Williams

Not a strange question. When a loco of mine throws a tire, I do not replace it unless

it needs replacing - that is, it affects the engines performance (pulling abilities

on -my- layout under -my- circumstances). I have locos that never had tires - early

Lionel Mohawks, 3rd Rail until some years ago - and they have never needed them.

I dislike the tires, actually. 

In other words, a loco needs traction tires only if it needs traction tires. It does not

harm it to run without the tires.

David: Early Williams did not have traction tires. BUT- later models did. Check if there is a groove cut into one of the drive wheels. Personally, I replace them if missing. They'll run through turnouts a lot easier.  

I'M WITH D500! A TRAIN OF MODERATE LENGTH ON LEVEL TRACK REALLY DOES'NT NEED TRACTION TIRES, THOUGH THEY DO INDEED RUN THROUGH SWITCHES MORE SMOOTHLY! I TOO WISH THE WHEELS DID NOT HAVE TIRES.

Thank you for your responces. They have helped me to figure out the ansewr I have been wondering for awhile. Have a great rest of the week.

David

I have stretched traction tires over non tire-ed wheels on early Williams diesels. It helps avoid the "open differential" effect when the motors are wired in series, especially with the significant weights that the engines are factory equipped with. A drop of CA holds them in place.

There was a thread a while back about traction tires.  After reading that I no longer cared if I did or did not have them.  My K-line tank engine would routinely throw a tire sometimes causing it to derail in a difficult location.  I cut it off and have had no issues at all.  The layout is however mostly flat with a 2.5% grade in one location and the trains are typically short.  I suppose if you wanted to run a long freight up significant grades it would be another matter.

Will the grooved wheels (without the tires) cause damage to the rails? I have solid rail Atlas track.

I don't like traction tires either and am considering running without them rather than replacing.

So far I have not had to replace a Williams traction tire, they just stay on unless you rip them on something. Some of my Williams engines are over 11 years old and never threw a tire.

I would not put traction tires on a Williams engine unless it is to replace a damaged tire.

The older Williams engines made up for the traction tires by having weights put inside them to help hold the track.

There is a problem sometimes with the Williams SD-45's that have traction tires and it is a design problem but can be overcome by replacing the plastic wheelset with metal wheelset. I filed down a set of F-7 flanged wheels and installed them on two of my SD-45's that had the plastic wheels and now they go over switches and accessory activation tracks without stalling. I got the wheels from a power upgrade that I did to an F-7 A unit.

Lee Fritz