers don't know better, or "they'll buy it anyway." By my count, in the last 25 years there's not even ONE can-motored steam loco in O scale that can be easily configured to run without rubber tires. C'mon, build a better mousetrap people!!!
No. I'll pick traction tires every time. They wear out you replace them. Not rocket science.
