MOW Loco's

[g-pa1]

I a currently looking for a loco or two to pull my track cleaning aztec car around the various tracks to clean them when I don't want to do it by hand. I am looking/ bidding on an Atlas VO 1000 and thinking about also the LifeLike SW series maybe 1200? I have consulted the N Scale encyclopedia but if anyone has and runs these locos could you tell me if they would be good for this MOW application? I have some Lifelike GP's that frankly I am ashamed to admit I have they run so poorly. If anyone has other locomotive ideas I would also like to hear about them. Thanks for any info. Gene

[untabubba]

Gene, I have two LL SWs and they are sweet little locos. They both run smooooooth AND sloooooow! I think a GP-7 or 9 would make a nice MOW loco too. I'm sure the VOs are great too, but I have no hands on experience with them. JMO Marc

[g-pa1]

Thanks Marc, Those SW switchers are all look alikes from the SW 9 to the 1200 and the VO series to me. I know there are slight design variables but I want someting that will actually pull that stubborn Aztec track cleaner car around my various tracks. It sounds like I am on the right track. Gene

[ginzokid]

Gene, How about an old Atlas GP-9 or GP-7 as you said. These guys should have enough weight to pull the Aztec car. You could paint them in a nice MOW grey or orange. I used to pull a "cleaning train" around my old layout with a pair of old Bachmann F9s that they called F7s. I had two Aztec cars, two masonite slider cars and a caboose. Those guys had no trouble with the grades or anything. You don't have to worry about your era either as even older Big-Boys were used for switching and other jobs n their latter years. Basically you need some heavy engines. And don't forget to frequently clean the wheels of thepulling engines. Remember, they get to run on the dirty track. B-) & :x

[dl85vette]

I have some L/L SW9 and they are nice little running engines. I don't have a track cleaning car (YET) so I can't say whether they are suitable. I can buy the 'heavier' theory. I like your idea of having an MOW loco. dave

[ginzokid]

Dave, The only reason I said heavy locos was because of the experience I have had with the Aztec cleaning cars. They have a Cratex roller that is skewed off center to the rails in the middle of the car which causes the roller to roll and rub at the same time thus creating an enormous amount of drag for an N scale engine and also the cleaning action by scraping along the rails. So the heavier the loco pulling the cleaning car the better. You can aways add a multicab lashup to overcome the drag though. However, I don't think that 1:1 RR would want to delegate more than one loco to such a "menial" task. Money spent in non-revenue service was always a concern. B-) & :x

[flaretired]

I know what track cleaning cars are, but what does MOW stand for? Also why do these cars cost so much? I seen a couple on ebay because I want to get one also. Chuck 🙂

[trains-n-scale]

Chuck, MOW = Maintenance Of Way Besides the overall quality of production that is exhibited in all Aztec MFG Co. models, is the increased cost of incorporating a Special-Run Micro-Trains® Line MOW car body in the Dominator™ and Eliminator™ track cleaning cars. The Dominator™ utilizes a 74000 series boxcar body, without a roof-walk, while the Eliminator™ features a 21000 series boxcar body, with a roof-walk. Neville Wilson Southwest FL

[ginzokid]

MOW is Maintainence of Way. Track repairing cars, bunk cars, kitchen cars, crane cars.....all the cars and usually older engines used to maintain the railroad tracks and right-of-way. Don't know why they cost so much on ebay though. B-) & :x

[untabubba]

I love the big pick-up /dump trucks I occasionally see with the railroad wheels that can be swung into place so the guys can drive the truck on the tracks. TOO COOL! Does anyone model one of those? Marc

[trains-n-scale]

Marc, Around the mid-1990s, someone wrote an article about scratchbuilding a self-propelled, MOW pickup truck in N-Scale Magazine. As I recall, the gentleman cast the body out of metal, as the GHQ MOW pickup had not yet been released, and the Cast In Works resin models were too light and very sparsely detailed. Neville Wilson Southwest FL

[untabubba]

Thanks Neville. I don't know if I have the skills to scratchbuild something like that. N scale motors are rather large compared to a scale truck body. Marc

[dl85vette]

Marc, I think I have a Railway Express Utilty truck with the bogies on it. I think... I forget... I have the crane with the bogies on it but I am gonna cut those off and use it as a regular crane in my steel product fabrication facility. One of these days I am gonna experiment with a die cast mining dump truck and make a trailer for it to resemble a type Caterpillar came out with in the late 60's. I can made the trailer out of styrene sheeting. the costly part to this experiment is the rubber mould kit and resin casting materials. Expensive oops if it doesn't pan out as far as selling these trucks. dave

[flaretired]

Thanks for the info which leads me to another question. Does MOW engines have a special paint scheme? I noticed in some of the posts in this thread about painting the engines. Chuck:)

[ginzokid]

Chuck, I think I mentioned this already but, MOW engines are sometimes painted grey or orange and other times the engines are just left in their original paint schemes with the lettering removed and MoW stenciled on them instead. It all depends on the practice of the railroad that is operating them. Remember, MoW equipment usually uses the older almost worn out motive power. B-) & :x