Dirt or Arching?
- Thread starter Phil
- Start date
jameshilton
Registered
Or is it wear? Has the plating worn away to reveal the original metal underneath. I have a Frank S that has wheels like this, and it's the plating that has gone - still runs fine though 
stockers
Trains, aircraft, models, walking, beer, travel
My mallet is like that. Still runs Ok though but doesn't like damp evenings. It is possibly caused by arcing and of course, wear. The lack of skates adds to this problem because arcing is increased due to reduced pick ups and dirtier rails. Mine is worse on one side which also indicated arcing.
minimans
Trains, Planes, Automobiles & Shooting
It's a combination of all three mate! dirt makes it arc and then the arcing dust gets worn off and leaves the wheels looking like that, mostly happens on one side only or at least it looks worse on one side. I clean mine up with a KaDee powered wire brush and all is well except the maks on the wheel remain but work just fine............Paul.........
funandtrains
Registered
Looks like the plating has worn off. This happens to all LGB locos eventually but happens more quickly if you pull long trains and / or have gradients which cause wheel slip. If you live in a sandy area or this can cause wear quickly. I also suspect that using an LGB track cleaning loco leaves abrasive grit on the track which causes more wheel wear.
If it is dirt you you could rub (like a Peko rubber) or scrape (blunt screwdriver) it off, if it is due to arcing then tough luck as nothing will repair it. Incidentally I find that the first place crud builds up (rub/scrape repair) is on the pickups of the skates, if the skates look brass-coloured then it is tough time.
stevedenver
Registered
To my eye, the plating is gone.
Arching, initially, tend to looks grey, like dirty silver. On close inspection you will see lots and lots of tiny black pin point areas which have been oxidized black-these are actually micro pits. They polish out partially. They are caused by high voltage and spotty electrical contact- The fortuna flyers with the ball bearing wheel and motor draw really get this quickly.
The brass driver will actually have a bit more traction than plated. That is, before it wears out, as it is softer than the plating.
In looking at the shots, I notice that the wear line is rather narrow to my eye compared to wear i have seen on my own locos, both of which are very old.
Does this loco ride on track with a particularly sharp or raised inside edge, or crown in the rail head?
Typically the wear i have seen is a broader line on the driver. Perhaps this broader line is simply what happens with continuing wear.
I would guess that simply buying new drivers would be competitive with re-plating. To replate, if i understand the process, one might need to remove the plastic and have only metal for the electro process. Not certain however.
I have a very well worn , original 2018 with similar wear which appeared (or I began to notice) about a year ago.
I wouldnt sweat it unless it just bothers you aestehically.
You still have a lot of potential run time left in those drivers.
They will need to be polished clean from time to time as they will now oxidize similarly to brass rail.
Arching, initially, tend to looks grey, like dirty silver. On close inspection you will see lots and lots of tiny black pin point areas which have been oxidized black-these are actually micro pits. They polish out partially. They are caused by high voltage and spotty electrical contact- The fortuna flyers with the ball bearing wheel and motor draw really get this quickly.
The brass driver will actually have a bit more traction than plated. That is, before it wears out, as it is softer than the plating.
In looking at the shots, I notice that the wear line is rather narrow to my eye compared to wear i have seen on my own locos, both of which are very old.
Does this loco ride on track with a particularly sharp or raised inside edge, or crown in the rail head?
Typically the wear i have seen is a broader line on the driver. Perhaps this broader line is simply what happens with continuing wear.
I would guess that simply buying new drivers would be competitive with re-plating. To replate, if i understand the process, one might need to remove the plastic and have only metal for the electro process. Not certain however.
I have a very well worn , original 2018 with similar wear which appeared (or I began to notice) about a year ago.
I wouldnt sweat it unless it just bothers you aestehically.
You still have a lot of potential run time left in those drivers.
They will need to be polished clean from time to time as they will now oxidize similarly to brass rail.