I know this will be inviting a slew of personal choices, but in your opinion what mfg has the best pulling power in it’s locomotive line. Not the high end models, but the Backmann’s, Atlas, Athearn etc…I have three dcc on board bachmann’s and one spectrum and am not overly impressed…Thanks, Bob
My best ‘pulling’ diesel engines are a pair of Atlas RS1 engines. They are heavy, with a smooth drive. I would suspect that Bowser steam engiens would be the best pulling steam engine models. Most models are not weighted very much. There could be a number of factors why the manufacturers do this(shipping cost/motor life/etc…). You can add weight to the point that the wheels do not slip, then stop adding weight. You do not want a ‘stall’ where the motor cannot turn - sure motor burn out!
Jim
My best pullers are a pair of E units (E7-A and E6-B) and a pair of SDP40F’s (Athearn A unit and identical shell on Proto 2000 E unit chassis for the B unit). Individual heavy pullers are Proto 2000 E7-A, an Athearn SD40 and a Proto 2000 PA-1.
“Pulling power” is a combination of weight,wheel lsurface, and motor capacity.
Wheel slip is loss of adhesion and can be a motor saver. Try to avoid wheel tires.
Don’t you mean “traction” tires? (Wheels with rubber rims that “grab” the track for increased tractive effort.)
Mark
Hello,
my roster is an assortment of manufacturers like Kato, Atlas, Athearn, P2k, Bachmann and IHC. The SD45 from P2K pull the best from all of them. The only trouble is that these engines are so heavy that it can put unnecessary stress on the motor. Kato and Atlas seem to have found the best balance between pulling power and the motors ability to do the job without getting damage. Athearn RTR and Blue Box engines seem to be a bit on the light side. At least that is my experience.
This was very obvious when a car got hooked on something at a relatively low speed with the SD45 from p2k you could hear the motor working really hard to spin the wheels. Done the same to the kato and atlas and the motor sounded like it was a lot easier for it to spin the wheels.
I wish the manufacturers would include data about their engines stating safe maximum working load amperage. This information is always on the nameplate from the motors used in industry. Then it would be easy to figure out how heavy an engine could be without creating damage to the motor.
Hope it helps
Frank
I have three diesels: P2K FA2/B2 set with the B dummied and sounded, SW-8 with metal tire swapped in for the rubber driver, and an Atlas FM H-24-66 with sound. There shouldn’t be any doubt there. (Atlas far and away, in case there is.)
Steamers: BLI - J1 2-10-4, Niagara 4-8-4, K4s 4-6-2 (metal), J1d Hudson 4-6-4, and a Duplex 4-4-4-4.
PCM - Y6b 2-8-8-2
Rivarossi - H-8 2-6-6-6
Trix - Mikado 2-8-2
New Spectrum - J-Class 4-8-4 (still very stiff, with slight lurch, pulls almost nothing)
In order, the top three are: first, PCM Y6b, with the J1 not far behind, and the Duplex tight in behind the J1. I haven’t made the Y spin yet, nor tried, but it can haul its carcass, plus the spare water tender that came with the J Class, a really great deal from M.B. Klein’s, all 19 of my hoppers with loads, and its caboose up my 3% grade with 40" radius at the top. It may not be on par with a hefty brass engine, but it is quite respectable.
-Crandell
Of the three brands you mention, Bachmann is the worst - hands down! Atlas and Athearn are both good as are proto 2000 units. Individual models in all 3 brands will vary, but most are adequate as long as you don’t want to pull 50+ cars up a 3% grade!! My[2c]
Proto SD60 and SD60M.
P2K SD50s and SD60s are the best I have. They are very heavy, due to the sheer size of the lead weight. The are closely followed by my Atlas Dash 8s but the P2Ks win out overall.
