Me too Gary... DCESharkman and I worked on it back and forth thru PM's and phone calls to get it running
Actually, George, that's almost exactly what it's like for motorcycles. When you ride a brand new motorcycle off the lot, the tires are slicker n' snot. It's the same for your car, only with a car, it doesn't really matter because you've got four wheels, so falling over while the tires break in isn't a major concern. Of course, the difference between a motorcycle and a model railroad locomotive is one can get killed much easier when the wheels lose traction on the motorcycle.
AHhhhhhhhhh...got me there...lol. But after just a few miles down the rail...shiny treads sets in. Thats about 2 laps on my layout. Besides...real railroad dont use that black *%*&^*)%*%)**&_% thats on our models BTW...my son just had a new rear tire put on his Harley. First time on a new tire...almost dumped it ;-)
Actually, 2 times around your layout is more like a trip from one end of the yard to the other. Selective compression and all that. Anyway, the answer is because shiny wheels look cheap and keeping the blackening off the wheels in manufacturing is hard. You should break your engines in for a few hours anyway, so it's not a big problem. I don't like the wire brush method. You're putting micro grooves in the tread which give more surface for tarnish and dirt leading to longer term performance or cleaning problems.
Gosh, George I thought I heard more laughing as I stopped back in to see how this thread is progressing. Incidentally, that same guy must have been back out on the pole. I couldn't get any kind of action out of the internet for darn near three hours. He must have been sitting up there and decided it's time to cut old Rick off or a while. I could hear laughing coming from somewhere down the street. Then this site, TB., kept saying my edit and message left is to short and next just to be sure I'm good and vexed, the computer needs to recover the webpage. For a while it wasn't those black wheels giving me problems as much as my computer. And, it doesn't have shiny wheels. Thanks HP I'm with YOHO, a good break-in will wear the black coating off. I don't like using a wire brush. I have one and the best I can tell you is when I've used it on specific locomotive wheels those are the ones that get dirtier sooner then the other's...ASAP. Actually, I like the black coating as I don't like shiny wheels...period. One of my grievances with Atlas and B'mann.:uhoh:
I stand corrected in the fact that I said " But after just a few miles down the rail...shiny treads sets in. Thats about 2 laps on my layout."I have roughly 80 feet of track per main on a roundy-roundy layout...thats 12800 scale feet or 2.424242 actual scale miles per lap...selective compression not factored in. So I should have said Thats about 1 lap on my layout...my bad on that one !! That said....a "few hours" of break in isnt gonna take the blackening off the tread...even with it just sitting there on the grade spinning its wheels. Been there...done that...got the shirt...and burned it !!! ;-) Using the wire brush in the Dremel to take the blackening off hasnt caused any 'crude' build up on the wheels...and that locomotive has been running about 4 hours every day now for 3+ weeks. Blackened treads are just to slippery...especially on grades. Shiny treads give a better metal to metal 'grip'...JMO So all in all...NOW I am happy it runs just fine BUT...I appreciate your comment/opinion on using wire brushes on metal wheels.
LMAO... See...I paid that guy good train $$$$$ to mess with your internet. Ya need to stop trying to use DSL on a party line up on that mountain...LOL. The internet woes story is funny...in a twisted, sick minded way...even if true. Sowwwwwyyyyyy...:teeth:
Two miles huh? So just one way from one side of the yard to the other, not back. Good luck with the wire brush. I'm just voicing my experience, not just an opinion, but your experience may be different. However, if a few months from now, you come back complaining of tarnish and dirt, I deserve the right to say I told you so.
Agreed....but in a few months she is still running great...I get say I told you so Bottom line...we SHOULDNT have to get the stuff off the treads to start with. The manufactures need to find a better way. Evidently some have...
Haz PCM/BLI found a way to blacken the outsides without blackening the treads? PCM/BLI is also a lot more expensive than most of the locos we're talking about here. In HO, They have chemically darkened wheels on most average to expensive models now that pull fine without any brushing or removal of the blackening agent. Is it the same stuff, but the weight and wheel diameter of HO makes it a non-issue?
I thought so! LOL, somehow I knew you had to be behind all of my woes. Unnuh, now I know who to blame. Since last night's scamper up the pole and beat the crap out of the lineman, figuratively speaking. My computer has been running just fine. Who know's maybe it was the same guys that fixed BamBam's website woes. They did fix that...right? NO!
I haven't noticed any problems with the wheel blackening, but I also don't have any grades. I've always heard though that locos pull better after being run in, and I have to agree with that. Rick I think you're internet provider uses the same IT guys that a certain federal program uses....There's you're problem..:teeth:....Mike
