On30 0-4-2 Porter

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DanishKnight

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Not sure if this is the proper place to post this question, so I apologize in advance (Please don't boot me off the Guage! This is the best forum I've found).

I purchased the Bachmann On30 2-truck Shay, and love its speed. I found a web-site that had a table showing what loco speeds are in scale over a 3 foot section. The Shay starts at about a scale 2mph and tops out at 15mph. Great, just what I wanted.

After being pleased with the Shay's performance, I purchased an 0-4-2 Porter. I was a bit disappointed by its operation. Start speed was around 5mph, and topped out around 30mph. Its speed increased dramatically after the initial start speed.

I am in the planning phase for a fictional branchline shelf layout (logging and mining with light passenger traffic and freight to support the small population in a couple "imaginary" settlements). Shelves to be 20" wide, 2 or 3 modules to fill a 12 foot section of wall initially. Then corner modules and another 12 foot section to enable continuous running later. So I really would like all locos to run at 15 mph max, but mostly at the slower speeds. The Shay is smooth (for my taste and budget), but the Porter is jerky at slow speed.

Has anyone addressed the quality and speed of the motor in the Porter? I'm all thumbs when it comes to these things. But I can usually do most things if I have an example to follow. Has anyone regeared one of the Porters? Or installed a different motor that gives more accurate speed control? Or am I wanting too much from the Porter? I'm thinking about getting another Shay and using the Porter as a "scene" for a junk track.

Thanks for any help. The Gauge is a great Forum!
James
 
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shaygetz

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Sweetums and Bruno are on the way to your house to correct your errant placing of this question...;) Sounds like a breakin problem, it should loosen up after breaking the mechanism in. I just flip my lokeys on their backs, hook up the motors to my power pack and run them for a 1/2 hour in both directions. Then I take them to the loop and run them pulling and pushing a load for the same amount of time. Lubricate sparingly. Crude but effective. In real life, the Porter would have run in the 3-30 mph range quite comfortably.
 
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DanishKnight

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Thanks for the responses. I think my main problem is that I am expecting too much from the Porter. It was only $55. I'm comparing it to the Shay ($200), which has good throttle response from low- to high-end. Of course, I forgot to mention I did about 4 hours of break-in on the Porter, but not with a load. So will give that a try. Thanks again!
 
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DanishKnight

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Tyson, well, la de da! Take my foot off the throttle? Oh, puhhleezz! Like, I never would have thought of that! ;) You're right though, a scale 3 mph should be good enough. I'll just watch the top speed...
 
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shamus

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Hi, and welcome to 0n30.
That little porter should free up with a good bit of running, say 1/2 hour. If it's still on the quick side on startup. let me know.
Shamus
 
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DanishKnight

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Tyson, thanks, I will consider that.

Shamus, I do tend to expect way too much of most things. The Shay is great, in that the speed increases smoothly. The Porter seems to jump from a slow speed to near full gallop with little change in the throttle setting. I have an MRC 250. I bought the throttle because it advertised that max volt could be set to use the full 270-degree arc (I understood it meant at slow speed, but found out it meant at high speed: effectively increasing max volt rather than limiting as I wanted, oh well, live and learn). So...I suspect I really may be asking too much of the Porter. Maybe I will contact Bachmann and see what they have to say. Thanks though.
 
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jon-monon

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Gee, Ty, On30 has more details than I expeted, even a gas pedal! :D :D :D :D :D

Thanks for the responses. I think my main problem is that I am expecting too much from the Porter. It was only $55.
Click to expand...

I agree with Tyson, you're not expecting too much from it. I have no experiance with the On30 stuff from Bachmann, but I believe the lubricants they use leave room for improvement. To be fair, the same goes for most manufactureres of about anything mechanical. If it doesn't fix itself after some use, you might try a very good quality, light, synthetic lube that is pretty universally compatable (or remove all traces of the old lube). If there are open gears that are dry, a little graphite is probably best. If greased or oiled, I use the same light synthetic oil on them as well, just a thin coat. Grease has no benifit over oil on plastic gears and it offers resistance at lower temperatures.

Goddag
 
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DanishKnight

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Thank you gentlemen. Looks like contacting Bachmann is the next step. A load run-in doesn't improve performance. I like the look of the Porter, but not the speed jump.

Godeftermiddag
 
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