I´m just curious if you also do double tractions on your HO trains. Or do you even couple more than 2 locos togehter pulling a train? And what kind of locos are you doubleheading?
Also known as “consisting” or “MU-ing,” we do it all the time. Right now, I’ve got a pair of GP-9’s together for freight work, and an F7 A-B-A string together to pull the passengers around. Unfortunately, there is actually only one powered unit in each of these combinations. I had a layout 40 years ago, and most of those locomotives didn’t survive the “second transition era” to DCC. So, I run them around as dummies, or “honorary engines,” as I prefer to call them.
I’ve got another GP-9 in the roundhouse right now, awaiting a part from Lifelike/Walthers, so I can run it again. Then I’ll have a true powered consist.
DCC, by the way, allows you to easily set things up so you can control multiple engines with the same commands. It’s great to be able to bring the locos together as individuals, and them add them to the consist and run them all as a set.
Almost all my trains run more than engine, all are powered. I have some equipped with DCC for running at a club, and others running just DC for my home layout. I run E units together for the passenger trains, GPs, SDs, Fs, and U-boats mixed and matched for the freight trains. Some are not just double headed but even triple headed, 3 SD-7s for a coal train.
Rick
Nice! I´ve got my Super Chief, which is always powered by a A-B-B-B-A Set of F-7´s. Only the A Units are powered. And sometimes, I add a 2-10-0 to my 4-8-8-4 for my UP freight train. I think especially steam doubleheadings look great.
I run 45-50 car frieght trains so multiple unit consists are a must. I’ve rigged up some 3 unit and 4 unit (w/ one of the Bs a dummy) as permanently sets and swap out the shells when I want to change prototypes. The units are connected w/ metal drawbars w/ the trucks changed around so all the wheels in a consist ground on the same rail and all the units are connected w/ an electrical buss so that each motor draws current from every wheel in the cinsist (including dummies). Much much smoother and almost impervious to dirty track!
Consisting or MU-ing for me was a no-brainer since I run two long (60 car plus) trains on my new Bachmann E-Z DCC controlled layout. I like to consist my two Bachmann Dash 8-40CWs in CSX paint for an intermodal train and my three Bachmann GP-38-2s in CSX paint for a general cargo (boxcars, gondolas, grain cars, whatever) train. Consisting is a very good way to add power to your trains so you can pull many cars. It also makes your trains look realistic as mainline freight trains. [8D]
-Brandon
You are all very correct to this topic. Just remember one thing…Longer Trains need more HP! Adding an extra Unit to you consist will make a BIG difference.
I don’t run more than one engine unless a single engine spins when pulling the train- then I’ll use 2 (or more). I also want an ABBBBA set of F units. Chicago Great Western ran trains w/ that kind of power all the time.
I’m running lightweight steam locos on 30/1000 (3%) grades, so multiple powered locos are the order of the day. Some trains get pushers. Others run into staging doubleheaded, so the pusher gets a break. Usual road power is a 2-8-2 or two, while the ‘designated pusher’ is a 2-6-2T - just like my prototype!.
HOLY MOLY! That’s a hell of a Grade.
Nah! My Big Boy takes a 5% grade with 25 cars easily…well, it´s a Big Boy!
Sure, I use 6 big 6 axle monsters to run the nearly 200 car stack train at the club. Now, in all truth I really only need 2 or 3, but 4 on the front and 2 on the back sure looks neat!
Now that has got to be realy cool to see.
[#ditto]