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I got this bright idea, or so I think so. I have been reading up and watching utube's on Bullfrog Snot.
I have a little 2-6-0 that could not make a 3% grade with 5 cars.
I got to thinking about the Foam Tack Glue I'm using on the layout. It dries to a rubbery state.
So I took some thinned about 15-20% to slow down the set time. Applied it to the drivers just the way BS is.
Let it set overnight. When I tried the 2-6-0, with 10 cars, up the grade it went.
I'm not recommending this, only sharing what I did. Time will tell if its track worthy.
Foam Tack is less than a $1 an oz.
Bill W.
Say Bill,
That a good modelers tip. I always felt it would detract from the electrical pick-up of the drivers and was learious about it for that reason.
Well-Known Member
Staff member
As I understand it, you only use it (either) on the rearmost pair of drivers.
On the steamer the pick-ups are on the tender so all drivers can get the treatment. On a diesel you can't put the goop on all wheels.
Check out on utube, Bullfrog Snot. There are demos for both motives.
Bill W.
A little update on my Bachmann 2-6-0. It now hesitates and usually stops at every switch frog when it didn't before. Closer inspection revealed pick-ups on the drivers. They are very hard to see.
When I applied the "goop" I hooked up track power to the tender only. The engine ran fine while hooked up this way.
So now I have to remove the "goop tire from one set of the drivers to start with then test it. The engine & tender must have all wheels active in the power/signal pick-up.
Last resort will be to run it on the flat part of the layout only with no "goop".
I will update as I proceed with testing.
Bill W.
Tonight I removed the goop from the rear set of drivers. It was, somewhat difficult to remove. Put the engine on the track for a test and it went thru the switches/frogs just fine. So it does use the drivers for electrical pick-up. I left the goop on the other two sets of drivers. It still pulled the 10 cars up the 3% grade, but with a little wheel slip. I am going to recoat the two sets of drivers and see if it eliminates the wheel slip any.
Foam Tack Glue works for me...
Bill W.
Also sounds of if you have un-powered frogs in the turn-outs. The extra pick-ups from the drivers allow the engine to pass over the un-powered frogs.
I run some short steamer locos so use powered frogs that eliminates this issue.
Interesting experiment with the Foam Tack Glue. Thanks for posting the results.
Yes the frogs are unpowered as they are Micro Engineering DCC friendly. I did solder droppers to the frogs in case I needed them.
None of the other engines have a problem with the frogs. Now that I have removed the Foam Tack Glue tires from the 2-6-0 rear drivers, it has no problems.
Bill W.
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