Traction tires for lionel

[3030RICK]

Can anybody give me an idea of where to purchase traction tires for some older post war lionel steamers. Also , I'm assuming that the tire only goes to one wheel on each side of the engine, the drive wheel. How do I dtermine which is the drive wheel?

Thanks for any help

3030Rick

 

[UP2CSX]

You can still get traction tires, or wheels, as Lionel sometimes calls them, directly from Lionel at http://www.lionel.com/CustomerService/ReplacementParts/PartsQuery.cfm. They have traction tires for almost all post-war Lionel engines.

You didn't say what kind of engine you have. On the smaller steam engines like the 0-6-0, the middle wheels were the driving wheels. On the larger engines, several of the wheels were driven. You can usually tell which ones they are by turning over the engine and check the exposed gears. They will be right next to the driven wheels.

Unless your engine just won't pull anything without the traction tires, I wouldn't try and replace them. You have to remove the valve gear to replace them and a lot of Lionel valve gear is held together by rivets and tiny nuts and bolts. You have to get everything back in the right order or you end up with binding valve gear so the engine won't run at all. If you've replaced traction tires, have at, but I'd be very cautious otherwise.

 

[3030RICK]

Jim: Great answer and thanks for the quick reply. I might try traction tires on just one loco if I don't run into the rivet/gear problem. Again thanks for the insight.

Rick