Southern Pacific Switching Layout

[Green_Elite_Cab]

I too would recommend acquiring a set of jeweler's files if you don't already have some. They are incredibly useful.

In the future, apply solder from the sides of the rails, and only a little bit. Use smallest diameter solder you can find, it is the most easy to control.

It sounds like there is a track problem, not your switcher. even though you soldered a joint, it may not be making a good connection still.

for clean tracks and wheels, a track eraser (bright boy, whatever they sell), and Orange-clean will do the trick. I poor some orange clean on a paper towel, lay it over some tracks, and hold one end of the locomotive down on the paper towel while its running. if it starts getting REALLY black on the paper towel, shift it over a bit (this is a problem on the "old" athearn wheels, they LOVE dirt). shift the paper towel again to a dry spot to remove the orange-clean (this can make your wheels a little slippery), and wipe clean whats left.

Flip the model around, repeat. For freight cars, just keep rolling the car back and forth over a orange glow wetted paper towel.

For tough grime, a screw drive can be used to scrape it. worst case scenario, remove the wheels and clean individually.