G`day Folks, I have a number of older locomotives that run traction tyres as part of their design. As they have now attained some considerable age and use, eventually the traction tyres will fail and or go hard and slip on the wheel. The tyres are available here in Oz on Fleabay, as someone has spotted a market for these necessary little bits of rubber because your loco won`t run very well without them. They work out at approx. 25 dollars for a pack of 10.....not a lot of money....but what if I only need 2.? My local model rail shop has them too, but it`s generally a try it and see and hope for the best that it will fit with these guys, because they will find an alternative brand that might fit........not having the original part anymore. I have tried Orthodontic rubber bands with mediocre success and they perish something terrible over a short time. So what do you do..????.....search on Google of course for anyone who might have made their own. I found a video by a bloke in the US and he has used Heat Shrink tubing with very good results. Video below So then I started checking out Fleabay and my local electronics supplier.....and found I could get what I want. The first lot of wheels I wanted to do measure 10.79 mm diameter in the bottom of the groove on the traction tyre wheel....therefore I bought myself 1 metre of 10 mm heat shrink tube for 3 dollars and 25 cents. It will be a nice snug fit on the wheel with those measurements I have eyeballed the measurement and cut tyres approx. 2mm wide from the tubing. The width of the groove on the wheel is approx.2.6 mm. I have a Class 73 that` s been waiting a good while now for some new tyres, so it became the guinea pig. This is really easy and avoids using Bullfrog Snot or machining the wheels to eliminate traction tyres altogether. There is a lot of waffle and precious opinions and discussion on the web on this subject, however I reckon if you can find something that works and it`s easy enough to do, have a go at it.....because it will save a lot of hassle and money ,for that matter. So this is my Class 73 with new heat shrink tube tyres fitted.......bear in mind no heat is used in this process. We just get the correct size tube, cut it and slip them on. And this is my diesel rail car that was just about to break a tyre, so new ones were fitted. And there is a video showing the Class 73 running on these new tyres below. These tyres don`t have the same grip as a proper traction tyre, however it`s quite reasonable and will pull a good length of train. At 1/3rd of a cent each, compared to 2 dollars 50 for the commercial version, you can easily afford to change them on a regular basis, plus you have the pleasure and satisfaction of making a custom good fitting tyre to suit your locos. Gormo
Thanks for this Gormo, I very been experimenting with replacement traction tyres, but ended up paying $26 for 10, that fit Lima and hornby models. I thought of looking for rubber tubing about the right diameter and thickness. But the use of electrical shrink tube looks promising.
G`day Phil, Yes I`ve seen their stuff on Fleabay and considered getting some until I found this method with heat shrink tube The Heat Shrink tube seems to come in two varieties.......single wall and double wall..........double meaning it`s twice as thick, however I think double would be fine. I intend to send away for some because I have found a supplier who has the range of sizes to suit most wheels. Link below https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/3923595...elwdLvx//fNL2Pugdk8CmhJPV0|tkp:Bk9SR_b957SmYQ Gormo
Just a thought Gormo, but would one of those '0' ring kits, mainly intended for plumbing fittings, be any help? In the UK, they are available from some tool suppliers plus of course, Ebay, so I'd imagine that the same things would also be available in Oz? The kits usually comprise various diameter rings, also various thicknesses of the rings themselves (Kimbo being in the plumbing trade might be able to advise here), and there are also 'trade' kits which comprise of different diameters of neoprene 'rod' which you cut to length and superglue the ends together to form a ring for non-standard diameters. Obviously the ring wouldn't have a flat surface to the rail, but ought to give sufficient grip. Keith.
So the bullfrog snot is not great long term? Using your video I successfully retyred a couple of my locos using it, but I haven't really given them much use. One went all day at the kids u-drive, but I don't have any further data than that. The heat shrink idea looks very promising, and, of course crazy cheap, I must try it when I get back. O-rings certainly would not work, as well as being round in cross section, they would also sit far too tall, giving the loco a crazy look sided appearance. Cheers Tony
No Keith Sorry mate........I tried O Rings years ago and the profile is wrong and they`re just too big. Gormo
G`day Tony, The bullfrog snot is good long term.......I have a couple of locos where it is still on after a few years of running......no problem. The price of it though has gone through the roof and it`s shelf life after opening may be possibly two years ?...so if you`ve only got a handful of locos to re-tyre, the bulk of it is wasted. It`s a good product though and I do still recommend it... The heat shrink on the other hand is dirt cheap and easy to fit......however I do not know yet the long term properties......will it last.?? The main thing is we`ve got to try these things to find out, otherwise we`ll never know if it`s any good or not. I have seen a lot of discussion on the web on this topic of traction tyres and a lot of it criticizes the manufacturer for adopting the method, however it was done as a cost saving to lower the sale price I would imagine and be competitive. I don`t know whether the manufacturers expected their products to be still running thirty years later, but that is the reality, and after such a good running life, something is going to break. A simple cheap solution like heat shrink tube is a great way to keep the wheels rolling for a few more years. Alternatively, Bullfrog Snot will do the same but costing more and is more difficult to apply. Gormo
Hi Gormo You could easily apply heat - just turn the temp of the soldering iron to it's lowest setting (provided it's adjustable). Paul
If you want thicker tyres particularly for British Trix diesels and tender drives then expanding cable sleeves will offer the necessary thickness, I really must write up the description and use of a simple tool I made up for slicing it squarely. Jim
Thanks Paul ,but not necessary I feel in this case. Using tube slightly under the diameter required results in a good flat fitting tyre. The only down side is not as much traction as a proper tyre, however that could be overcome with additional ballast. One of the major negatives in the discussions about traction tyres, is the fact that they don`t allow any wheel spin, which some people reckon can over load the gear box and damage it with sudden stops or sudden acceleration. Well the heat shrink on my Class 73 has got enough grip to comfortably pull five coaches on the flat with no wheel spin, however if you plant your foot on the gas pedal from a standing start, it will wheel spin a bit..........so in a way it has become a good compromise..... Gormo
Heat shrink tube in generally shiny so why not remove the shine first with some fine emery paper or similar for better traction.
