I just recently bought a GP 30 and want to get another for a lash-up. Can I expect both engines to have pretty close to the same power at any given controller setting? If one of them has a little bit more power and it is the second one back, wouldn't it be putting too much strain on the coupler of the one in the lead? Or do you run them and if there is a difference, the faster of the two is the lead engine? Also, do some of these diesels make more noise in reverse? Is this normal?-----John R
Diesel power
- Thread starter jr switch
- Start date
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
As long as they are the same brand, they should fare well. I have an mu'd set of P2K E8/9s and an mu'd set of Athearn C44 9Ws. Each has a unit slightly faster then the other. Both pull full trains of 40 cars with no adverse effects noticed. I do rotate the lead between them for even wear on the mechanisms.
Thanks Shaygetz, for the info-----looking thru your web page, really like a lot of your work, and your little mini scenes are terrific. I noticed a photo of a great looking 4-8-4 with polished driver wheel rims. Who makes it? That is what I thought I was getting, according to the picture in the catalog, but when it arrived, all the wheels were blackened and the only bright metal was the driving gear. Not nearly as attractive as the one you have. I hope it is currently manufactured-----John R
If you have access to rotary instruments like a Dremel, you can polish off the anodized coating if you don't like it..
All you need to do is use a rubber wheel on a mandrel at low speed and go real carefully around the rims of the wheel to get the anodized layer off, then follow up with a chamois wheel with some red rouge polishing compound to buff it up to a smooth, glossy high shine.
Hope this helps.
All you need to do is use a rubber wheel on a mandrel at low speed and go real carefully around the rims of the wheel to get the anodized layer off, then follow up with a chamois wheel with some red rouge polishing compound to buff it up to a smooth, glossy high shine.
Hope this helps.
Hey Tom-----I had been thinking I just might try that. The 4-8-4's are such a cool engine, not the biggest, but big, powerful and fast, with 80" drivers. I recently got a DVD that I sent for thru Historic rail catalog. Lots of close ups and many shots of them running at speed and the 4-8-4's were really something. The ex-UP 4-8-4 in the film has polished wheel edges on both the drivers and the front truck wheels and pipes and tubes hanging on it everywhere. Never saw so much smoke and steam! Thanks for the suggestion, I'll probabely try to polish them---------John R
We run two Athearn SD40-2's, on our club layout, MU'ed and there is very little difference in speed. I have followed them around to watch for that very thing.