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 Posted - October 21 2017 : 4:42:33 PM
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Good afternoon all,
Just a general inquiry: Were Tyco PT locomotives notoriously unable to haul a load of 5 or more cars up from flat track to inclined to bridge / then off bridge?? Because, I have added new traction tires to 2 Tyco locomotives and cleaned the track near the bridge on my layout with rubbing alcohol, which worked BTW, but the locomotive can only haul about 2-3 cars tops.  :(
Does anyone else experience/has experienced this issue on their layout?? Did you find a solution?
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Posted - October 21 2017 : 6:02:57 PM
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| If you are talking about the standard figure 8 arrangement, probably not. I received a SO 76 train set for Christmas '77, brand new it couldn't make the grade on the figure 8 over and under with more than a couple of cars. I hated it.
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Posted - October 21 2017 : 6:24:16 PM
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Hmmm...yeah...that is bad. :( I don't have a figure 8 type layout, here's what I'm referencing (the outer line) Just a curve up, bridge, and then curve down.....that simple arrangement is effecting certain of my Tyco locomotive roster. Ugh]
"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in Heaven." - Matthew 5:16
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Posted - October 21 2017 : 8:22:34 PM
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| I'd suggest rearranging the risers to make the grade less steep. Lowering the bridge height would work also.
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Posted - October 21 2017 : 9:26:15 PM
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| That looks like a nice little track arrangement; makes the layout interesting with those layers. I wanted to do that, but had too limited space. I did have the figure 8 set up on the floor for a while, and I had the same problem with grade. I did use 22 inch radius for the uphill climb and added more trestle pieces to ease the grade, but I believe it was still pretty much the maximum for what you'd expect a real locomotive to climb. Forget the exact number, but 2.0% strikes me. I never had much more luck with traction tires than just keeping wheels and track clean. Maybe the best thing is to just make sure you've got the rolling stock rolling as well as possible, and maybe double header locomotives, hey?
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Posted - October 21 2017 : 10:21:10 PM
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| I run most of my locomotives double headed with both powered, saves a lot of problems.
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Posted - October 22 2017 : 09:32:02 AM
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Hmmm, yeah, if I did run more double-headed Tyco locomotives on the outer line, perhaps that issue could be avoided.
I will continue to try to clean the track - this time with an eraser, which works a bit better I think than rubbing alcohol.
"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in Heaven." - Matthew 5:16
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Posted - October 22 2017 : 10:28:23 AM
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Yes, those PT motored locomotives really can't take more than
four cars, with a caboose. Beyond that I was literally setting
them on fire or blowing out pinion gears right and left. Going
up any little grade is going to strain the PT motor's capacity
to the limit, in my experience. Double heading, as per Time Warp,
will save a lot of motor life. Harder to get away with on a
small layout, so on an earlier attempt with a GG1 that
could barely haul two coaches, I put in twin Vampire Motors
and she really does well now, and I run my stuff hard.
https://youtu.be/yTvgt7YdnbE
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Posted - October 22 2017 : 1:43:02 PM
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| Swap it with an MU2 motor, most you can just slide into where the PT was
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Posted - October 22 2017 : 2:06:16 PM
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| Agree with BNSFIA, but then you are a purist!
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Posted - October 22 2017 : 7:13:21 PM
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Hmmmm.....thanks for the suggestions. Unfortunately, I will have to reserve the C630 for another layout in the future as it still cannot handle the outer line, and is too long to grade the inner line. Or continue to clean the track. I will consider switching out the PT motor for a MU2 style also. 
This is my 200th post - WOO!
"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in Heaven." - Matthew 5:16
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Posted - October 22 2017 : 8:23:21 PM
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| Now, I have 3 pair of PT powered Sharks in service, 2 powered NYC's with late production PT's front mounted, 2 more NYC's with the original rear mount single screw PT's, and a pair of powered Midnight Specials with reworked PT's. They run great as powered pairs, and have no trouble moving tonnage. My layout is just a 4Ă—8 BTW.
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Posted - October 23 2017 : 01:34:12 AM
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Wait a minute, when you say your engine won't pull a train up your grade is this because...
1. The locomotive will stall and start spinning its wheels or...
2. The locomotive stalls and looses electrical power?
If your locomotive is spinning its wheels you may be able to get more pulling power out of it by adding more weight inside the shell.
If on the other hand your engine is just loosing power you may want to add electrical pick up shoes to aid in electrical power pick up.
If you specifically explain what is happening to your loco, a solution would be easier to formulate.
Proudly keeping Tyco Pluggers out of landfills since 2016
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Posted - October 23 2017 : 07:00:28 AM
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Yes, the locomotive will start the grade and then its wheels will just spin non stop and won't move while on the curved track up to the bridge.
Problem is, where...? On top of the PT truck, because there isn't that much room there?
"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in Heaven." - Matthew 5:16
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Posted - October 23 2017 : 10:15:26 AM
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Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but these "newer" Tyco's with
their PT motors won't pull a darn. 
