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E

ENGINEERBOB

New Member
Jul 24, 2003
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SILVER SPRING,MD
Hello, I just got started back in to HO [started with HO then got rid of it because it was taking up my apartment space so went to N. Then I moved so dad & I built a small N layout, but dad saw a good HO train set with my other hobby them on it [police] & he got me the 'to serve & protect' HO train set. The layout is an 8 x 4 & we thought that I would get one engine & 2 or 3 cars. I got 1 engine + a dummy engine [what are dummy engines used for anyway?] + I got 2 passenger cars + a flatbed with 2 police cars on it & a search light car. I also got a lot of track with it, so dad & I went out to get some more HO stuff yesterday & I found out the track is called EZ TRACK & my question is this;

Can I hand throw the switch even if it is for power [we got some so to hock up later to the power]? Thanks. :)


#####[BOB]#######
 
ENGINEERBOB said:
Hello, I just got started back in to HO [started with HO then got rid of it because it was taking up my apartment space so went to N. Then I moved so dad & I built a small N layout, but dad saw a good HO train set with my other hobby them on it [police] & he got me the 'to serve & protect' HO train set. The layout is an 8 x 4 & we thought that I would get one engine & 2 or 3 cars. I got 1 engine + a dummy engine [what are dummy engines used for anyway?] + I got 2 passenger cars + a flatbed with 2 police cars on it & a search light car. I also got a lot of track with it, so dad & I went out to get some more HO stuff yesterday & I found out the track is called EZ TRACK & my question is this;

Can I hand throw the switch even if it is for power [we got some so to hock up later to the power]? Thanks. :)

#####[BOB]#######
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1.welcome back to HO scale
2.A dummy engine is just for looks IMO
3.yes, you can hand throw switches in EZ track. It's actualy easier than those little switchboxes they give you. I know cause I'm stuck with it.
 
CNWman said:
1.welcome back to HO scale
2.A dummy engine is just for looks IMO
3.yes, you can hand throw switches in EZ track. It's actualy easier than those little switchboxes they give you. I know cause I'm stuck with it.
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Thanks, I had them in my first HO set & now on my N set.
 
The dummy engines are strictly for appearances without having to spend alot of money and having to deal with matching two engines together. You probably noticed that it is quite light. No motor or gearbox and maybe no frame. If you don't have grades or long trains that require a lot of power, they are fine.
 
Jim Krause said:
The dummy engines are strictly for appearances without having to spend alot of money and having to deal with matching two engines together. You probably noticed that it is quite light. No motor or gearbox and maybe no frame. If you don't have grades or long trains that require a lot of power, they are fine.
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Thanks, yesterday dad wanted me to take them apart & I saw the engine going but not the other one. My last HO set had 2 engines & I thought it was a dummy one, but the only dummy was me [lol] because the B unit worked.
 
I use dummy locomotives on most of my trains to get that multi unit appearance. Only the lead F unit on this train is powered.
 

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A dummy engine is just for looks, if you dont need the extra power or dont need to buy another loco (they can be expensive) you can just use a dummy, looks exactly the same, to other people they cant tell the difference
 
Ralph: nice weathering on those. I like how one looks dirtier than the other two. Its hard to tell from the photograph but nice :)
 
I believe the main reason dummy units were sold:
1) to give the appearance of multi-unit
2) to not draw the extra amperage of a second unit
3) so you could have a yard full of engines (on dc) and only 1 running around:D
 
Thoroughbreed said:
I believe the main reason dummy units were sold:
1) to give the appearance of multi-unit

The dummy I got is pained with the SERVE & PROTECT on it & it looks like one big long thing [guess you would call it an ad] I see it now, the engine part says POLICE & the dummy one says TO SERVE & PROTECT & both have pictures on them.

2) to not draw the extra amperage of a second unit My first A & B units were both powered, but then again maybe it was for a long freight train? I always have thought that the 'dummy or B units' were for;

Engineers to take breaks
Bathrooms for the engineers
Maybe where they stop to change crews as well?

3) so you could have a yard full of engines (on dc) and only 1 running around:D
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I us to do this with my first 'B unit' as in using it as a crew engine & use the front & rear door as a way the work crew operates the engine. But I guess each railroad [public or Private Park owned] does it differently.
 

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Dummy engines are fine for a short train. What some people do is put a DCC sound unit in the B unit, while the A unit is powered. This is easier to program, cheaper, and the only way to do sound in many n scale locos. In HO, it just allows a bigger speaker. Some people will also have dummy helpers, although now with DCC, it is more common to MU speed matched locos that have been matched with CVs 2, 5, and 6.
 
NYNH&H said:
Dummy engines are fine for a short train. What some people do is put a DCC sound unit in the B unit, while the A unit is powered. This is easier to program, cheaper, and the only way to do sound in many n scale locos. In HO, it just allows a bigger speaker. Some people will also have dummy helpers, although now with DCC, it is more common to MU speed matched locos that have been matched with CVs 2, 5, and 6.
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This is what dad told me too [I saved the link too], this sounds like a good idea. After I get it all set up I will see if I cannot add a speaker to it, dad was talking about it one time so I do not know.

Thanks & God bless

Bob
 
It is more complicated then that. You need DCC to do sound, and a sound decoder. Thus, your other loco will need a decoder as well, and you will need a DCC system. If this is more than you want, just stick with what you have. The sound dummy system is typically used on larger layouts, where power and programming are very important, more so than having the flexibility to run all of the locos independently.
 
NYNH&H said:
It is more complicated then that. You need DCC to do sound, and a sound decoder. Thus, your other loco will need a decoder as well, and you will need a DCC system. If this is more than you want, just stick with what you have. The sound dummy system is typically used on larger layouts, where power and programming are very important, more so than having the flexibility to run all of the locos independently.
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My HO is not DCC but my N is, I read that I the people who did this layout I am doing suggest DCC & used it.
 
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