steam traction tires??

[Albert in N]

Noticed that Parts still does not have traction tires for 2-6-2 Prairie or 4-8-4 Northern.  The drive wheels with traction tires are also sold out.  In a pinch, I think that the train set GP-40 traction tires will fit the 2-6-2 and will try this when needed if no other part is available.  The Northern is another matter.  Since Bachmann's steam locos seem to rely on traction tires, it seems strange that they do not have them available.  From past posts, Kato steam traction tires may fit the Northern and possibly other large drive wheel Bachmann locomotives.  Dental orthodontic bands might also fit, but that seems awkward.  Bullfrog snot may work for others, but appears tedious to fit into a wheel groove and then smooth it to be absolutely round without wheel wobble.

[brokemoto]

The Kato tyres are designed for a scale sixty-three inch driver.  I suspect that if you stretched it carefully, it might go onto the 4-8-4.  It would be too large for the USRA 0-6-0/"2-6-2".

Stewart/Virnex sells steam and diseasel traction tyres.  It even sells a tool for the diseasel.  It would no doubt, be a simple matter to use these for the USRA 0-6-0/"2-6-2".  I would suspect that it would require some long and patient stretching of the tyres to get them onto the 4-8-4.  I once got a pair onto a Con-Cor hudson.  It took several days of gradual stretching, moving the tyres onto gradually larger cylindrical objects.  In the process, I broke two.  The C-C hudson drivers are a scale eighty four inches.  If I can get the Stewart/Virnex tyres onto a pair of those, I would suspect that more than a few people could get a pair onto the 4-8-4 drivers.  I do not know what size those drivers were on the prototype or even are on the model.  I would suspect that the prototype had drivers in the seventy-two to eighty inch range. 

B-mann seems to make the drivers a bit smaller; I suspect that this is to allow them to transit sharper curves.  I am impressed that the EM-1 will take an eleven inch curve without derailing.  Eleven and one half inches is equivalent to approximately twenty-one inches in HO, which puts them in the "sharp" range.  I have not seen many large HO articulateds that would take even a twenty four inch curve, which is the minimum for the "conventional" range.

Walthers used to have the Stewart/Virnex tyres; I do not know if they do, still.

[skipgear]

Good quality heat shrink tube works pretty well for replacement traction tires. Make sure you get the rubbery type, not the plastic stuff that Radio Shack sells. It may take a couple layers to get the correct thickness for some loco's but it wears well and is available in many sizes. Just be careful of how you shrink it down. Many drivers use celcon (?) plastic for the driver center that can deform with too much heat.