I am in need of the traction tire set from the latest run of the P2K 2-8-8-2. If anyone has a set of these that he doesn't want, I'd be very interested in buying them. Thank you.
Dick
Texas Chief
Virginian wrote:Sorry, but I am in line in front of you. I would love to find some for any of my 5 engines. It don't look good for either of us. Walthers says they will probably never be available from them.
I skipped the Proto Y3 since it used Traction Tires and will not pull much without them. The PCM Y6b pulls with weight alone, and not traction tires and hopefully will last a few years.
The attitude by Walthers is shortsighted since traction tires do not last and makes the product useless in a short time. Many of us are not purchasing models that parts and service is poor.
Maybe we should all start an email campaign to convince them to service their products. For all of us that have or want models from P2K, start emailing Walthers, our LHS and suppliers to tell them we will not purchase products from now on that are not supported with good service.
Doesn't P2K still come with a lifetime warranty? Or has that ended since Walthers bought them out? Just send it in for repair, and they will do the swap for you. I personally don't like messing with the complex mechanisms as I fear I might bend something or get it out of quarter.
~D
Don - Specializing in layout DC->DCC conversions
Modeling C&O transition era and steel industries There's Nothing Like Big Steam!
I think the Virginian is the only one to figure this out. I have 2 of the first run Y3's in Santa Fe that came without traction tires and do good just to pull thier own weight. Consequently, they just sit around, look pretty and never get used. The new run came with a set of traction wheels and a set of non-traction wheels. Modelers choice. The new traction wheelsets are interchangable with the old engines non-traction wheelsets. Since there are a lot of people that don't like the traction wheels and I DO LIKE THEM, I would like to buy them. Thanks Again.
No they won't!!! You have to have a slotted wheel for the rubber tire to fit into or they will just fall right back off. The first run 2-8-8-2's did NOT have that type of wheel.
I can't believe it, surely somebody out there has bought one of these engines and hates traction tires. I really dislike the idea of buying a new engine just to get the wheelsets. I hope this is not indicative of the way Walthers is going to be treating the Proto line in the future. However, I guess it's thier perrogative. Thank God, BLI doesn't take the same attitude. Thanks for hearing me out.
At the last NMRA show I had an interesting conversation with a Walther's representative about the P2k 2-8-8-2. I told them I had one of the early runs (about 5 years ago) and that it couldn't pull 15 coal hoppers up a 1.5% grade. To my disbelief, his response was "They weren't meant to". I couldn't respond and just walked away shaking my head.
A few minutes later I went to the Bachmann booth. I had a similar problem with the pulling power of the Spectrum light mountain steam engine. The representative carefully explained how to break in the engine, proper lubrication, the making of a jig to prevent the drivers from popping out when removing the retainer plate, and on and on. He took my question very seriously and spent at least 15 minutes with me discussing the engine. I took his advise upon returning home and the engine pulls much better.
Guess which manufacturer will get my business in the future?
Steve B.
Life Like had the best spare parts philosophy this hobby has ever seen, but I fear we will not see anything close their like again. Walthers has a boatload of parts they got from LL and will not spend the time to even sort them out. I figure eventually they will just pitch them in the trash. They will not give them to anyone else and have not tried to sell them that I have been able to find. I called them about getting the retrofit traction tired wheelsets for P2K steam engines and it was plain they aren't going to offer them for sale. I think they are hoping they will get more sales of new engines by not doing that. THIS has really ticked me off with Walthers and I have bought nothing from them since. I was about to buy a bunch of their track and switches but am now on the verge of Fast Tracks. I realize eventually I will get something, almost have to, but I will not buy it from them directly no matter what.
I am well satisfied with the pulling power of my P2K 2-8-8-2's since adding a bunch of weight, and breaking them in, and freeing up the trucks, and getting the shine off the wheel treads, and plan to get one or two PCM Y6b models. I can get a little mini lathe and do my own wheelsets for not much more than a couple of the 2-8-8-2's at Walther's pricing anyway if I ever feel like I need more.
I'm new to model RRing and I've got no idea if this would work for you but it has now been a few weeks and my "home made" traction tires have been working great.
http://www.trains.com/trccs/forums/993656/ShowPost.aspx
If you'd care to give it a shot but then again, I've not a clue if it would even be possible for the loco's you've mentioned
steveb wrote: At the last NMRA show I had an interesting conversation with a Walther's representative about the P2k 2-8-8-2. I told them I had one of the early runs (about 5 years ago) and that it couldn't pull 15 coal hoppers up a 1.5% grade. To my disbelief, his response was "They weren't meant to". I couldn't respond and just walked away shaking my head.A few minutes later I went to the Bachmann booth. I had a similar problem with the pulling power of the Spectrum light mountain steam engine. The representative carefully explained how to break in the engine, proper lubrication, the making of a jig to prevent the drivers from popping out when removing the retainer plate, and on and on. He took my question very seriously and spent at least 15 minutes with me discussing the engine. I took his advise upon returning home and the engine pulls much better.Guess which manufacturer will get my business in the future?Steve B.
Weren't MEANT TO? What on earth was that guy thinking? Sounds like Walthers thinks that everyone who buys a P2K Heritage steamer is never going to run it, and just set it on a shelf to look at (similar to some of the Brass Collectors I keep hearing so much about).
The poor pulling power of the P2K's is why I stay away from them like the Plague. The two that I've bought are so disappointing, I don't use one (the 0-8-0) and use the other (the 2-8-8-2) only as a helper loco on my layout. Frankly, for the price, I think the Heritage locos are a big, fat rip-off, traction tires or not.
Tom
Tom View my layout photos! http://s299.photobucket.com/albums/mm310/TWhite-014/Rio%20Grande%20Yuba%20River%20Sub One can NEVER have too many Articulateds!
I model in N-scale and have installed traction tires on a few of my Bachmann 2-6-6-2 Locos machining a grove in the drivers and used electrical heat shrink tubing for the tire.
This has netted a very good result.
I am not sure if you can access the link below or not but it contains photos an a write up on how I did it.
http://www.scalerailsonline.com/GalleryPictures.aspx?GalleryID=2112