There were three projects I checked off this weekend – two were DCC conversions. As with the last post these were old Kato Shinkansen sets, a 500 Series and a 700 Series. Both went well, but unfortunately the 500 series had to be kicked off the layout. Turns out that it can’t handle the curves and it’s derailing.
But the 700 series runs like a champ. I think I’m going to need to open up the two head/end cars and sand off some accumulated oxidation from the light contacts as they’re flickering a bit.
The last project on my list for the weekend was an experiment. Despite completely rebuilding the West Side incline, the Turbo Train still struggles to make the climb, more often than not it would stall out on the way up. It’s always been able to make the climb on the East Side, but it would slip a little as it made its way up the incline. As I mentioned when I first posted about it, I had Rapido remove the traction tires that it came with because they were causing the train to derail both on curves and straights. So I was stuck, either have the traction tires and the train derailing frequently, leave the tires off and it struggled to make the climbs – or pull the train off the layout.
I’d been reading about Bull Frog Snot for a while, it claims to improve traction and reduce wheel slip but it’s something you “paint” on the wheels as opposed to a traction tire, so I figured I’d try it out.
Installation is easy, but you need a way to apply power to the engine while still having access to the engine’s wheels that drive the train. Even though the layout is DCC, I’ve got a dual throttle analog power pack on the workbench, one output goes to the test track and the other was free. I made a couple of leads that terminate in alligator clips, connected one end to the free output on the power pack and clipped the leads on two wheels of the Turbo Train with the model upside down on the workbench. That gave me the ability to get the wheels spinning to apply the Bull Frog Snot.
From there you lightly dip a cotton tip swap into the Bull Frog Snot and then hold it against the spinning wheel so that it’s evenly applied around the wheel. Do that for each wheel, and then let the application set overnight. That’s it.
I’m happy to say that the Bull Frog Snot works. The Turbo Train is running great up both inclines, no wheel slip, no stalling, it’s as smooth as the Kato’s and all of my other engines. Honestly it worked so well that I’m considering putting some on the Rapido FL-9 that can’t pull the Comet coaches up either incline.