Topic ideas for CTT - Postwar Engine Performance

[jwse30]

With the product reviews for locomotives that CTT does (most anyway), they list the drawbar pull, volts and amps speed chart, number of cars it can pull on level track, etc. Would it be too terribly difficult to do the same testing on an old postwar or MPC product (Lionel or AF) each month? Naturally, a disclaimer would have to be provided: "Just because our 50 year old engine worked like this doesn't necessarily mean yours will"

I'd guess all this data could be crammed in one page, and could even be run only when there is an odd number of pages of content for a given issue. I can't imagine that any of this info would affect a person's buying decisions, but it would be fun information to see. Perhaps do the article mirroe image of what your current reviews do: Designate a standard modern engine for each type of products to be reviewed, and show it's data compared to reviewed engines' data.

Just my $.02,

J White

[Bob Keller]

Thanks for the topic idea. Let me assure you, though, that there are never any odd-numbered pages that we can't fill!

I can't say I'll be using and review space to cover postwar or MPC era trains, but it is possible that you might get some of that info in the well of a feature story.

I have actually run some vintage locomotives through the standard testing process for a few stories in the past. One was "Steam Showdown" in the March 1999 issue. I tested the nos. 2025, 2055, 681, 736, and 1101 steamers. I believe there were one or two MPC locomotives tested for that story as well.

I tested the prewar 700 electric, the postwar226E, and the 2333 for the feature "Four trains that say Lionel" in the January 2000 CTT.

The story "That was then, this is now, tested a mix of locomotives on the market when CTT was started in the late 80s, with a few contemporary locomotives at the time of our November 2002 issue.

I also have a recollection of testing some Train Masters for a story, possibly on motors, but the title and date elude me; and I tested some gear for *** Christianson, but that info may have been used in a book - or in something done at Model Railroader.

[4kitties]

"Steamer Showndown" is one of my all-time favorite CTT articles. I still enjoy reading it as if I were seeing it for the first time. It led me to buy 2 engines, the MTH RK Dreyfuss Hudson, and the Lionel 2055. I would really enjoy seeing other vintage engines tested in this way.

[jwse30]

"Steamer Showdown" is exactly what I had envisioned. I just crawled out from under my layout, with the issue. I can't believe it's been 5 years already. I figured this had to have been done before, as it's just too obvious. Heck, I "thought" of it :D

I'll agree with 4kitties that this is one of my favorite issues as well, judging from the condition of it . The only issue I have in worse shape is an even earlier one that's cover announced that the gateman turned 60 (?). That's either because I'm almost obsessed wth the 145, or that that issue was my first issue of CTT.

Thanks for pointing me me to the back issue. I do hope if an article similiar to that does appear again that one of the engines would be the likes of the 2016,2018,2026,2037 type, or possibly something like a 671 vs. 681. (read as: no magnetraction vs. magnetraction)

J White