Interesting…I have mostly Bach standard lines and Athearn BB’s. The Bachs WAY out pull the Athearns. They can pull about twice as many cars. My Bach Spectrum Dash 8 can pull 20 cars up a 2.5% grade no problem. (DC version. It’s just a big weight with motor and wheels.) My best puller is an old LifeLike F-7 with power truck and traction tires. That thing can pull the walls down!
I’m sure the Athearns could pull a lot more if I added some weight to them.
Well, my heaviest pullers probably wouldn’t matter much in lieu of newer power, because they’re all older brass. But in case anyone decides to go for used brass that could be used to move houses off of their foundations, I’d recommend any articulateds by Akane, PFM or Westside. I’ve got three Akane Yellowstones, two PFM L-131 2-8-8-2’s, and two Westside L-105 4-6-6-4’s, and the only thing that limits the amount of cars any one of them can pull is simply a lack of space on my MR. And I’ve got a fairly LARGE one, LOL! They’re all work-horses, and I think I can safely say that the models i’ve got will comfortably pull as many cars as the prototypes they’re based on.
Tom [:)]
The one with the best pulling power that I own is a Hartland Locomotive Works “Big John” Dunkirk steam engine with dual motors. But this is G-scale.
My best HO is an A-B-B-B-B-A Proto 2000 E-8 Illinois Central set with all units powered and SoundTraxx DSD150 decoders in them.
I think the new Athearn Genesis F45 & FP45 should hold the crown. These weigh almost 2 lbs each. P2K SD60 and SD45 are close. The SD60 is geared down to pull; the SD45 will go twice as fast (9:1 gears vs. 18:1 on the SD60). Atlas U36C is close. BLI AC6000 also has some pull to it.
For 4-axle power, Atlas GP38-40 is about the best, out of the box. The Alcos are a bit light. P2K 4-axles pull decent as well. Stock Athearn doesn’t pull all that well, but there is room to add weight. A BB GP60 can get up to 20 oz. Pulls decent then. About 9 oz added weight is the limit for the Athearn BB motor. I tried more in a FP45, didn’t run as good.
first, let me qualify this by stating that i don’t have anything with a low nose or 6 axle trucks.(except a couple of passenger engines) in other words, i pretty much stay with power from the early 1960’s and earlier. my vote goes to the kato RS2 and NW2 locomotives. the early atlas geeps are pretty good too. years ago, i did build one monster. it was a hobbytown alco freight engine A-B-A with an oversize pitman open frame motor in the B unit and jackshaft drive to the A units both of which were loaded with about a pound of lead type slugs. It was unstoppable and we could never load it to capacity even on a large club layout because after about 120 cars the train would stringline on the curves. when we tried using it in helper service as a pusher, if the lead engine stalled, all that power on the rear end would cause the train to fold up like an accordian. after a whle, the guys at the club asked me to leave it at home. (destroyed to many couplers and draft gear) when i widened out on it the house lights would almost go dim. it was a hoot to hear that heavy beast stomp across track joints and turnout frogs. I seldom run it anymore because the kadee look alike couplers can’t take the strain. i don’t know if hobbytown of boston is still in business but that was the way to go before the atlas and kato stuff came out.
grizlump
ABBBBA ??? if the IC ever needed that much power on a passenger train, they would probably run a second section.
grizlump
While we are on the subject of stump pulling, this was a hard one to choose for me. Out of my old engines, I think it would be my old AHM remotored Big Boy. And for a newer model Atlas RS 1, for some reason this loco is heavy and has allot of bottum end power.
I haven’t a layout to test them out yet, but I’ve got an ABB three-unit-set of EMD E7/8s from Challenger that weigh at least a brick each. In addition, they have a total of 18 axles of power (50% more than the prototype which had an idle axle in each bogie). I’ll bet they’ll pull your socks off.
Mark
I have a pair of TigerValleyModels all-metal D&H ALCo C-628s, each weighing in at 33 ounces each! That’s almost 2 pounds each. They literally make the bridges sag.
On my layout, probably the P2K SD45 or Atlas U36C.