When I finally get to running some trains on my layout, Coal is going to be one of my main operations…For my coal, I paint kitty liter black…also gives for more of a detailed look when running (I think)…Anyway what im getting at is the cars are heavy and for the 6 finished cars I have it takes two locomotives to pull them…How to I change the locomotive pull more. Add weight? New Motor? Is there any sort of rubber or metal I can put over a few of the wheels to add traction?
Thanks
Colin
What are you running?Steamers,diesels,what scale,etc.Then you could have cars that are too heavy for the type&scale,NMRA website have these infos.Do you have too steep hills to climb?Prototype locos have their limits too.
Use half the kitty litter load. Aslo what brand is the locomotive?
Sry…Its HO scale, modern Diesel. Kato AC4400CW and an Athearn Genesis SD70M, a future Kato C44-9W, and then a Southern Pacific DPU dummy on the end.
Colin
The best way would be to lighten the load! [;)]
Are you filling the cars with kitty litter? If so, that’s where the extra weight is coming from.
When I make loads for hoppers, I make a false floor for the load to sit on. I have used cardboard, but I think sheet plastic might be better.
Here’s a pic of the false floor.
After cutting it to fit near the top of the car, I line the car with Saran Wrap. I then coat the false floor with white glue, and add whatever medium I’m using for the load (ballast, coal, sand, etc). I use several thin layers, and I coat the layers with diluted white glue and let it dry.
When thoroughly dried, I pull the load out of the car by the cling wrap, and reinstall the load in the car.
Here’s a pic of some coal loads I did a couple weeks ago.
Rotor
Definitely.
That’s a great way to create a removable load, Rotor. I have used spare extruded foam to take up space but I’ll have to try your method next.
Karl
I’ve done the same thing with pieces of foam board cut to the size of the hopper. Then I cut strips of foam board or blocks depending on wheter I want one long progressive pile or three little humps. Then I glue them to the fitted piece, cover it with plaster cloth and paint it black. It’s then just a matter of spraying it with some scenic cement and sprinkle on the coal. Done and done. My conrail hoppers came out better than these two, but you get the picture. Oh, and btw, it will much lighter than several hoppers full of kittly litter. 
[IMG]
Lighten the load. Put a block of foam rubber in the hopper then put your ‘load’ on top of it. There will be a significant weight reduction.
Ok…Thanks…but I still want to make the locomotive to pull more weight. It seems like the wheels slip sometimes. Is there any sort of rubber ring i can put around a wheel to add more traction?
Colin
This all depends on what loco you have. What model and brand name is it? Post a picture if you can. What scale?
If it’s wheels are slipping, that is a sign that it’s pulling too much weight or the loco is of poorer quality and/or too light. Traction tires are no longer used on modern good/higher quailty locos (eccept some steam locos). If it’s an old Tyco or LifeLike or ModelPower, it might have originally had a traction tire, turn the engine over and check the wheels for a groove, ( a traction tire would’ve been seated in it), there are replacement tires avalable.
If there’s no groove, then you can’t add a tire, you’re only option then would be to add weight inside.
Let us know what you have, then we can give you more educated advice.
Edit: Sorry, I missed the OP’s 2nd post.
This is what he has:
One thing that can cause slippage that many people don’t even think about is liquid track cleaning agents. Many of them leave an oily film on the rails.
Your problem is too much weight in the cars and/or grades that are too steep. These are models not toys.
The loco’s you mentioned are high quality units and there really isn’t anything you can do or add to these to make them pull anymore, they’re top performers as they are. Any one of these should be able to pull 10 to 15 cars (no extra weight added) up a 2% grade, half that up a 4% grade, 20 to 25 on level track.
Companies like Woodland Scenics make simulated coal that is very light. I know kitty litter is cheap and it seems like a good idea to fill up a hopper with it, but it’s really too heavy to be used that way. To simulate loads, follow the advice already given.
What most of us do to pull heavier trains, is the same as they do in real life, add more locomotives. If the wheels slip, add another engine. The other option is to reduce your grades.
What about fish tank charcoal. It is cheap for a one pound container.
For me, there’s nothing like the real thing. I use Rotor’s method to make a false floor. I have a friend that works at a coal fired electric generating plant. He brought me a couple of fist-sized lumps of coal. It crumbles to scale size very easily. I put a very thin bead of rubber cement along the seam. When it’s set, I spread my layers of coal, then affix it the same way I do ballast.
I add a very thin piece of sheet metal under the load on my hopper cars – I use a magnet to empty the car. The load comes out without having to pry it out or having to make the load fit so loosely it slops around inside the car. It makes it much easier when staging hoppers that are supposed to be running to a mine empty.
Chuck
Some locomotives you can add weight. I have added some to a P2K SD9. You just have to look for a spot to put it. There may be room in the athearn because they don’t desgn a weight to be super tight with a locomotive. (like P2K)
I made my coal loads from painted styrofoam (the really stiff feeling kind). I used a coarse file and sandpaper to shape the load, then painted it black. Just so you know, this uses up alot of paint, but in the end it works. I was able to do 32 hoppers for 7 bucks this way. (5 for the foam sheet, plus 2 for paint) After the load was painted, I glued a small steel plate to the underside so I can remove it with a magnet. Since I had some Train-set locos that had seen better days, that’s where I got my weights from.
Well for me I used real coal. Found some in the yard here. Its not as heavy, as kitty litter. I don’t know if you have any there thou. Might wanna keep a look out when you train hunt (if you do), and there might be some along the side of the track. JUST make sure, theres not a train comming!!! [tup]
I will second the real coal. My grandmother lives in Beaverdale PA, which is not to far from the Southfork Secondary which serves the mines, and is home to Norfolk Southerns SD80mac, my g great grandfather was a coal miner, coal runs in my family, my dad and me go up to the old mines and bring a bag for some ture pennsylvania coal. I’ll be going up there for thanksgiving, and I’ll get some more coal, and maybe railfan a little bit.
Tjsingle
I use loco traction grit for coal (I think it looks more like anthracite than bituminous, though) and a pair of Athearn Mikados can handle 12 hoppers and a caboose on a 2.8% grade. This stuff is probably heavier than kitty litter: a loaded 2 bay Athearn hopper weighs 8 oz., and train weight, excluding locos, is 100 oz.
Wayne
Those are good loco’s I would lighten the load on the cars. I Don’t know whats the problem I’ve got 6 hoppers loaded to the top with kitty litter for my ballast train and its pulled by a BB Athreans GP-9 only one and it has no problem moving it on 6% grade.