I'm looking to upgrade an MPC-era Train Master with traction tires but need help deciding how to do it. I'd prefer to just buy Lionel NOS trucks with traction tires already installed. Thing is, the axle configuration on these newer trucks is different (see pics below), and my hunch is it may have had to do with varying successes in traction. Naturally I'd only want to move forward if there is a notable traction improvement.
In the postwar/MPC trains, all four powered wheels had flanges and no traction tires:
In the TMCC/Pullmor trains (the trucks I'd buy from Lionel), only the outer two powered wheels had flanges and traction tires yet the inner driven wheels have neither - to me they don't even look like the inner powered wheels contact the rail, and if so, to me it says traction might not be better than a postwar/MPC era truck with MagneTraction:
The Legacy/DC motor trucks reverted back to postwar/MPC configuration with all four powered wheels with flanges (and traction tires on the inner wheels). This kinda makes me think Lionel discovered that the TMCC/Pullmor trucks with just one flanged set of powered wheels even with traction tires wasn't a traction improvement over the postwar/MPC configuration:
So those with the TMCC/Pullmor Train Master, do you feel those trucks will provide a traction improvement over the postwar/MPC trucks?
In answer to the rhetorical, in the past I've tried twice in upgrading only traction tire wheels on postwar/MPC trucks. I was successful but it was a slow expensive slog in finding the right axles, in addition to damaging a fair number of axles and wheels.
Thanks all!
