Which Locomotive is Best For Pulling Freight cars to my town

Model Railroader Prototype information for the modeler
1

I have completed my final blueprints for my layout which will have: Mining (coal, limestone, sand, ore, shale, bauxite), Power-plant, Cement plant (Powder), Brick factory, Logging facility (debarking building, Sawmill, and finished goods), Recycling plant, Scrap yard (w/ an attached rebuild shop), Iron Works, and 2 docks (with two import, one export warehouses).

The local City Industries are BBQ Woodchip Factory (with de-attach kiln), Bio-Mass mini power-plant, Warehouse, Mini Mill, Major Overhaul motive power and rolling stock facilities,

(I will make changes if need be)

The two SD45s are long distance unit trains (coal), The two C44-9Ws pull long distance bagged cement and bricks, The 8-40C pulls M-O-W train, MP-15 assign to pulling metals (Recycling, scrap, and Iron Works), two NW2s are the yard switchers, 0-8-0 for the logging facility, two 0-6-0ts are dock switchers, and a third NW2 operate the dock rail station. This leaves my SD26 and newly bought C420 Phase 1 high nose to pull cars to my small town.

My question is, between the SD26 and C420, which one would be best to pull freight into the town?

2

Use them both. Put one at each end to make switching and returning back to the yard easier . I see the shortline in my home town do that since I dont think they have the track to turn the locos around at the end of the line a couple towns over at the lumber mill (from what I could see on Google Maps). Here is a video similar to one I say yesterday on my way home. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3aKNKUaaU-w

3

I’m thinking that as well.My plan for the town is to have a “T” junction in the heart of the town so one train can come from the mines or docks while another cross from the warehouse or a small freight business. so when one train is running down main street like in so many great photos i have seen, another train has already cleared the junction and moving down the line.

4

The C420 high nose would make a great loco for the heavy industry customers with the SD26 doing light to medium jobs

5

Notice the EOT on the lead unit?

6

Yes.

7

Our prototype friends are nowhere near that rigid about locomotive assignments - and neither am I.

When a local is ready to leave Tomikawa, it gets whatever loco is ready - which may be a C11 class 2-6-4T, a C12 class 2-6-2T, a C50 or C56 class 2-6-0, a C58 class 2-6-2 or one of them new-fangled DD13 class diesel-hydraulics. Any of them might switch the sawmill, log transfer, power plant transload track and/or freight house at Haruyama, the only other modeled town on the JNR main.

Through trains usually change a catenary motor for a 2-8-2, either D50 or D51 class, but a pair of those DD13s might have to pinch hit if there’s a shortage of coalburners and a surplus of diesels. The DD13s even substitute for catenary motors if necessary.

So cut your motive power super some slack. Use different locos, and see which one actually performs best (or proves that it can’t perform well…)

Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)

8

TOMIKAWATT

I will switch daily duties between the SD26 and the C420.

9

Considering the mix of engines you have, the SD45’s would be the least reliable engines your railroad has. I would put the C44-9’s or C40-8 on the coal train. The SD45’s and whatever else was left would go on through freights. The SD26 would go on the MOW train.

The C420 would be a better local engine than the SD26.

10

Just a question, how are the SD45s not reliable and thank you for your input. I bought a N&W C420 Phase 2A High Nose and I also bought a C420 High Hood undecorated Phase 1 shell since the N&W (N&S) isn’t a good railroad partner to purchasing the Wabash.

11

The SD45 has a V-20 engine and virtually all other road engines have a V-16. The longer crankshaft on the V20 engine tended to have more problems and was a maintenance headache. That’s why SD45’s were retired relatively soon or rebuilt with V16 engines making them into defacto SD40’s. SD45’ s were built in the late 1960’s and into the 1970’s so they will be 20+ years older than the C44-9’s. The C44-9’s have better electronics and traction control systems and way more tractive effort and dynamic braking than an SD45. For example modern railroads measure “equivalent powered axles” (EPA) instead of horsepower. An SD45 is rated at 7 EPA, a C40-8 is rated at 10 and a C44-9 is 11 . For dynamic braking an SD45 is 5.9, a C40-8 or C44-9 is 7.9 equivalent dynamic brake axles. So for pulling power, 2 C44-9’s (22 EPA) or 2 C40-8’s (20 EPA) are the eqivalent of 3 SD45’s (21 EPA).

12

DEHUSMAN

I never knew that about them. I thought the SD45 were tiredness iron beast, but I can see I Would have my two Dash 9’s pull the coal and the SD45s pull freight. Thank you.

13

I’m not sure what you’re trying to say with this statement. The fact that N&W purchased the Wabash makes them a bad railroad partner? (partner for or to what??)

14

They are an ok railroad company, but I dis like many railroads that overstretch themselves esp. Union Pacific.

15

Can we see these blueprints?

16

As mentioned, the real railroads use what is available. They have guidelines and large railroads have motive power staff just dedicated to managing the use of locomtives but the “mission” is to get the goods delivered. Where I live if on a BNSF mainline, to serve the lumber dealer they stop the manifest freight on the mainline and use the two or three big GEs (C44-9s or ES44 types) to move one or two lumber cars down the spur (interesting to see those big motors on light old rail). The Nebraska Central would use their SD45s or GP38-2s to run the freight train up the ex-UP line from Columbus, NE to Norfolk, NE and then would use old ex-GTW GP9s to work the yard and do local deliveries. So you use what you have on the roster to get the job done.

17

Here in Green Bay Wis CN has used former (still painted) IC SD40, former EJ&E SD38 (-2?), and a big ole thing of a Dash 9 switching out the local. Looking at the track you not think something that big could fit on these tracks. http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&tab=wl

18

STEEMTRAYN

unfortunately, the blueprints was dampen in the rain as I was walking home from my early morning college class so I will make a copy of it and I will post that around late afternoon because I will be attending a model train event today hopefully buying magazines and or rolling stock (locos included).

19

BINDER001

I purchased recently a N&W C420 high nose that I will use only for the city industries. I will have a two platform station in the city with two sets of E’s per bay that will represent, hopefully one day, my railroad flagship passenger trains: the Illinoisan (commuters) and the Central (Long distance overnight). the SD26 will either be a lease loco from an industry or switch passenger cars to the stations.

my E’s configuration will have a lead engine, booster unit, coach(es), and a trailing engine. I might even trying a lead engine, 1-2 coach(es), booster unit, 1-2 coach(es), and a trailing engine configuration.

20

That’s a strange configuration. For 2-4 coaches all you really need is an E and the coaches, maybe an A-B set of E’s and the coaches.

Putting an E on either end is a very unusual and the booster in the middle is counterproductive, it prevents people and crew from moving through the cars.