Does running a steam engine with traction tires removed damage the track or wheels? Obviously, there's a loss of tractive effort, but the engine still runs, and am wondering if over time, if it'll damage the track or wheels (due to the groove in wheel cutting the track or smoothing out the groove).
BTW: I removed the traction tire so that the locomotive would make it through a crossing without stalling. The engine is a 2-truck shay that only has 2-axles of grounded wheels, thus very limited grounding through switches and especially crossings. The other two axles (4-wheels) have traction tires, so with two tires removed it still is a good puller and makes it through the crossings.
