I have some tough grades (4% in a few spots). This is my first layout and I’m inexperieced. I am experiencing slippage starting at about 5 cars (lightweight Cache Creek old timer cars). Should I add weight, add traction tires, or add another locomotive? All three possibilities would work for me but I hesitate on adding a helper loco to keep costs down of coarse. Any advice would be welcome. Excuse my ignorance, but logic says that adding another loco would help get up the grades but could I experience slippage on both locos under these circumstanes ( I want to haul about 10 cars)?
What you don’t say is, will it go up your 4% grade or does it stall before making it over the grade?
If 1 engine slips with 5 cars, 2 engines should pull 10 cars without much slip. Now some slipping isn’t a problem on steep grades. One more thing to do is clean your track, at least on the steep grade. Clean the drivers on your engine too. If your track or drivers has any grease on them then you can’t pull much. Last night my 2-8-0 was having troble on my 0.5% grade so I wiped the track down with a paper towel. Wipe it until you dont get any more black stuff coming off the rail. To clean the drivers you would set it on a paper towel on the track and have the last (or first) axle touch the track for electrical contact. Then you spin the drivers on the towel until most of the black grime is gone. you may have to hold it in place to keep in on the towel.
hope this helps.
Thanks for the excellent tip. My engine does make it up the grade with 5 cars but the slippage is excessive. I mean it just BARELY makes it so adding more cars will probably make it impossible. I’ll try cleaning things up first. Thanks, Patrick S.
If it barely makes it up, then you need to do something. You don’t want it to slip that much. If this is the only grade that gives you trouble, I’d just use a helper to get up the grade.
Roger that
In reply to your post, extra weight will not help. The adhesion of the drivers will not be helped by more mass (weight). Cleaning as suggested. Alternate is can you lower the grade? Lot more work but cheaper, maybe, than another engine. Mine slips with 10 cars on 2.5%.