A Question about how Emily drives.

As of late I've been having something really eat away at me for quite a while, and I don't know why I'm so curious, but I'd like to get it out of my brain for good. I've been wondering just how TrackMaster and Plarail Emily is driven. I've seen her larger wheels with the siderods connected to them with traction tires, but I know her tender can be disconnected, and as far as I'm aware, she isn't self-powered. So, if she's tender-driven, why exactly even have traction tires on the engine itself? It's not done with Hank, Harvey, Molly, and Murdoch.

P.S.: Is it just me or does TrackMaster Charlie seem to be shorter in length than an average TrackMaster engine like Thomas?

[Super]

My guess is because of the larger circumference of the wheel. The traction tires keep it rolling and not sliding while being "pushed" by the tender. Plus it would make her free wheel better.

Something is somewhat wierd here. First, you said you've been wondering how it was powered, and asked about it. Then, you (almost) answered your own question by assuming it was tender drive (which it is).

If I recall, the Fisher Price (pre-Revolution) version, while still tender driven, didn't have traction tyres on the driving wheels.

Super's assumption makes perfect sense. Most, if not all special pieces of rolling stock (such as the chuffing Annie, the Jet Engine and the Chinese Dragon), as well as the tiny unpowered Plarail Thomas, Percy and James, have traction tyres on the wheels that trigger their respective actions, despite not being powered. I'd assume this was done for the same reason he brought up.

Something is somewhat wierd here. First, you said you've been wondering how it was powered, and asked about it. Then, you (almost) answered your own question by assuming it was tender drive (which it is).

If I recall, the Fisher Price (pre-Revolution) version, while still tender driven, didn't have traction tyres on the driving wheels.

Super's assumption makes perfect sense. Most, if not all special pieces of rolling stock (such as the chuffing Annie, the Jet Engine and the Chinese Dragon), as well as the tiny, unpowered Plarail Thomas, Percy and James which are like a counterpart to "Roll & Whistle", have traction tyres on the wheels that trigger their respective actions, despite them not being powered. I'd assume this was done for the same reason he brought up.

I see, now, and yeah, I was thinking at school today about how I answered my own question, and was hoping I could come back to fix it, but it's a lost cause by now. xP

well, miksolo, your post has taught me a few things. ive never noticed the lack of tyres on murdoch and co. i actually dug a murdoch out of my parts box so i could check.

i admire your attention to detail here. its not something that ever occured to me.

My guess is because of the larger circumference of the wheel. The traction tires keep it rolling and not sliding while being "pushed" by the tender. Plus it would make her free wheel better.

I wish Stephen had traction tires, too... Maybe a modification is in order?
Oh wait, nevermind. I mean, he probably should on the Plarail version, but only seconds after posting this I remember that TrackMaster Stephen is self-powered, and has traction tires on his back wheels.

[Ucwepn]

neither version of stephen has front wheel tires, I remember the trackmaster version "locking up" at times on some parts of track.

neither version of stephen has front wheel tires, I remember the trackmaster version "locking up" at times on some parts of track.

It happened on the automatic points, right? My Stephen has no problem with the points that I have.