Dear members,

with my kids, we have built the above mentioned set and purchased some additional cars. The train is now 6 freight cars long. Even on very shallow inclines (rises one thin plate per Lego track element), the train very soon loses traction.

What do you normally do to solve this problem, to at least increase traction somewhat? Do you use different wheels with more friction? Do you put lead or steel inside the locomotive, above the driven wheels?

Any suggestions much appreciated!

I buy replacement O-rings from an automotive store, remove the O-ring on the drive wheels, and replace them with the automotive ones. They are only slightly thicker, but have a huge amount of traction

Thank you very much, that sounds like a good idea! I will try at my local car-parts store to see what they have in stock.

Another thing you might want to try is to increase the weight above the motor. Perhaps try putting a roll of coins in the locomotive.

At six cars you might be approaching the limit of a single PF train motor though, especially with a grade and if you are using the flex track. Worst case, you could add a second motor under the locomotive, but you will also need a PF pole reverser switch on the line to one of the motors because the two motors will be facing opposite directions. So try adding weight first and see if that helps.

Ok, thanks a lot for these additional tricks. I try the O-rings first, then the coins, then the additional motor.

In case we have to buy a second motor - is this "pole reverser switch" a specialist item that is hard to find?

Ok, thanks a lot for these additional tricks. I try the O-rings first, then the coins, then the additional motor.

In case we have to buy a second motor - is this "pole reverser switch" a specialist item that is hard to find?

The pole reverser is this one.

I use the sbrick as a replacement for the LEGO IR system, and with that you can reverse each output in software, saving the space in the train.

In long trains, like

, there are two motors on one seperate sBricks in each end, controlled by the same interface, alle reversed so one control runs them all. :-)

Cheers, ok, I was not aware of what this part is called in English.

That Sbrick thingy sure is nifty! I did not even know that this stuff exists.Before fuddy-duddies like me get into computers and coding though, I go through the first three ideas for traction first… The kids are waiting ; )

ps: those toothed tracks sure look as if made for ramps; too bad one can't buy them from LEGO.

Edited October 14, 20159 yr by Useless User

Another thing you might want to try is to increase the weight above the motor. Perhaps try putting a roll of coins in the locomotive.

At six cars you might be approaching the limit of a single PF train motor though, especially with a grade and if you are using the flex track. Worst case, you could add a second motor under the locomotive, but you will also need a PF pole reverser switch on the line to one of the motors because the two motors will be facing opposite directions. So try adding weight first and see if that helps.

The PF train motor is surprisingly tough at pulling heavy loads. I added powerfunctions to a santa fe super cheif, and with new O-rings the super cheif had no problems pulling:

All 5 santa fe cars

4 emerald night cars

2 metroliner club cars

Of course the XL motor in the emerald night can pull much more than this.

That Sbrick thingy sure is nifty! I did not even know that this stuff exists.Before fuddy-duddies like me get into computers and coding though, I go through the first three ideas for traction first… The kids are waiting ; )

ps: those toothed tracks sure look as if made for ramps; too bad one can't buy them from LEGO.

The SBrick is great, but it is expensive and in this case you are probably not being limited by the IR receiver. My guess is that you do not have sufficient weight on the motor and so the wheels are slipping. You could do a quick test: pull off the decorative sides from the motor, watch the motor wheels as the train climbs the hill and listening for sounds of spinning. Then try adding a bit of weight, as per my last post.

The PF train motor is surprisingly tough at pulling heavy loads. I added powerfunctions to a santa fe super cheif, and with new O-rings the super cheif had no problems pulling:

All 5 santa fe cars

4 emerald night cars

2 metroliner club cars

Of course the XL motor in the emerald night can pull much more than this.

Agreed, with sufficient weight on a pair of train motors I've found the magnets are the weakest link, then the IR receiver not being able to deliver sufficient power...

...and all of this using the normal clear bands on the train wheels, no third party o-rinigs. On a side note, for the first year or so after lego started the battery powered train motors (RC first, followed by the current PF) you really did need the third party o-rings, the first two generations of o-rings from lego were too loose and the the bands would slip like crazy as the wheel turned inside them. Lego changed the bands at least twice. The current version that has been shipped with the wheels for the past several years seem to have the problem solved.