Model Railroading > Loss of plating on loco wheels

Funnelfan asked me if I had some photos of the wear on the loco wheels I mentioned in the post below about display setups.

These are from a post about a year ago. For some reason I can't cut and paste the post from then.

As you can see the plating is worn off of the wheels. On the display the locos run forward in a counter-clock wise direction of the double track main line. They are pulling an advertising train and must run in that direction. The positive rail causes the most blackening from the micro-arcing. Cleaning the rails and wheels (with alcohol) does not lessen the removal of the plating. I never use an abrasive to clean the track.

The trains run during banking hours for about 40 days. Locos are rotated daily with about 10 locos. The wear begins to show about year 4.

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Thanks, I'm always interested in stories about heavy wear of model railroads and rolling stock.

Ted Curphey
Ontario, OR

Just as with the real thing, one wheel must slide slightly as the loco rounds a curve. This small sliding may account for the wheel wear.

Eng.Shadetree

It would take some work, you could flip the wheelsets left to right every year to even the ware. Could probably get 6 years instead of 4 out of an axle. Thou some locos will not allow the flip because the gear is not centered.

You could replace the wheels with NWSL solid nickel silver wheels, you'd have other problems long before you'd ware the wheel all the way to the axle.

Michael Mosher
Millville, NJ

What is the advantage of the plating?

I've done all my modeling in "0" scale and "G" scale using all steel wheels and never became aware of problems caused by wear.

-John

LarryDoyle Wrote:
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> What is the advantage of the plating?
>
> I've done all my modeling in "0" scale and "G"
> scale using all steel wheels and never became
> aware of problems caused by wear.
>
> -John


From what I gather it may have to do with DCC. Thinking that gives better electrical contact. I know the guys are always cleaning the %$#@*( wheels and track.

shadetree Wrote:
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> Just as with the real thing, one wheel must slide
> slightly as the loco rounds a curve. This small
> sliding may account for the wheel wear.
>
> Eng.Shadetree

The wheels are tapered so as the axle enters the curve it moves to one side making one wheel (on the outside of the curve) relatively larger and the wheel on the inside relatively smaller. That way slip is minimal except on the sharpest curves, or pretty much all model sized curves.

I wonder if plating with pure nickle would be better. Sometimes at work, I need to cut parts that have been plated and it takes diamond blades or drills to get through the plating.

I think any metal will wear. You are just seeing the results when the base metal shows up.
RB

Well considering that you're literately "running the wheels off" with all of the run time these engines get.
I'd say you're doing pretty good!

The alcohol leaves a dry track and wheels which will encourage arcing. Try a little CRC 2-26 or Wahls clipper oil to lessen the arcing. The one wheel set looks like an Athearn or Proto wheelset. Try replacing them with some NWSL solid nickel silver wheelsets instead of the plated versions. ---- Ken