Hi all, I just purchased a brand new loco on ebay, A Proto 2000 8000 series with the bronze colored wheels, not the silvery ones. All the wheels had a dark coating but no sign of running wear, just a even brown that I cleaned off. It is new old stock. Is it just bronze oxidation from sitting for so long?
That coating is doen to get rid of the shiny wheels and it is electrically conductive. After extensive running, it will wear of the treads. However, I always assumed that coating as it weared off must have worn off ONTO the track. I always do a pre-emptive strike and polish them up by hand before being placed into service. I do the same with blackened freight car wheels as well.
Mark.
¡ uʍop ǝpısdn sı ǝɹnʇɐuƃıs ʎɯ 'dlǝɥ
I believe a lot of manufactures chemically backed their wheels to make them more realistic. 'Chemically Cleveland's seems to be a bit of a selling point. If this is the case the loco should still run fine.
Otherwise it could have been a weird reaction to the air. Yes it was in its box but a little air gets into the box. After 15 years (about the last time P2K locos were made) of molecules coloring with the loco that could have caused some sort of reaction.
Regards, Isaac
I model my railroad and you model yours! I model my way and you model yours!
Mister Mikado Is it just bronze oxidation from sitting for so long?
I have a drawer with approximately 100 Proto axle/wheel parts that I keep on hand for the maintenance of my ageing fleet of Proto locos.
There are lots of variations of the finishes from bright, shiny silver look to more of a "platinum" gray/blue look to the "bronze stain" look you refer to.
My take on it is the manufacturer probably soaked these wheels in baskets in the chemical "darkening solution" probably in large batches. Some of the solution probably didn't get rinsed off completely and continued to etch or the batches varied from lot-to-lot and got mixed in with other stock in the assembly process.
When I do a session of truck renewal and grar replacement I sometimes match them up but I don't pay too much attention to the color since I paint the wheel faces in the weathering process anyway.
Proto_gear-2 by Edmund, on Flickr
Good Luck, Ed
I would just like to know what a Proto2000 8000 series is.........
ATLANTIC CENTRAL I would just like to know what a Proto2000 8000 series is.........
Proto 2000 e8/9 stock number 81xx -OP
Mister Mikado ATLANTIC CENTRAL I would just like to know what a Proto2000 8000 series is......... Proto 2000 e8/9 stock number 81xx -OP
OK, the E8 part would have helped a lot. It may be new in the box, but it is about 18 or 20 years old.........maybe older?
Sheldon