Model Railroading > Wheel Slipping Issues

Need some help from those of you who are experienced with operations.
I have a older Kato HO Dash-9 Warbonnet (I actually have two of them) that has poor pulling ability.
The wheels spin when starting to pull a 20-car train (half reefers/half autoracks) and it won't pull the train.
My Athearn engines easily pull the same train, except for my Athearn U50 that also spins the wheels and won't pull the train.
The wheels and track are clean, my layout is level, and I'm starting to pull the train on a straight section of track (with the train stretched around two curves).
Given that the wheels spin, do these engines need added weight?
Or, are the Kato's just incapable of pulling like my Athearn engines?
I know I could consist the two engines, but it seems that one Kato engine should pull as well as one Athearn engine would pull.
Am I expecting too much from my Kato's?
Phil

Do you have a small scale ? Weight your Katos and your Atherns you may have to ballast the Katos down

Good suggestion.
I got out my postal scale and weighed the Kato @ 1.25 lbs.
Then, weighed a BLI road engine and it weighs nearly 1.75 lbs and pulls the train perfectly.
Not sure if it's even possible to add 1/2 lb of weight to the Kato.
Or, if it would make a difference.
Phil

Exactly why prototype units are ballasted.  ;-)

traction (starting) depends on weight, not horsepower

CSX AC44H - H for heavy

I've never had an engine apart and am not going to start with my Kato's, as it appears to require removing the delicate handrails.
I'm guessing it would need to be ballasted 1/2 lb and I doubt that there's any way to do that.
Meanwhile, I ran the two Warbonnets as a consist and they pull the train perfectly.
That's the way they should be run anyway, so that's what I will do.
Stunning pair of Warbonnets when they're in a consist!
Phil

Ten cars per engine. Not prototype, but it works.

With the train wraped around two curves, it requires more pulling power than strainght track.

Is there any reason you need to have one loco pull 20 cars? I would just add a second locomotive and not worry about trying to weight it down. 

Ted Curphey
Ontario, OR

Hi Ted ~
That's what I'm doing now.
I got spoiled by being able to pull 20 cars with my other locos.
Phil

Phil, try looking up a product called "bullfrog snot", it is a liquid that is applied to the drive wheels and once dried acts as a traction tire to dramatically increase pulling power.

Posted from iPhone

I've settled on consisting my two Dash-9 Warbonnets as a solution.
They look good together and pull well together.
Phil

And how does it wear? Is there any trasfer to the track requiring cleaning and also how about electrical contact?
The U50 Athearn is too light, dont even own one yet, and also only has two powered trucks one on each end.as its a BB style. I have both Athearn turbines they are exactly the same setup and they will not pull squat either, solution put two or three SD or GP uints beind them and problems solved, get another U50 and double head.
All of my GP and SD units weight over a pound some not much go to Harbor Freight and buy two of the grams scales they will set you back about twenty but then you are able to weigh both ends and balance the weight better. We do that in 1 1/2 inch scale with one scale. If using just one scale
both trucks have to be level with each other, found out the hard way that just a little will make a large diffrence in 1 1/2".  For the steamers in large scale each driver each pilot and trailing truck assemby is weighed seperate.
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> Phil, try looking up a product called "bullfrog
> snot", it is a liquid that is applied to the drive
> wheels and once dried acts as a traction tire to
> dramatically increase pulling power.
>
> Posted from iPhone

Thanks for the advice.
I solved it by consisting my two Kato Dash-9 Warbonnets.
I was surprised, when I weighed them, to find that each weighed about 1.25 lbs.
My BLI AC6000 (which will easily pull 20 big cars around curves) weighs about 1.75 lbs.
Just for fun, I may consist the SP U50 with a DDA40X!
Phil