That is the question.
Does it matter?
Should the fastest loco go first, or should the slowest loco go first.
What if your consist is ABBA or ABA and one or both of the B units is faster?
Looking for opinions to the point of debate.
Rich
If you’re using DCC and can speed-match your engines relatively well, then do that and you’re probably not going to have a problem.
But, it’s not an ideal world, is it? Put the fastest engine in front. What you want is to have the front engine’s coupler pulling on the second engine’s coupler, and so on, so that the string of couplers remains under tension. What you don’t want is to have any of the couplers under compression, because that makes them more likely to pop apart.
Most of the time, it will not matter. The last engine will be slowed by the weight of the train. So, even if it’s faster than the lead engine in a no-load test, it will be slowed down enough that the lead engine will still be pulling against the coupler link.
My locos are all about 1 smph or less within each other for the class of locos that get MUd. So, it doesn’t really matter. But, back before DCC speed matching I would put the fastest in front to help through switches and avoid derails. I would not put 2 locos together that are significantly different in speed as it’s not good on either loco or the track. For example, no sense in sliding wheels.
Richard
Of course you need to speed match them as best you can - but one will always be faster than the other.
My thought is to have the slowest one first. This way, the couplers between the units are always compressed. With the faster one first, it will be trying to pull away off and on and bang back and forth with the second unit.
Now that probably doesn’t mean a hill of beans, but if I had to pick one or the other, the slower one would be first.
I’m not sure it matters at all. The way operations work on my layout, a consist is as likely to run one direction as the other, so the slightly faster loco spends about half its time leading, the other half trailing. I haven’t noticed there really being a performance issue either way.
It only makes a difference when running the Loco’s by themselves. Once a load is put on, unless they are grossly mismatched they should all be pulling.
Just my observations.
If you put the slowest one in front they will never uncouple.
I like the faster one in front if there is a small difference … but I thought the original poster had DCC. Why not just speed match them?
Sure you can speed match them, but they are really never run absolutely perfect same speeds, from speed step one, to full throttle.
I found if the slowest loco is in front, it binds on the couplers around curves. So I put the faster loco in front.
Also when pulling a long consist the weight of the train evenly distributes out the tension on the consisted locos.
I believe He said that ABBA,consist,that the B’s were faster,that the A’s,so he would have to have,BBAA, NO!? Or, AABB ? [(-D] [(-D]
Could not restrain myself, any longer. [:o)]
Cheers, [D]
Frank
If you read closely, that was just theoretical. In any case, why does the OP not use his DCC to speed match?
I actually did, alco_fan, but even with speed matching, one seems to outgain the other just a little bit, so I wanted to find out what others do.
Rich
Alco Fan
Just how close can you yourself get them when speed matching. I have a fifty foot loop I use to speed match and can get them very close. Maybe within a 3 or 4 inches on a good day after one lap. I find matching different brands a bit more challenging even still.
What’s your secret to getting them perfect? I have never seen this done, even by the most experienced.
That is plenty close for operating and certainly good enough for me. I never said I got them “perfect”, and that is not necessary.
To me it sounds intuitive to put the slowest one first and let the rear take up the slightly larger share of the pulling.
Thinking about it a bit further, if you put the fastest in the lead, it will lessen the burden on the trailing locomotive by relieving it of some of its towing job, which will encourage the slower trailer to maintain the same speed.
Mind you, that could also happen if they were switched.
Ergo, it don’t matter. Only if you have a pusher at the rear and it tends to cause problems by being too aggressive at a given throttle setting. In that case, you’ll be shoving your cars off the rails or you get couplers in the way of each other.
-Crandell
Alco_Fan,
Actually, my post had nothing to do with you, It was a pun,joke,between Rich and I from his other thread. He just didn’t catch it.[:-^]
Cheers, [D]
Frank
Perhaps you guys should deal with your unrequited feelings for one another in private, since the rest of us seem to be disturbing your tete-a-tete [:-^]
Cheers
As might be expected, there seems to be no definitive answer.
Some say put the fastest loco in front.
Some say put the slowest loco in front.
Others say it doesn’t matter.
My sense is that it doesn’t matter so long as they are running at reasonably similar speeds.
Rich
O.k. time for the dumb question of the day…coming to you at my expense [D)] On my Son’s N Scale layout we operate on DC. Before I switched my HO layout from DC to DCC I used to use dummy locomotives when I operated it with multi-unit consists. But for his N Scale layout he operates all modern equipment (Kato Sd70ACe’s, AC4400’s, Sd40-2’s etc etc) and we have no dummy’s. He has wanted to use two locomotives at one time on one consist but I have been leary of him damaging one or both of the locomotives, both being powered of course. So, can you operate two comparable locomotives (speed wise) together on DC or is this not advisable? Example: two Kato Sd70ACe’s. In that same vane, I see that Kato offers powered A units and powered B units for their N Scale F series of locomotives. This would suggest that you can operate multiple powered units on DC. Would that mean that Kato has manufactured both the A and B units such that they are closely matched in speed/power? If so, then theoretically the modeler could use not only a Kato AB consist, but an AA, ABB, ABBA etc etc correct? Thanks all…I appreciate your thoughts, insight, and time!
Happy modeling all!
Don.
Don, I run in DCC, but the DC guys run multiple locos in consists all the time, even different types of locos from different manufacturers.
Rich