Joe, I’ve had the quick spark (short) on switches as well with some USA & MTH; bent the sliders back a little to clear the spark.
Yea, I bent my skates up a little, on the outboard edge, to prevent that. I have also removed the skates from some of my smaller LGB locomotives to reduce drag. Whatever woiks fur you.
No skates on anything here… when you dump the wheels with traction tires, and go to all “solid” wheels, you have plenty of power pickup, assuming you have clean track.
(or stainless 
Also, the first time you have a short through a skate, the spring overheats, and loses it’s temper and is worthless as power pickup.
Greg
Greg, yea. I purchased new wheel assemblies for my USA F3, so I can loose the rubber tyres. Who ever heard of rubber tyres on a mainline diesel locomotive anyway?
I kind of would like to do the same with my LGB Moguls. I don’t think the tyres grip enough to offset the drag of the skates, so if I could loose both, I think it would be a net gain in pulling power.