A friend brought over an Atlas switcher this weekend, and man will it crawl. How do others compare to it ? I think the Atlas takes 036 to turn, which is a little tight on my upper level. Anyone have the Williams, and how does it compare…Thanks…Tim
Tim, I would guess that MTH with PS2 in command will crawl. I’ve seen MTH move at 1 SPMH. I’ve got some big Lionel SD90’s that will crawl with Odyssey on.
Tim, I don’t have any of those engines, but in general to have good low speed operation, you need 2 things. A quality motor, probably at least 7 poles on the armature, and good gearing. The modern can motors really make a big difference.
Atlas has always made some of the smoothest and quietest engines in HO and N. All are great low speed performers, so It stands to reason that the same engineering would go into their O gauge offerings, especially since they also sell 2 rail versions.
None of the other 3 rail manufacturers really had any reason to be concerned with low speed operation until Atlas came along. Personally I can’t imagine that a Williams engine will out perform Atlas at low speeds. I have nothing against Williams, I just don’t think that is their focus.
As more and more 3 railers demand more realism from their trains, low speed control will be more of a selling point than it is today. Low speed has always been a selling point for HO and N scale locomotives.
Tim - I have to agree with Chief. I have several MTH PS2 engine, and in command mode they will run a 1 smph, up or down grades. Even in conventional mode they will run at about 3 smph.
I believe any of the newer engine with speed control will do about the same.
tom
I’ve got an elderly Lionel 0-4-0 that won’t move at all. Is that slow enough? [:D][;)]
Guys, true slow speeds aren’t measured in scale miles per hour. That’s just a sales gimick from MTH. A top quality engine should run smoothly at well less than one scale mile per hour. A scale mile is 110 feet, divide by 60, and you get just under 2 feet per minute, 1.83333 FPM to be exact. Real crawl is more like one or two inches per minute. That’s slow!!!
I can only speak to MTH’s SW-9, my favorite locomotive in the stable (love switching).
I can confirm the Chief’s observations that it goes about 1 smph (well, given Elliot’s caveat). But unless your track is perfect and perfectly clean, it operates more smoothly at about 2 smph.
I once timed how slow it could go around my old layout in my 20x20 room. Took about 7 or 11 minutes (can’t recall which as it was long ago).
Some of us ought to set up a race to see which switcher can go the slowest over a measured course!
I had a K-line A-5 that really creeped, now I’ve replaced it with a Lionel 0-8-0 that I can really throttle down. These were/are both TMCC units, I’ve never tried them in conventional.
Anyone can set up a course Dave. All you need is a ruler and a watch. Go for one minute, as slowly as you can, and measure.
I’m lovin’ this - nobody likes to race more than I do! …but we gotta have some rules so everything is equal…don’tcha think?
- Distance travelled in 60 seconds - smallest distance wins.
- Straight course only - no curves!
- New, tinplate O gauge track only.
- Course must be dead level + or - .001 in. rise or fall in 100 feet
- Diesel power units only… steamers and tender only - no cars!
- AC or DC motors (no clockwork) with or without tach readers (command or conventional) are eligible…
- Ambient temp must be 70 deg F…+ or - .25 deg F over the entire course
- Humidity must be 68% over the entire course
- Locos cannot stop, resume, or jerk in any way
- Your distance measuring device and chronometer must be calibrated and certified by the National Bureau of Standards.
See how many variables can be involved and how subjective this can get?..(wink)
“Slow and Steady wins the race…”
and no distractions from watching ladies mowing their lawns
Greatest distance, Jim?
HA! Well…crap! Too many years of trying to be the fastest shows it’s ugly head. Thanks Bob - I edited my post.
…the smallest distance would win, of course…
Jim, we’re looking for someone in the QA department to write procedures…are you interested in a part time job?
Whatever happened to the Swiss board of standards?
And a minor point, if I may. I believe that what you want is a chronograph rather than a chronometer. A chronograph is what is commonly called a stop watch, that is to say it can be stopped and started at will, and compares the time to the starting time. A chronometer is a very accurate clock or watch that is guaranteed not to lose or gain more than a certain amount of time over a period of days.
As for other standardized conditions, I propose the following:
1.Power should come from a postwar ZW
2.All connections to track should be made with four feet of the OGR paired 16 gauge wire
3.A line voltage reading should be taken at the time of testing, and computed into a “handicap” factor for each participant
4.Each engine should have had at least 10 hours of prior running time
5.Lubrication should be performed just before testing
6.Track should be cleaned between each test using laboratory-grade ethyl alcohol and rinsed with distilled water
7.Traction tires(if so equipped) should be changed before the test
8.All other wheels should be cleaned using laboratory grade ethyl alcohol and rinsed with distilled water
9.All ZWs used should have recently replaced carbon rollers
Good advice Bennie.
Well we had to try the test. So after adjusting out room temp and humdity, check the track and post war ZW, on the track went our MTH PS2 Desiel. Under DCS command mode at 1SMPH our engine traveled 20" in 60 seconds. [;)]
So
it looks like MTH scale miles per hour is pretty close. [^]
Do I Win something for being the first one to do the test [?]
Thanks Tom - that’ll be our benchmark…20.000 inches in 60.0000seconds. You have the Blue Ribbon (for now)…(wink)
New test: How many worms can Chiefie get on his hook in 60 seconds?
Next New Test: How many words can he read in 60 seconds? Betcha’ Buckeye can beat him!
answer: NONE - he would put them in his BBQ.
LOL ! The wit & wisdom of Jim Duda overfloweth on this post. You gotta love it.[;)][:)] …Keith