To Skate, Or Not To Skate, That Is The Question!

stockers

stockers

Trains, aircraft, models, walking, beer, travel
Country flag
I was running my LGB Rugen tank this evening as the evening damp started. As I have noticed before, locos without skates seem to dislike the evening dew on the rails. (the Rugen tank does not have room for skates between the wheels)
I have not cleaned the track for some while now and the loco began to stutter in places. The Kof diesel, with skates ran fine.

I know some people remove the skates and report good or better running, and obviously skates do create drag. my experience is that the skates seem to improve the pick up in poor conditions (not surprising I suppose)
So - what do you do/ What do you think.

The two locos out today.
DSCF0178 (Small).JPG
 
Generally speaking I leave them on the locos as fitted by the manufacturer.

They are essential on the PikoKamel fitted with aluminium wheels. The loco runs better still if you change the skates to LGB ones which are a better grade of stainless steel and also a subtly different profile.

On many of my Stainz I take the traction tyre off to improve pick up of power.

I have fitted power buffers on small 4 wheel locos too which helps if you let the track get dirty.

Otherwise I keep the track clean.

image.jpeg
 
Skates every time..

Though we need to 'tweak' them on visiting stock on the 'Harz' layout due to problems running through the points.
 
Yes, keep the skates I'd say. Like you, I used to notice the evening condensation problems much more on locos without skates.

At the start of a running session I'd usually send the TCL round first for a quick polish of the track, then run something with skates for a few circuits before the non-fitted stuff.

(Seems odd writing in the past tense. Hopefully I'll run my large scale toys again in the not too distant future!)
 
If you run non skated locos st night on dirty track you will notice arcing on the wheels - this will eventually lead to pitting of the treads.

Keep your track clean for non skated locos !
 
Back in my track power day I removed the skates form our the little LGB field railway O&K steam outline loco and Jonny, the diesel one as with the skates on they would stick when running over plastic frogs on our Aristocraft turnouts. They ran better without the skates but still not perfect, so they were converted to battery powers. Hannah's Stainz and Michelle's orange diesel (one of those starter set ones) are still track power and, yes on them, the skates seem to be of benefit. That said my Dubs A, which uses a Bachmann Porter motor block that didn't have skates and when it was running on track power was equal to, if not slightly better than the Stainz in power pick up. (The Dubs is now battery powered too.)
 
Skates are essential, in my opinion, to better running on track powered layouts. Battery power solves all of the problems of track powered layouts.
 
Don't like 'em - ain't got 'em

I haven't taken them off - it's just that none of my locos ever had them.

I'm not keen on the visual impact.

Yes, and some of my locos are susceptible to evening dew, fat Connie being an exception, and I'm convinced this is due to the sprung chassis.
 
For those that do not like the look of skates, why not darken them with paint or some sort of metal darkening fluid ?
 
I pulled the skates from my USAT locos, they fail too easily since the springs overheat and lose their temper.

To compensate for the decreased pickup, I traded out all the traction tired wheels for "solid" ones. So I have about the same pickup, no derailments or failed skates. I did get less traction, but it also seems to have reduced the split axle problem, it seemed to me that the traction tired wheels took the brunt of the work and cracked easily.

Greg
 
I have had some LGB locos for twenty years. In that time, only one traction tire has had to be replaced. In the very early nineties, I purchased two bags of LGB traction tires. Each bag has five tires if I recall. They've been tucked away in my parts drawer all of that time, with only the one tire, mentioned above, missing.
 
Unfortunately, the stores tyres will also deteriorate.
I have replaced the odd tyred wheel with a full metal one and found the pulling power unaffected but the pick up improved.My LGB Mallet now has no tyres.
 
I'll have to check those tires in the drawer !!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom