ok i recently purchased a brand new sealed trainset it is from 1978 i beleive it is set 6-1487 lionel broadway limited passenger car set with the 8304 steam engine. first question is i paid 130.00 for it was it a fair deal? second ? i lubed and oiled as per instructions everything was working good but after a few minutes of running the traction tire fell off and of course wrapped up in the side linkage now i realize this set is old but was this a common problem with traction tires or is this normal it didnt damage anything but was curious should i buy a new one and how many should i buy and where would i get one.last ? the smoke unit doesnt smoke as good as my old 2026 directions say 4-6 drops but i got barely anything out of it should i use more or is this just another issue from this era. thanks for help it is greatly appreciated.
Gidday, not saying that you won’t get help here but if you posted at the “Classic Toy Trains” forum they may have your answer quicker.
http://cs.trains.com/TRCCS/forums/95.aspx
Cheers, the Bear.
Is this Lionel-HO? If so you’re in the right place. Tracktion tires can be had thru Walthers and probably thru a Lionel dealer. I would say it’s pretty nomal for the traction tires to have dried out and broken after sitting for 40 years. Normally tires will last several years under normal use. The newer tire last longer than the older rubber tires. If you need to find a Lionel dealer then go to the link Bear posted and ask them.
There is a product called Bullfrog Snot that one can purchase to replace traction tires.
It’s not cheap at $25 for a jar, but it does work and you won’t run out of it.
It is a liquid that dries to make a replacement rubber tire. It needs to be applied while wheels are spinning to get it smoothly applied to the wheel.
I’ve used it on one brand new Athearn/Roundhouse steam engine that threw a rubber tire because it was too loose. The engine is working just fine, and I didn’t have to wait a couple months for Athearn to send me the replacement part.
John