This week I am going to start searching for a pair of 2343s at local shows and hobby shops. I want them to have VERY strong magne-traction, but dont know how to test it on site. Should a loose piece of track be momentarily lifted when you pick of the engine? Any tests that you guys know of?
Yes! Magnetraction works wether the engine is off or on.
Kurt
Any thing metal,except stainless. a pocket screwdriver or the clip on a ball point pin, could be easily carried with you.
If you have a baseline engine to compare at home, just carry one of those little pocket-clip screwdrivers and check your prospects in the field with the screwdriver shaft.
The track method can be a little misleading on the collector truck if the pickup rollers are trying to push the loose track off.
Rob
ADCX Rob wrote,
The track method can be a little misleading on the collector truck if the pickup rollers are trying to push the loose track off.
Wouldn’t that always be true whenever Magnetraction could come into play in “real life” operations? [:)] The “screwdriver shaft” method would certainly tell you whether the loco was equipped with Magnetraction at all – unless the screwdriver was already magnetized itself – as they often are, the better to hold onto small screws. Seems to me we ran into a similar possibility on this forum just the other day…
Make sure the metal is STEEL. Any other metal will not be attracted.
Which is why you need your baseline.
AND, some collector return springs are much stronger than others.
AND, stronger MagneTraction examples are obviously stronger than any weak field a pocket screwdriver chosen for the task might have.
Rob
Don’t let “weak” Magnatraction disuade you from the purchase of some otherwise fine 2343s. They are strong pullers with 2 good sized motors in them.
Jim
thanks for the great info guys. I wont pass up an otherwise good engine just because of a lack of strong magnetraction. Im not that shallow.
nothing to do with magnetraction, but did 2343s also have coil couplers or only 2333s? Im asking this because someone posted something on mixing around f3 parts from different models to get 1 good one. I would like to have it all origional if possible…
John W,
Santa Fe 2343’s are equipped with coil couplers. Just talking about Postwar Sante Fe F-3’s, coil couplers were also used on the 2333 and 2353.
Darrell