On the other hand, all Tyco was designed, by virtue of the fact the
sets had 18 inch curves, to clamber around 18 inch curves. Maybe
the C unit won't climb a little hill, but are the trucks pivoting easily
or are they getting hung up?
https://youtu.be/oA6O01Q6bwM
Edited by - Chops124 on October 23 2017 10:59:39 AM
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Posted - October 25 2017 : 3:47:27 PM
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Yes, I do believe you're right.....I happen to know from the Sharks I currently have that some have "older" PT trucks for the small drive gear, as I call it, is Brass rather than in later PT motors (like in the C630) the drive gear is steel. Is that a basic indicator of when Tyco PT trucks have more pulling power????
Also, that video in your post, Chops, is great - wow, that Rock Island Tyco F7 definitely has slightly more pulling power than the C630. The trucks do appear to be turning a bit roughly inside the shell, but still, the locomotive by itself handles the grade nicely. Is the "roughness" I'm experiencing a problem, and if so, does it affect traction????
Also, I've cleaned the track with rubbing alcohol, and then later an eraser, but still, the C630 can only haul 1-2 cars. :(
"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in Heaven." - Matthew 5:16
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Posted - October 25 2017 : 6:46:12 PM
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| Anybody's guess on the PT pinions. I had three brand new PT powered locos when I was a kid, and I wrote to Tyco when the SO76 430 laid down. They sent me a replacement pinion, which didn't help.
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Posted - October 25 2017 : 9:40:48 PM
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Does the C630 run any better uphill in reverse? My PT-powered Shark (from circa 1980, with 'silver' pinion and thin axles) used to run faster and more reliably in reverse than it did going forward for some reason. If so, it should be a trivial job to swap the powered and unpowered trucks around, although the light would have to be relocated and rewired since it's usually screwed directly to the motor housing.
Another thought is, could the motor magnets have gone weak? It also sounds like the Athearn loco I recently sidelined, which could run at ludicrous speed by itself but would struggle to pull half a dozen freight cars on a straight section of track!
Another thing I have noticed is that the Tyco cars themselves are generally terrible runners. Due to the narrow and deep axle boxes the wheelsets can sometimes bind, and some wheelsets were also poorly made and have rough plastic. By slightly reaming out the axle boxes and lubricating the axles with a lead pencil you can make the Tyco trucks run a lot better with much less drag. Of course, they won't run to Athearn standards but they will be a lot better than they were when they left the factory. Of course, if the wheelsets and axles are rough or they wobble, you are better off replacing them. If you can't find any Tyco wheelsets, the Life-Like (non-Proto e.g. 80s/90s red-and-yellow box era) ones are almost identical.
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Posted - October 25 2017 : 9:46:42 PM
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The C630 might need new traction tires, I can mail you some.
I use "Goody's Hairbands." Costs like a dollar for a package of
100. Cleaning the track won't make the C unit pull any better.
Like my Tyco GG1, it would only pull like two coaches until
I double motored it. Now it runs like a beast. The C630 and
GG1 chassis and vampire motors are just about identical,
from what I can see.
Now that I think about it, you've got a couple Tyco G's, no?
How do they pull?
(BTW, that layout that my G was running on was a Club
layout, no my own little 4x8).
Edited by - Chops124 on October 25 2017 10:25:18 PM
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Posted - October 25 2017 : 10:31:40 PM
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I did install new traction tires on the C630, Calumets, but apparently, perhaps they are already wrecked due to lubing? I have installed Calumets on other Tyco locomotives and they haul a ton better, but the C630, not so good.
I do have 2 Tyco GG1's and although I don't run them on the outer line, they are powerful haulers on the inner line - with 1 GG1 being able to haul about 5-6 Athearn heavy-duty PRR passenger coaches. And, they are only single-PT motored.
Goody's Hairbands!?!?! They work as traction tires?!?!?! If so, then I can probably pick some up at Walmart or Dollar Tree. 
"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in Heaven." - Matthew 5:16
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Edited by - RP model railroads on October 25 2017 10:38:43 PM
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Posted - November 04 2017 : 7:50:19 PM
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Chops, you were 100% correct! I obtained some Goody's hairbands today and installed them on the Chessie C630 -- what a difference! Although for some reason, the third hairband traction tire just does not want to stay on....with only 2 new traction tires (hairbands), the C630 can haul 8 cars! No lie! When I had originally received the powered vampire trucks, I did install Calumet traction tires, but even when those traction tires were brand new, the locomotive could only haul 3 cars...and it got progressively worse as the traction tires become oily. Yet, with only 2 Goody's Hairband traction tires, the Chessie C630 runs exceptionally better and is a heavy hauler.
Check out the video: (btw, ignore the broken signal, that needs to be replaced. )
https://vimeo.com/241344900
"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in Heaven." - Matthew 5:16
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Posted - November 04 2017 : 10:12:17 PM
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Please use this link: https://vimeo.com/241353037
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Posted - November 04 2017 : 10:38:27 PM
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| Fun little video Robert. Cool to have track at a couple different levels; seems to add a lot of interest.
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Posted - November 04 2017 : 11:30:22 PM
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Thanks Barry! I appreciate it. :)
"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in Heaven." - Matthew 5:16
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