Garden Railway Forum

Hi , I'm at the moment considering adding weights to my locomotives although I'm not sure if this will actually increase there capabilities up gradients , with my roundhouse Bertie , she can fly round on the level but up gradients has a tendency to wheels slip without to much behind her, some occasions I'm sure the track is a bit slippy but I was thinking as a Bertie and simillar locos are fairly light would adding a bit of weight make a difference?
Cheers Joe

It would yes. Question is, where will the weight go on a Bertie, no sidetanks to hide in?

True but perhaps on cab floor and maybe below running board if possible, I'm sure there's space
Cheers

Millies seem to have a little better haulage capacity and inimagine that is because the burner is larger and there is more water in the boiler

Between the frames is where I'd put some extra weight... loads of room especially as the valve gear is on the outside.

The Berties are back heavy, particularly if you have fitted radio control, water gauge, etc. Put some bits of lead behind the front buffer beam

Thanks for advice

Question: is your track clean? If your track is covered with an oil / water mixture, any loco will slip. If you clean your track (a piece of carpet fastened to a wooden block works well) and your loco runs better, you've found a MUCH easier way to cure your problem!

Essentially 'wot Brian said...'

If you are having adhesion problems, the first suspect has to be muck and oil on the track - most specifically, the rail head. Clean off with an old rag, or a piece of really nasty shag carpet wrapped around a block.  Only if that does not work, consider adding lead at the front end of your Bertie to overcome its backend heavy weight distribution.

What sort of gradients do you have, BTW?  My 15mm scale Glenagalt is has a stretch of 1 in 24 which taxes 'Millie' somewhat, but she still manages 4 carriages (bogie) or 7 to 9 four wagons without complaint. Most non-Roundhouse forms of motive power baulk at the final pull of 1 in 24.

Peter in AZ

When adding weight surely it must be installed within the wheelbase of the main carrying wheels to be most effective. If it's outside the wheelbase it will tend to unload the wheels at the opposite end from the weight, cantilevering about the nearest wheels, much like a see saw. That must limit the options somewhat on a good many locos.

The comments regarding railhead condition have to be a great starting point to any problem of his nature. To do otherwise (rushing straight for the box of weights), is akin to shelling nuts with a keying hammer!

Surely adding weight to the loco will increase wear on the bearings?

What are your gradients as Roundhouse advise against anything over 1 in 36.

Joe:112569 wrote:... but up gradients has a tendency to wheels slip without too much behind her ...

If you have a gradient and train combination that is steep enough to make it slip, how do you control it when going down the gradient?

If my Millie is anything to go on, crack the regulator very slightly, and let her roll. Roundhouse locos seem to have very little desire to runaway unless you provoke them by doing something daft like opening right up and pointing her down a steep hill.

Peter in AZ

Thank you for advice , just though it won't be anything to do with vve timing will it ?

No, valve timing is set by the factory and cant be altered.

DLRdan:112620 wrote:No, valve timing is set by the factory and can't be altered.

Well, it can, BUT................... do it at your peril!

No it can't, not unless you want to take the wheels off !

Dan - can't you do it by taking the valve covers off and moving the valve on the thread, or is that on the more expensive locos?

DLRdan:112644 wrote:No it can't, not unless you want to take the wheels off !

Someone that doesn't really know what they are doing can easily screw up the valve timing on a basic series Roundhouse loco, by removing the screw connecting the valve spindle to the eccentric rod and then rotating the valve spindle. Which is how the valve travel is centred on all RH locos.

On the simplified Walschaerts locos, adjusting the return crank just gives them an additional way to screw up the timing.

Anyway, valve timing won't just affect performance on a grade, if the timing is off, the loco will run badly on the flat as well.

Regards,
Graeme

GTB:112652 wrote:Someone that doesn't really know what they are doing can easily screw up the valve timing on a basic series Roundhouse loco, by removing the screw connecting the valve spindle to the eccentric rod and then rotating the valve spindle. Which is how the valve travel is centred on all RH locos.

That was what I was thinking about - it IS possible to cock things up big time by doing that!