just bought a new sd50 proto 2000 and it is great [;)] one question is that all the faster it will run? dont get me wrong it can pull all of my rolling stock and is smooth as silk—just wondering if it can go faster–maby a new powerpack or what ?Currently i have a bachmann powerpac that i got when i was 6yrs old. still works after 20years but would a new one give me more speed? [?]
I’m pretty sure that these engines have the same motor and components as the SD60s, which are also very slow! Unfortunately, I’ve never read anything about speeding them up…I wonder if it’s possible to change a unit’s gear ratio. It’s not your powerpack, don’t worry.
They are slow, but the running quality is worth not having the top speed, at least for me. Most model railroads cannot handle high speed trains since the distance of the total run is fairly short.
I would not use the SD60’s I have on a club layout since they are slow. Your SD50’s have the same basic drive as the SD60’s.
P2K’s are notoriously slow on straight DC. The SD50’s and 60s are EVEN SLOWER. With DCC they do run a bit quicker, and you can adjust the CVs so the starting voltage will be lower, alowing higher speeds. And typically, DCC systems pack more juice than a DC power pack, so your power pack might just not have enough power to make your SD50s achieve higher speeds.
I’m probably wrong though…[?]
Many model locomotives produced these days mimic the speed range of their prototype to some degree. I’m not sure what the top speed of an SD50 is but my guess is the P2k’s top end is close to that in scale.
Your old power pack might make the engine a tad slower if it outputs unfiltered DC at 60 Hertz pulses. A newer power pack will have better filtering and regulation but may not make that much difference. Perhaps you could test your engine with a different power pack at your LHS?
ChessieFan13,
You must be one of the speed demons. Only kidding, I run 2 or 3 Chessie SD50s on a coal drag of 35 to 40 hoppers. This is what the prototype did 90% of the time. My scale speed is usually only 40-50 mph. They will run faster, but never have cranked up the throttle all the way. P2Ks generally do run slower than other locos, however, the SD50s are the only ones that I can safely throw an Atlas GP40, 38 or one of my SD35 into the mix and have no problems with the lashup through the entire speed range. I am running them on DCC. If yours are running very slow, it is possible that the problem could be the power pack as already mentioned. I would consider one of the newer MRCs. Then you can run 2 or 3 locos in a consist if you like.
Bob K.
Only way to change speed is to change the gearing.