Over at CTT do they test top speed on train engines? What length of track do they need to do this?
Boyd…I always wondered if anyone has ever measured and publicized top speed. You’d need better than 45 feet to do that for some. Maybe someone will repond to your thread. Then we can get into which of our engines seems to be the fastest.
Jack
I don’t think they test max speed per se, to see which is fastest. I remember some discussion about building a “drag strip” for engines, but not that they test. From my own experience, my fastest engine is probably a 1689E, that puppy will fly! The more modern engines are geared for more realistic running speeds.
Dennis
Call me crazy, but I would not be surprised if the winner is a post war Lionel Scout . . .
I use to have a 1688 and if it had wings It would fly. they get up and go acually had 2 different ones both the same.
I believe you will find it is between prewar or postwar engine the only exception might be a williams as there know to fly also.
Atlas Trainman Gator. Mean as it looks. Unless you harness it with a TPC 300, takes off like a rocket at 6 volts, hyperspeed at 12 volts, At 18 volts knocks a hole in concrete wall. Woa Nellie!
CTT still lists low and high speeds in the loco tests.
Back in the 1990s Lionel made a series of cheap-o small switchers with can motors using the shell from the postwar motorized unit switcher (like the Air Force switcher). I honestly could barely keep these babies on the track using the lowest setting on my transformer! They literally FLEW down the track and usually took off into the air at the first curve.
I would put their speed up against anything Lionel ever made!
I believe the highest speed we’ve ever measured was 252 scale miles per hour with K-Line’s original six-motor F7 rig (nov 97 CTT).
I have a 20+ foot straightaway on two sides of my layout (with O-72 curves running into them) for the high-speed tests. All published review speeds are “running light” though I’ll go crazy and run them wide- open with a 30 car train in tow (and occasionally leaving rolling stock flying off the end of the train as it whips through curves.
I’ll put in a plug for my 1990’s vintage #2000 Blue Jersey Central 2-4-0. I swear that thing is fast. I like to do the drag race thing with it, it just flys…!
Bob: [(-D][(-D][(-D] ROFLMAO When do we get to see that video?
Kurt
I’ll put in a plug for my vintage '90’s #2000 Blue Jersey Central 2-4-0. It’s all plastic and just FLYS!!! I’d love to drag race that thing, it really gits…!
Alas, that was pre-web days. It was quite a rocket, though.
Among my stuff, I would say the No. 50 Gang car, or the No. 4 (Prewar Electric).
Bob, I think I have one of those sets in Lackawanna. Will have to do a little test…
Dennis
As I read this topic going down through the posts, I’m saying to myself that nothing is faster than my Kline F7…it’s unusably fast. It launches off the layout more than any other engine I own. It’s metal and heavy, and goes fast at 5 volts. Each unit has 2 motors. There is no creap along speed…
TTOS has races at their Cal Stewart meet in Pasadena. A few years ago, there was an old Marx engine that absolutely flew by all of the competition.
Earl
Although it’s not O gauge, I had an Athearn Hi-F drive engine that used to scream. When I was about 10 years of age I used to remove the shell and pretend it was a AA fuel dragster. It was faster than my Marx 400.
Here is a “not so scientific” video of a MTH 4-4-0 general with cruise control vs and a K-line F7 dual can A unit. As I pan across to the transformer running both trains(and past a beeeuuutiful John Deere boxcar!), you will notice that the throttle is probably at some 25% of max. The F7 is pulling 9 cars, and burning up the 0-54 track…the MTH is barely moving at the same voltage pulling no cars at all. It needs some serious regearing.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4044067746925881346&hl=en
Wes
My new PWC GG1 really flew around the dining room when I was giving it a break in run.