I am not nearly done converting the Country Highway on my layout from 'Streets to wire-guided road sections so it can run wire-following cars but I had tested it last week to see if cars ran well on the sections installed so far. Both AutomotionFX and home-made cars ran well, except that lighter-weight cars like the Karmann Ghia shown below struggled going up the 8-foot-long, 6% incline on this route. Many converted diecast models like this little VW coupe have plastic or very hard rubber tires that provide little if any traction, so that while they more than enough power, they don’t have the traction they need to climb inclines. This Karmann Ghia just spins its wheels here . . .
Bullfrog Snot liquid traction tire works well on locomotives so I thought I would try it on this car.
It goes on a pale green but dries to a transparent and soft rubbery urface. I just flip the car over, turn on its motor and as the wheels turn, lightly brush each rear tire with a thin coat. I let it dry and harden for an hour.
This may seem like the same scene as earlier, but here this car is moving nicely, without spinning its wheels, near the end of the eight-foot long inclined section, which is climbed with no problems at all. Bullfrog Snot did a good job on this car, as it has on many 'traction-challenged" locos I've had over the years.
I used commercial Bullfrog Snot today because it is easier to to get (I bought mine on Amazon) and not nearly as messy to use. However, for troublesome traction issues on big locomotives I recommend fresh Bullfrog Snot. You know what they say: “Fresh Is Best.” It’s true. You just put several bullfrogs in an aquarium as you see below, cool it down to around 50 degrees and keep the temp there for several days until the bullfrogs catch a cold and their noses start to run badly. Then you get a small plastic spoon and a vial to keep it in and collect the fresh Bullfrog Snot. Use it immediately, while it is fresh, for best results.
Yes, it is a bit messy, but we have to do whatever it takes for our train layouts!! Right?
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