02-09-2009, 07:07 PM
DOH!
I completed laying and wiring up the track last night for the section of the layout mentioned above and went ahead and proceeded to test the trains!
The Bachmann Heavy Mountain done in 6060-scheme is a decent performer, and will be my star of the road so to speak, so I got it to do the first run. Well, I gotta clean her wheels because she stalled a few times. Her consist was 8 microtrains CN box-cars (2 runner packs), Lifelike caboose, and a pair of Athearn Express baggage cars.
She can't get back up the mountain... heavy mountain loco my butt! It ends up that it can only take half the consist up the mountain, at full throttle...moving very slowly!
I tried the original consist with my Kato Daylight. No problems up or down, either direction.
Then the Athearn Challenger, which could handle my 6% grade with 20+ cars on my last layout.... FAILED!!! Miserably too.
I gotta relook at my grades, I musta done them wrong, I did some stacking but didn't think it would be this tough for the locos. So I'll tear it all up and restart this phase of the layout... I'm gonna keep it under 3% from here on in I think.
I'm also thinking I'll buy another Daylight and see if I can kitbash it into the CNR 6060 U1f because of its performance. It'll be more scratchbuild than anything, but I think it would be one heck of a loco when done too! The drivers are more prototypical as well.
I completed laying and wiring up the track last night for the section of the layout mentioned above and went ahead and proceeded to test the trains!
The Bachmann Heavy Mountain done in 6060-scheme is a decent performer, and will be my star of the road so to speak, so I got it to do the first run. Well, I gotta clean her wheels because she stalled a few times. Her consist was 8 microtrains CN box-cars (2 runner packs), Lifelike caboose, and a pair of Athearn Express baggage cars.
She can't get back up the mountain... heavy mountain loco my butt! It ends up that it can only take half the consist up the mountain, at full throttle...moving very slowly!
I tried the original consist with my Kato Daylight. No problems up or down, either direction.
Then the Athearn Challenger, which could handle my 6% grade with 20+ cars on my last layout.... FAILED!!! Miserably too.
I gotta relook at my grades, I musta done them wrong, I did some stacking but didn't think it would be this tough for the locos. So I'll tear it all up and restart this phase of the layout... I'm gonna keep it under 3% from here on in I think.
I'm also thinking I'll buy another Daylight and see if I can kitbash it into the CNR 6060 U1f because of its performance. It'll be more scratchbuild than anything, but I think it would be one heck of a loco when done too! The drivers are more prototypical as well.
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-Luke
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-Luke
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