I’m trying to model a Trackmobile. And I need a motor. it can’t be much larger than 1 inch by 1.5 inches. I’d like it to be able to push/pull several traincars, totaling maybe 2 pounds. I’ve been considering several options, but I’d like outside feedback and suggestions.
#1
RC motor, alias the zip-zaps, etc. Easy to get, but I’m not sure their big enough, or strong enough.
#2
Slot Car. I’ve never openneded one up to see the size or tractive efforts, but it could be easily modified to get power from the tracks.
#3 For thiose Model Railroaders, I’ve also debated using an N scale motor. But would it be strong enough to muscle some freight cars?
#4
Someone suggests to me another idea. I’ll look into it. ’
#5
I get a Speeder/other MoW. Buit I know for a fact some of those motors are weak.
#6
I rake together 350 bucks for a brass engine. Bleak
#7
Someone points out to me a non-brass Trackmobile.
Good luck in your quest, probably not going to succeed. Reason? If you can get a motor small enough to fit in a Trackmobile, it won’t have much traction because the model wouldn’t weigh much. I’ve read even the expensive Overland brass models will only pull a few cars - and you want to pull a few pounds???
NWSL has small motors with attached gearboxes called Fleas. They have been used in the past in such applications.
Some firm has announced they will be releasing a Trackmobile sometime this year, but I can’t recall who it was. Probably won’t be cheap either.
Might be a better idea to look for a Roundhouse “Critter”, a model of an EMD 40 diesel, fairly small.
I have no idea on a motor. Maybe a Bachmann “Gandy Dancer” would work, as I have a Mack 12t that used to run on one.
What are you going to model the Trackmobile after? A tractor-type “Whiting” model, or one of the new ones? Did you know that Factory Direct Trains is susposedly going to produce a $69 DC version?
A real Trackmobile may be able to pull or push 3-15 loaded rail cars, but our models never perform like their real-life counterparts. Real ones aren’t made of plastic or thin brass, for example; and they have a very heavy engine in them compared to an electric motor in a model.
Some (maybe all) trackmobiles get additional traction by lifting up on the coupler of the first car they are working with. This exerts downforce on the Trackmobile, adding traction. I’ve got one of their brochures that mentions this ability.
And you wouldn’t need to get a headlight. it’ll glow on it’s iown!
Thanks for pointing out the FDT Trackmobile wgnrr I think I’ll go ahead and see how that one works, and see if/which one I want to model. Fortuneatly, the Weise Titan is all of 20 minutes from me right now, and not much more than that from the club.
The absolute best our models can do as far as tractive effort is what the prototype could typically do, which is about 25% of the model’s weight. Nickel Silver wheels subtract from that percentage - steel wheels do best, as does steel rail vs nickel silver rail. You can chnage the formula by going to traction tires, but that brings a whole new set of issues including no electrical pickup on wheels with traction tires.
On level track, there is inertia which is related to the weight of the cars when starting a train. HO cars weighted to close to NMRA standards weigh around 4 oz, more for longer cars. Once the train is rolling, rolling friction limits train length. In our models, rolling friction is primarily a function of the friction of the wheel set “bearings”. Car weight has far less impact on model rolling friction than on the prototype.
Car weight really comes into play on grades, and dramatically affects train length. HOn3 modelers often weight cars to less than NMRA standards to get a more reasonable train length on grades with their tiny locomotives. Not applicable in your situation, but motors, flywheels, gear boxes, DCC decoders, and especially speakers and their enclosures weigh less than the equivalent volume of lead. This means that space in a locomotive devoted to those items takes away from the possible tractive effort of the locomotive.
With motors, a balancing act is required. Too small a motor with too much weight in the loco means a burned out motor due to insufficient power. You have to balance