These may be a “dummy” questions but: My layout is not yet running, and I am planning on some operations that will require a runaround and return without turning the engines (not unusual). I have a couple of consists that have one powered and one dummy engine. Am I asking for trouble, since on the return trip the powered loco will be pushing the dummy? Maybe I should add some weight to the dummy? Has any one wired a dummy with a headlight, wired to the powered unit?
Thanks,
Bill Field
With properly-weighted cars and well-laid track, pushing a single dummy engine should be no problem at all. I’ve done exactly that on several occasions, with the rest of the train trailing. I run a 4-car subway train, also. I’ve installed a camera in one of the dummy cars, so that’s usually at the front while the powered car is at the back.
There’s no reason not to put in a headlight, either. You could either wire up the dummy engine’s wheels to provide power, or run wires from the powered unit if you always keep them together. The second option gives the the ability to control the headlight from the powered unit’s DCC decoder, if you run DCC.
With good trackwork, good couplers and a bit of decent performance from the power unit I see no issues with dummy engines.
However, because of my poor experiences with a trainset dummy B unit that was a liability in a number of ways; I choose to have all powered units all the time. In fact, my belief is so firm that BLI lost a few potential B&O E unit sales because they want more money for a Powered chassis for those dummy B units.
I see no problems using a dummy as a speaker carrier, camera carrier etc as outlined by the other poster.
When it is show time and your train is running down the track doing good and looking good, I would not know the difference between a power or a dummy in the consist.
There is no such thing as a question too dumb. It take courage and a strong heart to stand up and ask questions to learn!
Cheers.
My method of testing trackwork is to back an entire freight train at track speed. If your trackwork will permit that, occasionally pushing a dummy unit should be no problem.
More than a few European prototype steam loco models had unpowered steam chassis, with propulsion provided by the tender wheels only. Encountered them more than 30 years ago, so can’t supply brand names - but I believe that the prototypes were SNCF (French) locos.
If you want to run the dummy’s headlight from the powered unit’s DCC decoder, a two-pin minisocket and matching plug will make disconnecting the connection easy. OTOH, a four-wire connection can add the dummy’s trucks to the powered unit’s pickup wheelbase as well as connect the headlight.
Chuck (modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
I have done this, even on the club layout, without any significant problems.
I haven’t done a head lamp but I’ve wired motors to a decoder in a separate unit. If the dummy unit does not pick up its own power, one has to figure out how to transfer the power between the units. The simplest (and poorest looking) is just a pair of wires between them. I often use a sandwitch of brass and plastic for a fixed drawbar. Each brass drawbar carries power.
Hi List
Another option would be a lighting only decoder in the dummy. If its an Athern blue box or LL P2K it would be real easy to do. the TCS FL2 would be a great item.
Good luck
Pete
Good question! Now go a step farther…Fill the dummy with a sound system and run a couple of wires from the power unit’s decoder to the headlight for that end. You can use either the white or yellow lead abd the common blue. If you might want to take them apart use mini plugs and run the wires through the window in the connecting doors. the diaphragms will hide them. That way you can run either direction, so sometimes the dummy will be trailing. jc5729 John Colley, Port townsend, WA
I don’t worry about ‘dummy’ units in N Scale because they are practically nonexistent; in HO Scale I was always trying to extend my budget by buying a few ‘dummies’ to add bulk to my ‘power’. I don’t know where I went wrong - I did everything including appealing to witchcraft - but no matter what I did I just could never get them to track properly; whether trailing or leading they just loved switchpoints. I looked in the mirror one day and saw what the real ‘dummy’ looked like; I ‘gave away’ all my dummy units at a swap meet and stopped having troubles.