Piko BR218

pugwash

pugwash

impecunious pirate
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I've run this loco a couple of times with different trains (both with heavy drag or 28 axles) behind it and each time it suffers from huge amounts of wheelspin as there is no traction. I just had a look underneath and there are no traction tyres on either bogie, while looking at it I put my LGB Nicki & Frank S on the same train and it pulled off with no problem. Something else I noticed while swapping the locos is that the LGB feels heavier than the larger Piko machine.
I can't do much about the traction tyres but I could put a chunk of lead in the area designed by Piko for the sound unit between the two bogies.
Has anyone else had traction problems and has anyone added weight to one of these locos? I would appreciate someone elses experience before whipping out the screwdrivers.
And no, Whatlep, I will not give it to you for testing :bigsmile:
 
You have cleaned that gunk off the track haven't you Pugs? :laugh:

No experience personally with these locos but I suggest trying the lump of lead on the roof, fixed with tape or similar, would be a quick way of 'testing'....
 
Gizzy said:
You have cleaned that gunk off the track haven't you Pugs? :laugh:
Click to expand...
Oh yes, I have the brightest, shiniest track in town :bigsmile: Actually the train with all the LGB track cleaners attached showed up the problem, running the Playmo train confirmed it but I was already sure that it wasn't pulling as it should.
 
I have one of these, I found it a little light, and perhaps top heavy when going around curves at speed.

I have filled the speaker cavity with cement, it worked, it now sticks to the track and has better hauling capacity. No I'll effects (yet) and it has been run 10 times or more for approximately 20 minutes each time including ploughing snow.
 
I noticed that top heavy lean too but thought it was just me taking R1s too fast (as usual).
Well seeing as the speaker mounting is held on by four screws underneath it looks like tomorrow will be lead filling day :nail:
 
Dave Hub said:
I have one of these, I found it a little light, and perhaps top heavy when going around curves at speed.

I have filled the speaker cavity with cement, it worked, it now sticks to the track and has better hauling capacity. No I'll effects (yet) and it has been run 10 times or more for approximately 20 minutes each time including ploughing snow.
Click to expand...

I want to know how you convinced the transit mix driver to get his chute into that loco. And did you pour a test cylinder? :rolf:
 
I have one of theses babies. No problem on my old line pulling 4 or 5 metal wheeled LGB coaches up a 1:25 gradient on R2 curves. Just what are you asking it to pull?
JonD
 
7 of the 4-axle Playmobil Panorama Express coaches.
I mentioned before I noticed my BR218 doesn't have any traction tyres, although listed by Piko as part number 36041 there is no mention of them in the description of the loco. If someone has this loco could you have a quick look underneath and see how many tyres there are and where the tyres go as I have ordered a set of 4, but at a guess they are simply packed in fours and don't all go on the loco!
Thanks :thumbup:
 
I have two of these loco's and they do not have traction tyre;s When I had a layout the loco's had no trouble pulling 6 7 coach trains on radius 3 curves with a gradient in the track
 
Even the Piko site is ambiguous, under the locomotive's accessories the tyres are not mentioned, however under general accessories they are there. :confused:
The main problem the loco has is starting the train rolling, once under way the momentum of the carriages seems to overcome the wheelslip. Still, for €5 I can't go far wrong. I hope.
 
Right one chunk of lead glued in the speaker space and one traction tyre fitted and the loco now pulls as it should. :thumbup:
If anyone else ever has the same problem I have 3 tyres spare, just drop me a line. :onphone:
 
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