Feight train with multiple powered engines

LostinTime

New Member
Why not just add a resistor in the power cable to the motor? You should be able to get as many engines as you like to match in speed. Resistors are available in many different values -- just try different values until you get the speeds to match or buy a potentiometer (variable resistor) and adjust for value needed . Cost is very cheap for either. (a few cents for a resistor or a buck for a potentiometer). Just add one to each of the faster of the engines. (Values more than likely will be different for each one). Nothing needs to be done to the slowest engine.

When testing for same speeds make sure that you check on the same section of track using the same controller at the same setting. (Different controllers can put out different voltages at the same settings, which will vary speed.) If you are trying to test on parallel tracks, you may encounter problems due to different voltages due to different distances from the power supply and therefore different speeds. (In other words, when testing make sure everything else is the same.) Hope this helps.
 

nkp174

Active Member
Don't worry about the motors. Pull the shell off and try to spin the flywheels...note that you don't feel much resistance. That's because electric motors work by a field...electro-magnetism. I would not worry one bit. Have you ever noticed that a heavy train will slow your engine down? Adding another engine will speed the train up if your transformer is powerful enough.
The only concern I would have if I was you would be if it has traction tires...then you could put a little wear on the gears and damage the traction tire...but that probably would take years worth of running.

If you decide to do the same with steam engines at some point...you'll probably find that you don't car for it...because the rods on a fast engine will spin like mad and slip. It looks pretty bad.

My brother and I (when we were little kids) used to send triple headed PA-1s up heavy, heavy grades with very heavy trains, and we never had a problem with it. I'm now a PhD student in engineering, and I wouldn't have any concern about lashing up several locomotives (unless they had rubber traction tires).
 

Russ Bellinis

Active Member
jbaakko said:
Um, Russ they run NCE Dcc though.

The conversation with my friend about matching locomotives took place about 1980, back when the NMRA was still dragging their feet on doing a standard for command control. No dcc standard even on the horizon at that time.
 

jbaakko

Active Member
Russ Bellinis said:
The conversation with my friend about matching locomotives took place about 1980, back when the NMRA was still dragging their feet on doing a standard for command control. No dcc standard even on the horizon at that time.
Oh, ok! Just making sure!
 
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