Starting to speed match my fleet of locomotives. Wondering what others use, speedometer, stop watch or just trial and error?
Thanks
Slim
Look below. This is model railroading, not rocket science.
http://home.cogeco.ca/~trains/rroperat.htm#sp
Rich
Yes, a stop watch can be used. But if you plan on using the 28 speed step tables, a speedometer is a lot easier and faster.
Subway cars of LION are 50’ long.
Subway trains of LION are 6 cars long. Ergo 300 feet.
LION built a table based on the time it takes six 50’ cars to cover 300 feet.
It works in HO, it is the same in the 1:1 world. LION can look out of the train room window at the BNSF (nee NP) mane lion and using a stop watch can count off six cars and the knwo the speed of the train. The LION can tame a six car train on the layout of him as it passes say a signal mast, and then know the speed of it.
ROAR
A prototypical train, moving at One MPH travels 1.467 ft per second. Thirty MPH = 44 ft per second (rounded off). A train of 300 feet in length would travel 300 feet in around 6.8 seconds. Using scale feet to determine scale speed, do you also have to use scale seconds to be accurate? How do you measure scale seconds?
You need to time Scale seconds? You need a scale stop watch… [:-^]
[(-D]
Speed tunnel…
No. 300’ is 300’ in 1:1 or in 1:87. That is I am counting six 50’ cars. That builds in the difference between the scales.
ROAR
On the prototype, 60 mph is 88 ft/sec. 30 mph is 44 ft/sec. 70 mph is 103 ft/sec. On an HO model, the scale is 87.1. That is darn close. I marked off scale ft increments on our club layout, and we use that for speed matching(and we just use a cheap watch). You just have to be close.
I normally set my max speed(CV5) for 70 mph, and mid speed(CV6) for 35 mph. If you are using a Tsunami decoder, you will need to create a custom speed table.
Speed is actual - There is no ‘scale seconds’…
Jim
I used a stop watch and distance. 10 feet in 10 seconds ~60MPH. I did most of mine with speed tables and JMRI software. I read on this forum sometime ago about setting top speed then locking in. Low speed and lock that in then setting the slope. Mid speed and lock in and maybe some minor adjustments. Took a little practice but it worked OK.
A mile has 5280 feet, if I divide that by 87 (HO Scale equals 1/87th) an HO scale mile works out to 60 feet. This makes it simple then, a speed of 1 foot per second equals 60 miles per hour in HO scale. Since seeing how long it takes a loco to go one foot is difficult to time, timing 10 feet makes it easier. If my loco takes 10 seconds to travel 10 feet, I’m close enough. There is your bench mark. 20 seconds to go 10 feet equals 30 miles per hour.
Apparently you can lead them to water, but…
Maybe a link would help the uninitiated:
http://store.sbs4dcc.com/ModelRailroadTechnologiesAccutrackIITrainSpeedometer.aspx
Have Fun! Ed
Maybe, like me, $70.00 for that item, is more than people want to pay to determine somethings as simple as scale speed! You can lead a horse to water; but, horses are notoriously poor folk, who likely won’t cough up $70.00 for a glass of water!
I’m just the messenger! I only provided the link for the convenience of fellow forumites that may not be familiar with “Speed tunnel…”.
I use this handy calculator to time my engines between two white push-pins which are 100" apart:
http://www.stonysmith.com/railroad/speedcalc.asp
Aside from the cost of the computer and internet service, and maybe a nickel for the two push pins, it’s a bargain!
Enjoy, Ed
I understand the $70 thing. But I believe that you are missing the point. The goal was not to determine the scale speed as a loco passed by a particular point. The goal was to adjust the scale speeds along 28 points on a speed curve, and to do this for multiple locomotives so that they will run with each other to the satisfaction of the owner.
I can multiply and divide using pencil and paper, or I can use a calculator. The speed tunnel is for expediency. If someone wishes to speed match multiple locos, the speed tunnel will v
Although it is quite simple to calculate, I have more fun using this App for the iPhone. And it is free.
Very easy to use. It is like a stopwatch but with the reading in mph (or km/h) in whatever scale you choose.
You do realize, i assume, that you only need to do this for one loco in your fleet, and then calibrate all the rest against the one ‘gold’ unit which can be done visually without timing it or using speedometers or speed tunnels. That’s why, among other reasons, people are recommending the simple two measured points and a stop watch type of thing over an expensive specialized apparatus. It’s one of those DCC Truisms, that just because you CAN do something doesn’t mean you HAVE to - eyeballing speed matching is plenty close enough. Two or three locos together with a train behind them do a pretty good job of evening out the pull amongst themselves unless they are WAY out of whack, like on speed step 20, one is trying to go 80mph and the other is only going 30. If one’s going 40 and the other 45, it’s still fine, they will work together anyway.
–Randy
Okay, my head hurts.
I count one one thousand, two one thousand as a 40 foot box car goes by a telephone pole. I figure one second is about 35mph. Is that close enough?
Terry in NW Wisconsin
Randy…you do realize that after you calibrate that golden locomotive, it’s performance will change with time and every Loco that you match to ot will also be affected by its’ wear and tear? It’s better to calibrate to an unchanging external meter. Just saying.