david1 posted:Train Nut posted:No idea why it wasn't continued. I wish it was because that's all I would have! I know they didn't make any bigger radius than O31. And some people said the thin rail made grooves in the rollers which I don't really think was that big an issue. Not enough to discontinue such an awesome looking track.
It was 036 not 031. Also there was never a problem with the rollers. The middle rail never did put grooves in the rollers. That was started by some dealer and from there it took on a life of its own. It is all hear say.
Dave
@gg1man posted:It's like to old saying, "a lie will circle the earth twice before the truth gets out of bed".
Train Nut is correct. "The thin rail made grooves in the rollers which I don't really think was a big issue." It's a fact Super O track does put extra wear on rollers. However I don't think that fact has ever kept anyone from using it. It's very easy to replace rollers, if they get too worn. I have a locomotive and a few cars that suffered from that problem, but it didn't get bad enough to have to replace their rollers. The only reason I stopped using Super O track was the price. I definitely preferred the fact the pins on either side were easier to put together and the fact the ties self-locked. (There was no need for track clips when used for temporary layouts on the floor.) The one big disadvantage was its cost. It was a lot cheaper to buy a lot of O27 and/or O track than it was to buy Super O. One could usually find used O and O27 track at flea markets, garage sales, and at train shops. Super O track just isn't plentiful nor cheap.
david1 must have never experienced it, so he doesn't believe it happened. I wonder if he believes in zinc pest, battery leakage damage, and exploding cell phone batteries. They certainly aren't common problems, but there have been enough reports to give them credence. I know I never talked to any dealer about unusually grooved rollers---nor anyone else, for that matter.
It wasn't until coming here to this forum, that I heard other people mention they'd experienced the same unusual groove wear after using Super O track. Rather than believe them, people who pray to the Almighty Super O God refuse to acknowledge their experiences as evidence. Why.....is a mystery to me. The argument appears to be, "I never experienced it, so I refuse to believe anyone who says they have." Do some people have a vested interest in Super O that makes them want to contradict this criticism levied at it?
@egg1man...... You're implying the people that have experienced it have all lied about it. To what end?* My dad and I noticed the unusual wear back in the early 1960s. We talked about it, and we agreed it was most likely due to our heavy use of Super O track with its thin rail. We never really talked about it again. We continued to use it, until our local hobby shop had a sale on O27 track, switches, and crossings. My dad bought quite a bit of it. That's when we switched over to mainly use O27 track. We continued to use that heavily afterwards. We never noticed anymore unusual wear again.
The funny thing is, I don't think anybody who has used the track dislikes it. I know I don't. I'd use it today if I could get different sized curves and switches cheaply.
* I've yet to receive any kickbacks from the Super O-hating conspirators: O, O27, T-Rail, and FasTrack teams at Lionel, nor any of their other track-producing competitors: Ross, Curtis, Atlas, MTH, Gargraves, K-Line, etc.
