# Complications from changing a traction tire on a Rivarossi



## Mister Bill (Jan 30, 2014)

I have gotten myself in a bit of a fix.

In the past, I have successfully changed traction tires on a 2-8-8-2 with no problem, although it sometimes took several tries to get the kinks out.

Today I tackled my 4-6-2, which has been running OK but the tires were hard and stiff. It also had a very tiny waddle which puzzled me but was no big deal.

I got the tires swapped out. All I had to do was loosen two hex nuts and stretch the new ones on. Then, I noticed that both traction tires were on the same side (right). On my other locomotives, there is a tire on each side, although they are on different wheel sets, and I reckon that balances things out nicely.

So, I turned the wheelset over the gear box 180 degrees and put her back together.
Now, I cannot get her to run freely. Something is binding somewhere. The engine runs about 1/16th of a revolution and binds. If I change directions, same result.

I have taken the rig apart and re-assembled it a dozen times, as well as putting the geared wheel set back the way it was originally a number of times.

I have all of the washers and spacers properly accounted for. 

1)	Does it matter if both traction tires are on the same side of the driver, or should they be on each side of the driver? It seems to me they should be on each side for better balancing.

2)	What should I look for or what is the trick to get the drivers properly lined up when you put it back together? I see that the screw holes are staggered a few degrees on the wheelset.

I am just trying things at random with no luck so far.

Thanks,

Bill


----------



## MtRR75 (Nov 27, 2013)

I just got a used Rivarossi 4-6-2. It also has traction tires only on the first and third wheels of one side. In my case, I figured out that the reason is that the side withOUT the traction tires picks up one side of the current. The other side of the current is picked up by the tender wheels from the opposite track and transferred to the loco through the drawbar (not through wires). On the side with the traction tires, the loco wheels don't anything electrically.

If yours is similar, you should see wipers on the axles of the tender -- which are serving no purpose on the tender (no light). There is also a stiff wire built into the drawbar mechanism that always pushed against the tender's post that goes into the drawbar. That is where the current is transferred.


----------



## mikek (Dec 29, 2013)

I agree with the reply. Check all the wheels on the loco for continuity to ground, making sure that all like ones are on the same side. It's more important to have the electricity properly controlled. Check each wheel with the groove for the tire to see if they are all alike. If there are differences, it should clue you as to which one belongs where.


----------



## GN.2-6-8-0 (Jan 10, 2013)

As for the binding yes by turning the driver set around you would change the quartering of that set of drivers. That would cause a binding through out the drivetrain


----------



## RUSTY Cuda (Aug 28, 2012)

Sounds like a quartering problem, follow above & try & set the wheels back in exactly how them were taken out, sometimes you can just look at how the rods are laying over the wheel & set the wheel to match the rod. hope that helps? Rich.


----------



## Mister Bill (Jan 30, 2014)

After working on this feverishly for several days, I noticed a piston rod had worked it's way out of the pocket, up front, where I was not looking.

She runs like a top now.

Life lesson # 14,006.

Bill


----------



## GN.2-6-8-0 (Jan 10, 2013)

Glad you got that sorted,is the wheel set back in its original position or not??


----------



## Mister Bill (Jan 30, 2014)

I started out with the wheelset in the original position (traction tires on one side). When that worked, I swapped, and they worked just as well when the traction tire is on the opposite side of the driver train.

Frankly, I can't tell the difference if one method or the other works better.

It pulls like gangbusters.

In fact, I have been pulling stumps in my back yard.

Thanks for holding my hand while I sorted things out.

Bill


----------



## JNXT 7707 (May 5, 2013)

Mister Bill said:


> After working on this feverishly for several days, I noticed a piston rod had worked it's way out of the pocket, up front, where I was not looking.
> 
> She runs like a top now.
> 
> ...


Bill, don't feel bad. I have done that countless times working on a locomotive - I get so focused on one specific area that I believe the problem to be in that I totally ignore the real problem that is staring me in the face just a couple inches away


----------



## Mister Bill (Jan 30, 2014)

Update:

For some reason, the engine performs better when both traction tires are on the same side, as it came out of the box.

Swapping turned out to be just unacceptable with the wobble that would even de-rail at higher speeds.

I cannot tell why.

Bill


----------



## MtRR75 (Nov 27, 2013)

Mister Bill said:


> Update:
> 
> For some reason, the engine performs better when both traction tires are on the same side, as it came out of the box.
> 
> ...


I suspect that the wheels with the traction tires are slightly smaller in diameter -- so that the when the traction tires are added, all wheels are the same diameter. When you switched the tire to another wheel, you got a full size wheel that became oversized with the addition of the traction tire, and an undersized wheel that was missing its traction tire -- plus the other wheels that were the correct size. Three different sized wheels is a recipe for wobbles and derailments.


----------



## cole226 (Feb 8, 2013)

if in fact u are getting one electrical polarity thru the tender, then when u have one tire on each side u cut your other polarity pickup in half:dunno:

just a thought, i'm not a ho guy.


----------



## Mister Bill (Jan 30, 2014)

No, it was not an electrical pickup problem.

It wobbled slightly like it was out of balance.

When I looked up close, the wheels did not run smoothly or were not in sync.

Bill


----------



## shaygetz (Sep 23, 2007)

Traction tires are not perfectly round, accounting for the wobble. In the past, us old timers would swap them out for non-tired drivers. Some makers even included an extra set just for this purpose.

As for beginner's mistakes...you're not part of "The Brotherhood" until you've 1. reinstalled at least one driver backwards, or 2. accidentally turned a tender truck 180 degrees, both of which cause dead shorts that will drive you nuts, until you ohm out the model and realize your mistake after a couple hours.... :thumbsup:


----------



## Brian (Jan 22, 2014)

Cool:smilie_daumenpos: I'm in "The Brotherhood" Ive done #2 and smoked a brand new decoder!!


----------

