Pickup/wheel contact question

[Dave Cooper]

After quite a while of non-use (during a period of illness), I found that my Peco track had corroded somewhat in the garage. Probably, this was over a period of 2-3 winters !

As it affected only a few inches of track here and there, I took a piece of very fine 'wet-and-dry' (about 120 I think) and carefully removed the 'rusty' sections making sure that all was still level with a straight edge. This was followed by running a rag moistened with meth's all over.

I was pleasantly surprised when my Bachmann and Farish locos ran quite nicely over nearly everything first time...I had to repeat this in one or two places to get a completely trouble-free run. There was some 'pick up' on the wheels after the first few runs, but, ever since all has been well...

Lucky ?
Dave   

[B.Meldon]

Dear Brian,
......................
Since you're delving so far into history:
Herkat sold a track-groover that allowed you to grind grooves into your rails for better grip; and there were/ are some engines around with grooved wheels to improve grip.
That said I have not seen any of those, and there are no reports on the successful application either.

From an engineering point of view coarse grooves will not improve traction (unless traction tyres are used), but certainly cause contact issues. Fine grooves, i.e. those made with a track-cleaning rubber, are less likely to cause contact problems; - initially. I have 0-gauge track lying around, which has been ruined with track-cleaning rubbers, i.e. is beyond usable because of the grooving in the rail heads as it has massive contact issues.
Whether the improved traction is an effect of the cleaned track, or caused by the roughening of the surface, is a matter of debate; - at least until you can produce some convincing test results.  ;)

Waldschrat

As it happens the Ibertren 0-4-0, that is the subject of this thread, has groves on the rear driving wheels. Why they did this and what effect this has I have no idea.

I do not intend to do extensive documented testing to prove that using a fine track rubber improves adhesion on grades, I have just seen from experience that it does.

However, this could well be down to other factors apart from the tiny groves in the rail head, it could be just that it cleans any potentially slippery deposits from the rails.
As I said I do not intend to research the reasons, I will just keep doing what I have always done to good effect.

Brian Meldon

[Stefan Krebs]

Dear Brian,

The Ibertren wheels is the same concept as the Herkat rail grinder, one groves the rail, one the wheels. Put the two together and you have a rack railway.   ;D

As the Herkat grinder vanished from sale some time end of 60s, and I have not seen any raving reports, I'm happy to agree it doesn't work; the good old steam tractors seem to confirm that too: unless you're in the mud smooth tyres work better, and steel wheels shoed with rubber (=traction tyres) works even better.   :laugh:

I'm sure Ibertren did it to improve traction and/ or electrical pick-up. The latter might work, but I'm doubtful, the former certainly doesn't.

Anyway, if you're happy with your solution, why change? There is compromise somewhere in every solution, and you decide where your preferences are.   ;D


Kind Regards
Waldschrat