Solution to Can Motor Torque Testing.

Figuring that I only needed to be able to test various can motors against each other and didn't need to worry about actual torque figures so long as I knew which motors were stronger -and by how much- I built a small torque arm that can be easily moved from one motor to the other.

Materials were one DU-BRO 3/32" wheel collar (left over from my model airplane days), a small length of .030 brass sheet, and two very small metric machine screws to attach the wheel collar to the brass arm.

You can attach or remove the torque arm instantly via the little-bitty Allen screw, and it will fit over anything up to a 2mm shaft, which means it fits onto just about any can motor.

Now all I have to do is attach the torque arm to the motor's shaft, attach my Micro-Mark digital scale to the arm, turn on the power, and read the amount of torqe being generated in ounces!

Results?

The old Cannon can motor that I pulled out of a Hallmark Santa Fe

2-10-0 wouldn't even put out enough torque to register on the scale, while the new Mashima can motor showed a reading of 1.78 Oz.!

The loco -that had previously strained to pull five cars up our 2.2% grades- now pulls 10-12 cars up the same hill without pause, and where it would have previously stalled out it now simply spins the drivers when it runs out of traction.

If I add a little Bulfrog Snot to the rear set of drivers it will no doubt pull a few more.

I love it when a plan comes together!

~Pete