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Lionel 8042 Tire(s)?

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  • Member since
    August 2007
  • From: North Central Connecticut
  • 320 posts
Lionel 8042 Tire(s)?
Posted by Bob.M on Friday, January 22, 2010 6:17 PM

 When I look underneath, I see 1 tire on the left rear drive wheel.  None of the other wheels have the grooves that modern engines have to help keep the tire in place.

Should there be another?

  • Member since
    November 2003
  • From: The ROMAN Empire State
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Posted by brianel027 on Friday, January 22, 2010 11:36 PM

No. All the smaller Lionel steamers of that period and to date only have one traction tire, so none of the other wheels would have a groove for a traction tire.

If your loco isn't pulling very well, could be as old as the loco is, that it needs a new traction tire. Or if the tire is new, that it needs to be adhered to the wheel so it doesn't slip. Also general maintenace will help performance: lubrication, cleaning the motor brushes. etc.

brianel, Agent 027

"Praise the Lord. I may not have everything I desire, but the Lord has come through for what I need."

  • Member since
    January 2009
  • 1,986 posts
Posted by 8ntruck on Friday, January 22, 2010 11:57 PM

O27 is correct.  Just one tire on these.

I recently went looking through parts lists to see if it might be possible to change the right rear wheel and add a second traction tire.  The motor is only sold as an assembly with wheels, so no new parts are available.  One might be able to scavange parts off of a junker and make the conversion, but it seems like an awful lot of work for a small performance gain.

  • Member since
    August 2007
  • From: North Central Connecticut
  • 320 posts
Posted by Bob.M on Saturday, January 23, 2010 7:51 AM

8ntruck
O27 is correct.  Just one tire on these.

I recently went looking through parts lists to see if it might be possible to change the right rear wheel..

  I consulted a parts list before posting, and it did not show any tire at all. Yes, it showed the motor as one assembly, as if to say: "No user serviceable parts inside" (Don't you just hate that?)

brianel, Agent 027
If your loco isn't pulling very well, ...

It is pulling fine. I was just curious whether one was missing. Although it looks almost identical to the same-era 242, it can pull lots more, even backing them up the coal ramp. In this case it appears to be the weight difference. The lightweight 242 can only pull about 3 to 4 cars.

FWIW, I just looked at my Williams NW-2 Switcher, bought in 2001, and it has 4 rubber tires.

I wonder if my first post was incorrect. It is the left rear if you look at the engine from the front, but isn't it the right rear if you are sitting in the engine cab?

 

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