Well I ran the wheels off of my Locomotive

[Anonymous]

I was testing out my experimental layout with an old AHM Alco Diesel and the wheels wore out.

They seem to be a composite of metal with a rubber core. The metal wore off when I stress tested the tracks and engine by letting it make some circles with about 8 or 9 cars behind it.

I should point out that these were mostly old Tyco cars so I could track derailments.

The train did get many squeals of delight from my three boys when it went by them.

Anyone else ever do this? IF so what do I need to look for as a cause?

Thanks

DT

[Anonymous]

That's an odd one! I've heard of rubber traction tyres becoming stretched or otherwise damaged due to hauling long heavy trains, but never the metal wheels being damaged. You sure it was the metal that wore off? The traction tyres (assuming that this loco has them) would surely wear out long before the metal wheels. I would imagine that the "rubber core" you describe is a traction tyre - is it fitted into a groove in the wheel tread? These are usually replaceable.

[Anonymous]

I read this then went down to the "Junk Yard" to find an old Tyco Mantua F7 I knew I had. Coincidently my Dad had one of these when I was 4. Anyway these engines if the same as yours have rear wheel drive only. The two forward sets of wheels are solid brass on the left hand side and a hard plastic on the right hand side. On the rear truck the solid brass is on the right and the plastic on the left, which is grooved for a traction tire. The thing that struck me when I first picked this old brute up was the amount of crud that was built up around the traction side of the rear truck. Crud as I call it is a combination of dust, dirt, oil and oxidation from the rails. Considering how old this unit is it would have run on brass rails at one time and what you could be mistaking for metal metal flanges could possibly be polished crud, aka old brass oxidation. Sound plausible?

[Anonymous]

I'm reusing old brass rails but the wheel is silver and white on the tread portion of the wheel. The rest of the wheel is silver.

I should have mentioned two other things. These are on the front truck and on the power pick up side.

I am seeing brass on the freight cars on their plastic wheels. Yes I'm converting to metal wheels but it's a slow process due my capital requests being tied up with the CFO aka my wife. [:)]

DT

[Anonymous]

Ahhh the dreaded CFO. I would suggest very strongly that you approach your CFO and request additional capital funding for track upgrading as the brass rail you are using will lead to down time as more assests are towed into the shops for wheel cleaning. This will drive your OT budget through the roof not to mention cause your motive power to constantly jerk, hiccup and stall along the track. GO Nickel Rail all the way!!!

[Anonymous]

as of 1-31-04 my wife is resign as c.e.o of my rail road so is long
as my rents paid and i got fod, the rail road should start going. I have a lionel ho
big boy , that is fity years old , the last time she went to the round hosue she never
came out the moters just gave out. it is now retired she sits proudly in my egine
service she serves as a display unit in the coal unit to putcoal in the tender.

[joecool1212]

Wow CFO. My wife is the mayor of the town my railroad headquarters are in and boy does she have a lot to say about the RR. Good thing the railroad has its own buget and if it was'nt for the RR the town would have never been there. Good thing this CEO is in bed with the mayor.
About the brass stuff I would look to increase the capital budget for some more modern locos. No flywheels I couldent do that. And traction tires I can never find ones that fir properly. Joe

[Anonymous]

Well the road needs to haul many more loads of Aluminum (yeah cans to the recycler) to finance the purchase more metal wheel replacements for the freights.

Hmmmm the old AHM may have to go to the display shelf but it pulled so well and if it derailed....no big deal.

Hmmm I did see an Athearn standard in the Rock Island scheme....perhaps a capital request could be worked out. The RI went by her Grandparents house so she likes them. Something to make circles and entertain the small boys.

Oh yeah the capital request has already been approved for new rails but I'm using the brass to learn and make mistakes.

DT

[Anonymous]

Time to invest in some updated power.

[Anonymous]

Fire the CFO... you can re-hire them to a lower position, or their old position, but make them aware that other people have been laid off and the economy is down, so there are plenty of other qualified applicants with unique skill sets that are always available for their job in any position.

As CEO, I will tolerate some unsolicited advice, but routinely suggest the CFO look to their own departments for downsizing before looking at my discretionary funds. I have noted some rather elaborate junkets on the books that were misclassified as improvements or marketing, that did not seem to be getting the same ROI as the diversionary programs that help maintain employee morale.

Oh yeah.... NICKLE all the way! (I don't miss brass, but I sure have some.)

[Anonymous]

CNWfan5525

Would it make any differnence if it was a CNW Alco century 424?

Looks like this one:

http://members.aol.com/gsmithho/cnw424h.jpg

maybe I can repair it but not likely

DT

Oh yeah I can't fire the CFO since I'm opeations/engineering. I think the CEO is named Andrew and he's 2 1/2 so Mommy will get to stay on.

[Anonymous]

I have had metal over plastic wheels come apart on a cople of cars, and some patience and CA glue fixed them right up. Do you think this is possible? Or is the plastic to degraded?


PS -
DT,
I recommend a hostile takeover.... he's small enough, you could take him.


Heck I'm only 2 if you ask my CFO (and she was making some gushy noises about how cute your answer was.... SHOW OFF.)