200 series Alcos pulling 22 cars

[8ntruck]

I finally got on a layout big enough to properly exercise my Alco project.  The layout was about 15' by 9'.

Here is a shot from the other end.

Here is what is under the hood.

I've got 4 motors wired together on a single e-unit.  All of the motors are the dual axle magnitraction versions. 

All seems to be working well, so it is off to the paint shop for the shells.  Planning on a Mo. Pac. blue & gray Eagle type of paint scheme. 

These locomotives are pretty light.  I wounder if adding some balast would help?

I had to shuffle the cars around until I got the ones with couplers that would stay closed at the front of the train. 

Just like real trains, there is a bunch of  'slop' in the  couplers in a train this long.  Abrupt stops are not a good idea.

[fifedog]

Wow, any longer and the engineer would be looking at the back of the conductor's head...

A-line used to make "sticky weights" out of lead.  They were very simple to crimp and use in HO, and did do the trick.

[rack776]

A tire shop should have lead weights with 2 sided tape on them , they are used for balancing custom aluminum wheels, or you could epoxy or tape lead fishing weights inside.   Cool set of alcos!

I love the 2 motor B unit Idea.

[ADCX Rob]

If weight is desired, try these "tape-a-weights"(we used to call them) available at Harbor Freight:

[lionelsoni]

Get 'em while you can--lead weights are being phased out, in favor of zinc.  The annual consumption is 20,000 tons!

I like the idea of using real castoff railroad spikes instead as toy-train weights.  There's plenty of room for them in boxcars, loaded or covered hoppers, and baggage cars.  You can cut the heads off to pack them more tightly; but one, or part of one, is usually plenty.

[8ntruck]

I work in the wheel industry. Lead balance weights were phased out several years ago, replaced by steel clip on weights and zinc tape on weights. Most states have also outlawed lead shotgun shot as well.

[KRM]

8n  very nice work, A pulling machine for sure.

Thanks for posting.

[cwburfle]

Are the wheels slipping? On most of the magnetraction Alco's I've handled, the wheels don't slip. If your wheels are not slipping, I don't see what adding weight is going to do. Just curious, what sort of cars were you pulling, postwar, modern, or a mix?

[8ntruck]

I don't think that the wheels were slipping.  As far as the mix of cars goes, most of them are modern.  There were probably 2 or 3 post war.