MR engine reviews

Tungsten, maybe?

Since this thread has morphed way off-topic, here is another one:

Mountain Goat: I don't have a problem with your signature's political statements. But I think it is silly to have a signature which is longer than your acual posts. :-P

Peteski

Since you asked.

On the top level of the layout, relatively level with some .5% and one short 1.0% grade, 36 inch minimum radius curves:

Bachman USRA light 2-10-2 Bachman 28 step DCC no sound - 21 cars (20 loaded Athearn twin hoppers and a caboose) stalled often on a reverse curve leading to a bridge, gauge is right on the NMRA standard here, possibly should be slightly widened as other members say their 10 coupled engines have problems here

Sunset GN Q-2 2-10-2 TCS T-1 decoder, no sound - 21 cars (20 loaded Athearn twin hoppers and a caboose) on that reverse curve leading to a bridge, would spin drivers but not stall (no blind driver)

Broadway USRA light 2-8-2 QSI sound decoder - 26 cars (25 loaded Athearn twin hoppers and a caboose) Never stalled or spun drivers, just ran and ran for three hours till I took it off and ran diesels for the rest of the day.

How tight a reverse? Any straight in the middle of the esses, and if so how long?

About two foot straight between the two curves, both curves are > 36", I believe they were done by eye, just to avoid the 'bowling alley' effect of having the track parallel to the aisle. The 36" curve is at the end of the aisle. Track is Shinohara code 83 flex but hand laid over the bridge. When the engine is on the easement going into the 36" curve the train is on the reverse curve and the tangent between the curves.

Eight coupled steam (and smaller) and B-B or C-C diesels have no problem here.

There's a variety that I use, some are longer, some shorter, they change randomly.

And that leads to binding, while the 2-10-2 can negotiate a simple 36" radius without binding up? Difficult to see why, given a 24" length of straight between the curves - are all the tangents easemented?

I understand that the engine has a long rigid wheelbase, but blind center drivers help some. Does the 2-10-2 get through the initial part of ess OK?

Or - - is it a matter of the motor stalling against the increased drag of the train through the ess?

Just a thought--- Have you looked at the 'level' of the track? I.E. is there possibly a twist, while going from one 'superelevated' curve to the next 'superelevated' curve? That could be enough to cut the applied 'tractive effort'. JMWAG

Chuck D.

yes

Yes it does, now the train is going to increase in resistance as it is in the S curve, and short tangent compared to the same train on straight track. I'm not sure here but in my opinion the engine is too light.

Good question, I'll look tonight. The curve on the bridge is super elevated but I don't think the S curve is.