Tyson, Your thoughts on how many cars may be considered good got me to thinking. What was I comparing it to? Nothing, really, just what I wanted it to do. I know the steam that was available ready to run "in the old days" didn't pull worth a damn, which is why I don't have any. I have an MDC kit I built which pulls well, and I know bowser pulls very well. My other steam is brass, which when balanced (which is not difficult) pulls well also. But I had never fully tested my little Bachmann 2-8-0. So I staged a contest. I selected my freest rolling Lifelike cars, 12 of em, and both locos handled it. I added two, the Athearn slipped just a bit, but made it. Couldn't start from a stop on the hill tho. 2-8-0, no problem. Athearn couldn't do 16. Kept adding cars to the 2-8-0. Ran out of Lifelike cars, started using Athearn. Got to 34 cars, at this point the 2-8-0 could make the grade but could no longer start from a stop. 36 was all she could take without slipping. This was way more than I ever expected! 20 cars is what I would like my steam to handle. That Athearn unit properly weighted would walk away with 36 as well. That's why its a shame they didn't do their homework. Think I'll make 2-8-0's the standard wheel arraingement on the JGL!
Gary
