Anybody tried to raise a rail height surface with a thin layer of solder?

Run 2 Beeps. Run a wire between the 2 and connect the hot and ground of 1 Beep to the hot and ground of the second Beep. Or use a car with a pick up wheel set. It will never stall on any switch

Jim D.

Have you tried adding extra weight to the engine?  I did this on an MTH trolley, and it worked well.  Automotive wheel weights work well, are painted black, have an adhesive backing, and can be mounted either under the engine or inside the body shell.  Just a thought.  I would not go the route of adding solder to the top of the track, as it will make everything else that passes over it look "wonky" -.

Since the only issue is with a "Beep" ( why anyone would have one in the first place is a puzzle 😁 ) those 2 suggestions seem better than using solder to raise the height of the rail, which might impact all your other stuff.

Mark in Oregon

I agree with the others suggesting fixing the BEEP rather than modifying the track.  How thick is the tire?  If it is a thick tire like Lionel tends to use, try replacing it with a thinner MTH tire.  Adding weight over the wheel that "floats" is also a good suggestion.

Other options include using thinner tires that don’t increase wheel diameter. I use undersize tires for this that get thinner when stretched out. Also solder jumpers to the switch points so all outside rails are connected. Use wire mesh at the hinge point.

Pete

"Woe to Ye who covets a BEEP, for it may descend Ye unto Madness!"

Thanks for all advice!  Additional ideas are welcome.

Mannyrock

Put a traction tire on the other side to lift the lower side up.

It is doable, but not easy. I have an excellent iron and use good solder (Kester). Depending on how thick you need it, it may need to be built up in layers.

It's hard to keep it even, so I  built it up slightly higher than what I actually needed and then did a good bit of grinding  and polishing to get it smooth and even.

How about just swapping the traction tire to the other side ?

@Richie C. posted:

How about just swapping the traction tire to the other side ?

Then it would fail going in the other direction!

Maybe shim the track just a little bit in the offending area. I think I would try that first.

How about a piece of copper foil as used by makers of stained glass artwork?

@gunrunnerjohn posted:

Then it would fail going in the other direction!

Hah ! - not necessarily - the OP said that " just touch(ing) the engine towards the common rail side while it is stalled, the floating wheel makes contact and the loco zooms off", so the height differential appears to be miniscule. Allowing for minute tolerances in wheel diameters, rail heights, uneven wheel sets, etc., swapping sides might work.

We'll never know unless he tries it (and hopefully vindicates my suggestion) !

Manny you said "One solution would be to remove rubber tire from the front wheel of the common side.  This would level out the engine.  But, I use the BEEP as a road engine, to pull 5 cars or so, and I think that without a traction tire, it would not be able to do this."  Are you just assuming this would happen or have you actually removed the tire?  Personally I would not make any modifications to that section track but would try some of the engine modifications that have already been suggested.

I don't see why the initial proposed fix wouldn't work--just brush some flux across the offending area, load up your iron tip with solder and swipe it across the fluxed railhead. Just like tinning a joint. If it doesn't work you can remove it with the same iron plus some desoldering braid.

---PCJ

Maybe I have missed it, but why not just electrically connect both outside rails at the offending point?

One of the more valuable lessons I’ve learned over the years - unfortunately, the hard way - is to never make an adjustment to a switch to accommodate one engine if all your other engines pass through with no problem. There are several good suggestions above that don’t require tampering with the switch and those are the ones I’d suggest you focus on.

Curt

Take a single strand of copper wire from a length of stranded wire, such as a section of an extension cord, and lay it lengthwise along the top of the rail. Use solder and that piece of copper.  Use more strands until you get the correct height.

Use adhesive backed copper tape. Its adhesive on one side, conducting on both:

https://www.amazon.com/Conduct...unding/dp/B0741ZRP4W

Then after you realize that all those advising you to fix the Beep and not the switch are giving you sound advice, you can easily pull off the tape

Robert Buck of York can install a battery powered remote control unit in this piece and your troubles will be totally over.

I had a couple older steam engines which had less than ideal wheel base configurations which now with Battery R/C,  are the most dependable powered units on my roster.

Battery R/C is the future.

IMO, Leave the track alone if every thing else works fine.