Hello,
I just built a layout that is permident and am having issues with the older engines going around curves and up little hills. I am using Ross Custome Switches and some GarGraves track. It seems that when the engins, pulling 5 or 6 cars goes up a very little hill, 1 inch to the curve, it slows down and almost stops. I can hear the wheels turning but it does not stay the same speed as it does on the lower part of the track. Is there anything I can do to help with the traction on the engines?
Rob in Vegas.
Gentler slope, more weight on drivers, magnetraction (with steel rails), traction tires. What do you mean by "1 inch to the curve"?
Bob Nelson
I suggest you clean the track. If it has any oil or grease on it, the loco wheels will slip very easily. Example, I put together a loop of 072 track recently to test a modification I had made to the post war couplers to make them so they wouldn't open. One of the test locos I used was a post war 2032 which is has a single motor with magnetraction. It would pull about 20 cars when the track and the loco wheels were clean. I clean the track by using two rubber bands to attack a pad made from paper towels to the bottom of a gondola. I can add weight to the gondola as necessary. I wet the paper towels with isopropyl alcohol and then run the gondola around the track using one of the locos. This cleans the loco wheels as well as the track. When the track gets clean enough that there is very little dirt on the paper towels, then I call it good enough. Here is a link to the post on fixing couplers. http://www.modeltrainforum.com/showthread.php?t=29954&highlight=fixing+post+war+couplers The post has the information on the number of cars the 2032 would pull. I also used a 2353 which has dual motors for part of the test. The modified couplers never came open by themselves.
Dittos to cleaning the track. I recently laid some Atlas track for a trolley line on the layout, put the trolley on the track, powered it up, and NOTHING.
Muttering "Whiskey Tango Foxtrot" to myself, (I can hear all you veterans giggling out there!) I thought, "I wonder if that track's got rust inhibitor on it ruining the conductivity?" Got out the alcohol and a cleaning pad, scrubbed away, and then lo and behold, no more problems. The trolley ran fine.
So give that new track a good cleaning. Check your locomotives wheels too while you're at it, make sure they're clean and dry.
I built a layout with the formfoam. The pink stuff. I used a scraper to take the foam from 1 inch to nothing on the table. I did this about 3 feet so it has a slope that is gradual. The trains ran fine and then started to slow down and evently stop in the turn iunder the tunnel. THe wheels just turn and the engine won't move after awhile. It goes around the track about seven to eight times until it stops in that cornor. Also when the train is moving the coal car uncupples from the rest of the cars. It is like the magnet uncupples the cars, but I don't have an uncuppler on the track.
This is the layout I am doing, but I added the outter track, which nis the problem.
http://ctt.trains.com/how-to/track-plan-database/2014/10/big-steam-in-the-coal-fields
Rob in Vegas
That layout has a long diagonal bridge over the yard, from the front left to the mountain in the back right. That diagonal track needs to be 5 or 6 inches higher than the yard tracks and other mainline tracks that it crosses over. So you must have more than 3 feet of 3-percent grade somewhere on the layout.
I would build that layout with the grade on the outside track starting at the left-front corner, where it passes under the end of the diagonal track and use all of the 30-foot or more perimeter of the table to get the necessary clearance over the yard. That would be a grade of only about 1.5 percent, which is pretty easy.
But the distance of the loop through the mountain is much shorter, and the grade is going to be 4 or 5 percent, which is steep. I would not expect many trains to make that climb. So I would concentrate on running trains in the other direction, climbing easily around the outer track, crossing the bridges, then descending rapidly through the tunnel, just as the illustration in the magazine shows.
Just curious, did you use the pre-curved GarGraves track on your curves, or did you bend it yourself?
I used the Ross Curve track. I just used the Gargraves 37 inch track for the long runs, everything else is Ross. I am into this for 2 grand already, but I know I won't be sorry with the Ross like I was with the Lionel tubular track and switches. I need to sell a box full of o31 track and truss sets.
I cleaned the track and all runs well now. I already have the incline to the top of the mountain on the one side and it is 6.5 inches above the rest of the track below. I had first done the incline too steep and had to cut some off so, I started the incline right after the mountain and took it to the end of the table, it should work fine. I will try it tomorrow with an old steam engine. If that makes it up the hill then everything will. I have two diesal engines and 14 steam engines. Can anybody recommend a good oil to use on these steam engines. They are very old and it is time to lube them up.
Rob
Glad everything's working for you now. As far a lube is concerned Servoguy swears by motor oil. I haven't tried it yet but I've used modern synthetics like Tri-Flow with good results.
Ran the traibs today, after lubeing them up. The garage is about 90 degrees all the time. The trains ran on the unclog very well, little slowdown but it will work.
Thank you, OK so I sold all my old Lional trains and got good price for them. Now I am going to go to HO scale. I did a great layout it was 8X12 in Lional but I want to make it in HO scale now can I fit it into a 4X* now, I have less room, wife took back garage.
HO? How Ordinary!
Just kidding! Best of luck with your new endevour! You may want to look into the Model Railroader site for tips and advice, if you're not doing so already.
Have fun!
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