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Well, after three years I finally got the snowfall I desired and I had an engine ready to go complete with snowplow attached! I couldn't wait to get home from work to give her a shot and everything looked great. For once the dog hadn't been out in the garden and the kids were at school all day and hadn't been out there either. The garden was pristine! It was time to put my Connie on the track and go for it.
One small problem.
There was too much snow!! It was the right kind, fluffy and light but there was 15 scale feet of it and unfortunately the engine couldn't buck the snow on an uphill grade. I don't think the snow packing was the major problem but that the engine couldn't get very good traction. The snow once broken up by the plow tended to drift down on the track and coat the rails. Unfortunately, snow makes a rather passable lubricant. Even when I backed the engine up to get a run at the drift it seemed that the wheels were spinning on the rails and preventing the engine from achieving full speed. On a 1:1 prototype I would use sand to get traction. With 1:20.3 it's not quite so simple. (Hmmm.....perhaps I should look into the possibilities of a rotary?) Anyone have a suggestion?
One small problem.
There was too much snow!! It was the right kind, fluffy and light but there was 15 scale feet of it and unfortunately the engine couldn't buck the snow on an uphill grade. I don't think the snow packing was the major problem but that the engine couldn't get very good traction. The snow once broken up by the plow tended to drift down on the track and coat the rails. Unfortunately, snow makes a rather passable lubricant. Even when I backed the engine up to get a run at the drift it seemed that the wheels were spinning on the rails and preventing the engine from achieving full speed. On a 1:1 prototype I would use sand to get traction. With 1:20.3 it's not quite so simple. (Hmmm.....perhaps I should look into the possibilities of a rotary?) Anyone have a suggestion?