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Fastest First or Last

In a double or triple header, which engine should be first? Powered "B" units do NOT go first.
Message 1 of 26
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Fastest First or Last

Bill, There will be a thousand different answers to this one. I usually put the faster of two engines in the second position. My reasoning is this. If the faster engine is in front it is pulling not only all the cars but also the heavier load of a slower engine. Look at this arrangement going up any grade and watch for wheel spin on the faster front engine. This will only burn out the motor eventually If the faster engine is in the second position it is basically just pulling the cars and sometimes pushing the slower engine which is actually pulling its own weight and helping pull the cars some of the time. This results in a little "bump and grind" of the two engines, but not so much that it is obnoxious. Now if there are three or four engines in your lash-up, I put the fastest in the rear again. Same reasons as above. But the key is, if the engines are too far apart in speed, nothing you can do with position will help. You will have to slow down the faster one with a resistor on the motor or some other electrical method. One more thing. Stick to the same brand and model engines to run together if possible. Different manufacturers have different gearing and different models also have different gearing from the same manufacturer. Pete
Message 2 of 26
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Fastest First or Last

trmwf
Enthusiast
Bill, I go the way Pete goes. I put the fastest in the rear all the time figuring like Pete said that it is really doing most of the work and I figure that it will be slowed down, hopefully enough to match the slower lead engine. Mike Perhaps group 1 would frown on a B unit in the lead but I'm thinking this group will let you get away with it.
Message 3 of 26
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Fastest First or Last

Lead "B" unit? Powered "B" unit? Switch the A and B chassis if they are the same manufacturer. Might take a little cutting, but Doug can show you all how I did it. I don't have the units any more to demonstrate with. It's your railroad. Run the Crummy in front if that is what trips your king-pin. Pete
Message 4 of 26
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Fastest First or Last

I tried running an A-A MU with the slower in front and the faster pushed the dad-burn thing right off the tracks .....too big a speed difference I guess. Is there any way to equalize these things? (That a "normal" person can do...I'm not up to rewinding coils or nothin') Marc
Message 5 of 26
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Fastest First or Last

I just read post # 2. Pete, Can you explain how/where to attach, and what "size" resisitor I could try to slow the faster down?
Message 6 of 26
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Fastest First or Last

Oh Boy! I'm not the electrical genius here. I did however stay at a Holiday Inn Express once in my life...:-) From what I have read Marc, you need to find out the current draw in ohms, using a meter, of each loco running at one particular throttle setting of say 6 volts. I think the one that goes faster will have a lower current draw than the slow one. Let's say the difference is 100 ohms. You then must insert a 100 ohm resister in line with the motor circuit by cutting one lead wire and splicing in the resister. Theoretically the two should now draw the same current and run at near equal speed. Now I'm only remembering what I have read a long time ago, so if I am wrong, please tell me you electronic experts and let's get it right. Now I'm wondering why I answered this in the first place. Maybe it was a Travelodge..... Sleepy Pete ZZZZZZZZZZAAAAAAAAAAAAAAPPPPP! (Wrong Wire!)
Message 7 of 26
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Fastest First or Last

It's a kind of "twisted kick", but I LOVE the smell of that little electric wisp.......OOPS....FRIED! Marc
Message 8 of 26
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Fastest First or Last

Marc I seem to remember you saying you had mostly Life-Like engines? Are you trying to run those together or other engines? I run LL together quite a bit and have had pretty good luck finding engines that will run together. Most GP-38s will MU with a powered PB-7 A+B set. The custom built by our Fearless Leader PB A-B-A set MUs with all my E-8s. Anyway what I'm getting at is that if you are lazy like me just keep trying to find matches. Punk
Message 9 of 26
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Fastest First or Last

The pair I'm speaking of are LL FA2s. They were not bought together. The slower is about a year old...time to clean and lube maybe? At slow (scale?) speeds it's not a huge problem, but if I "open them up" ("toy" speeds) the faster, if in second position, pushes the slower right out of the way! Maybe I should stick to realistic speeds!! Marc
Message 10 of 26
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Fastest First or Last

Marc, In your case I would put the faster one in front unless they get closer to same speed after you clean them both. If it burns out you can always send it back to LL for repair. They are very good about that and much faster than Bachmann. I have two Kato Mikes that will not run together at all so I just use them separately. Strange for Kato, but it happens. Pete
Message 11 of 26
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Fastest First or Last

trmwf
Enthusiast
One thing about the Kato Mikados was that if you were going to pull any freight at all you had to double head them until they came out with the traction tire driver set to swap out the rear set of drivers. Mike
Message 12 of 26
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Fastest First or Last

Yep. I changed mine out as soon as the tires were available. Doug has one of my older Mikes with the tires on it. How do you like it? These two new issue Mikes are funny though. Really have a big difference in the speed range. Go figure. Pete
Message 13 of 26
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Fastest First or Last

Pete That "Mike" will out pull any single diesal that I have except maybe the LL E 8s and 6s. It goes through the switch yard with no problems and will run real slow. I wish all my engines had traction tires. Even after adding weight, my LL 2-8-8-2 won't pull crap. The "Mike" will pull 20 empty gondolas up my three percent grade with out slipping. Doug
Message 14 of 26
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Fastest First or Last

As beautiful as they are, the LL Mallets will not pull. I have two of them and double head them just to get 30 cars up a 2% grade. I keep hoping that LL will come out with a traction tire upgrade for them. They sure are pretty though. And as an aside to Doug, did you see the two articles in Railroad Model Craftsman about making molds and casting? June and July 2004 issues. Right up your alley. Pete
Message 15 of 26
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