Thomas' weight for hills

[Charliesgrandpa]

I have two Thomas engines HO scale on EZ track.
I purchased a rail kit for a figure 8 with its 14 pieces pier set to raise the track over itself.
The Thomas engine I have will climb the hill OK alone, but if I add 1 car it will start spinning its wheels.  Two cars almost stop it.
I have taped weights to Thomas and he climbs great so the power is there only his weight is too light.  There is no room inside of thomas to add the weight.

Is there a heavier engine (does not have to be in the Thomas series) steam or diesel that can hook up to the Thomas series cars to pull them up "Henry's Hill".

[ABC]

Only the Thomas & friends locos have those couplers, but you might be able to mount a Kadee somewhere on the front of Thomas and remove the other coupler and then after you do this any loco with knuckle couplers can be used as a helper.

[ZeldaTheSwordsman]

Have you tried opening up Thomas? There should be room in the bunker to add something for weight, maybe in his water tanks too.

You may also wish to buy a new motor-gearbox assembly for him. Yours seems to be weaker than it should be. Thomas should be able to get himself, Annie, and Clarabel, up only that much of a grade.

Henry at least has no problem, right? Assuming that's the other engine you have?

[Cheeky_ULP]

Did you ever run the model in? My Bachmann Thomas can haul many freight cars with ease.

[DrNickRiviera995]

I have even worse trouble with my James...literaly he can't make ANY gradeing....even from slight unlevelness of my layout table.  I don't seem to have trouble with any other engines, my Thomas runs just fine.

I wondered if adding weights to James would help or if I just need a new one.  Makes me wish I had bought them at a real store instead of through ebay...maybee I could have exchanged him right away then.

[StanierJack]

Got a James on order, going to see if a chassis kit I have spare will fit him and his wheelset. If it does, expect a method on making James a new chassis.

[PerfectPercy]

I have even worse trouble with my James...literaly he can't make ANY gradeing....even from slight unlevelness of my layout table.  I don't seem to have trouble with any other engines, my Thomas runs just fine.

I wondered if adding weights to James would help or if I just need a new one.  Makes me wish I had bought them at a real store instead of through ebay...maybee I could have exchanged him right away then.

I added lead weight, no melting involved, inside the cab. The other day, as a test of my newly laid track work, James can pull 3 express coaches up my hill. It is about a 3% grade. Now for some reason, Spencer can only get 4 or 5 coaches up that hill. I used to be able to get 6.  Hope nothing's wrong. I have 26" and 24" radii with flex-track. I doubt that is it though. I had them go up a hill with just about that tightness of radius.

Not sure what my minor issues are, but if you add weight by popping off the body shell, you can fit some much needed weight in there. I doubt that it is the model itself. I didn't add weight to Thomas and Percy because they are okay and they don't need to pull a full express uphill the way it is.