Cleaning the Wheels, Tires and Track
Traction Tire Replacement Instructions
Periodically check the locomotive wheels andpickups
for dirt andbuildup, whichcancausepoorelectrical
contact and traction andprematurelywear outthe
neoprenetraction tires. Wheels and tires can be
cleaned using denatured ( not rubbing) alcoholapplied
with a cotton swab.
To cleanthetrack, use RailKing Track Cleaning Fluid
and a cleanragordenatured(notrubbing)alcohol.
Unplug the transformer a nd wipe therails of the track,
turning the rag frequentlyto ensure that youareusing
clean cloth on t herails. Becausethemanufacturing
process leavesacoatingonRealTraxcenterrail,you should cleantherails after the first
30minutes of u se ( y o u m aynotice anelectrical smell d uring initial use as the coating
wearsoff; thisisnormal). Thereafter,keepaneyeonthetrackandcleanit whenitgets
dirty toensure goodelectrical contact andtolengthenthelifeofthetires.
Your locomotiveis equipped with t wo neoprene rubber traction tires ontherearset of
flanged drivers. While thesetiresareextremelydurable, you may need t o r eplacethemat
some point.
ProtoSmoke Unit Operation
®
This steam locomotive contains a smoke unit that outputs smoke through thesmokestack
ontheboileroftheengine. Thesmoke unit isessentiallyasmall heating element and
wick that soaksup and thenheatsamineraloil-basedfluidthatemitsaharmlesssmoke.
The s moke is then forced out ofthestackbyasmallelectric fan.
With a feweasymaintenance steps,youshouldenjoytrouble-freesmoke unit operation
for years.
Whenpreparing to r unthisengine, add 15-20 dropsof smokefluid t h r oughthe
smokestack. We recommend M.T.H.ProtoSmoke,Seuthe,LGB, or LVTS fluids(a
small pipette of ProtoS moke fluidisincluded). Do not overfilltheunitorthefluid
mayleakoutandcoattheinteriorenginecomponents.
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Remove t he side rods(therodsthatconnecteach drivewheeltotheother)from
the w heelsinordertoslipthenewtireoverthegrooveddrivewheel. Thesebolts
canbeloosenedwitha5mmnutdriver.
Cleanthegrooveusingacotton swabanddenaturedalcohol.
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Makesuretheoldtirehasbeencompletelyremovedfromthegrooveinthedrive
wheel,usingarazorbladeorsmallflatheadscrewdrivertopryawayanyremains.
Cleanthegrooveusingacotton swabanddenaturedalcohol.
Slipthenewtireontothewheel. Youmayfinditusefultousetwosmallflathead
screwdriverstostretchthetireoverthewheel.
Ifyoutwistthetirewhilestretchingitoverthewheel,youwillneedtoremoveand
reinstallthetire. Otherwise yourenginewillwobblewhileoperating.
Makesurethetireisfullyseatedinsidethegroove. Usearazorbladetotrimaway
any e xcesstirethatdoesn't seatitselfinsidethegrooveproperly.
STEP
STEP
RailKing 4-6-0SteamFreightSet with Proto-Sound® 2.0
13