Weight in Engines.

[smcgill]

Hey I have one of those cabeeses that you have @ the end only in blue!! Nice video. I tryed to walk along but it hard to see what your doing. Sean

[skeenapac]

My plow train has had weight added to the locomotives with good and bad results. I have an elderly Aristo FA1 and FB1 with strengthened coupler posts and the addition of about 4 pounds weight in total inside the carbodies, over the trucks. The good news is that these two, along with an Aristo plow that has a 6 pound brick for ballast, have had good success clearing snow, even our heavy, wet west coast stuff. The bad news is that the power trucks are the old-style with outer-end bushings and poor, plastic gears driven by a brass worm. I don't think the extra weight has been that detrimental to the trucks, more likely it's the crushing stops as the snow build up becomes too great. I have not burned out motors, but I have had to replace power-trucks during the past eight years. Mind you, the service they provide is brutal, and it works.

http://www.skeenapacific.ca/railway/media/20050110-Plowingsnowshortsm.WMV

[smcgill]

Well it snowed today, then rain = heavy snow. Rotary no good. Plow did O.K. The engines with the weight did great , no sliding off. The plow did slid off the tracks @ curves, 20 footers "packed snow" was the cause. Engines seemed to push a lot better!! I think in the spring I'll remove the weights. Sorry no pics or video's. Sean

[smcgill]

I just want the engines to dig into the snow and not float over it. I'll be running 4 engines to push the plow or rotary snow blower! Just get er done!!!

[DennisB]

Engines can handle quite a load. They are damaged if run at a high speed or climbing a steep grade. Regards, Dennis.

[two tone]

Hi If you add wieght to your loco you may get more traction but it will not pull so many coaches/trucks, and motor will be working harder

[smcgill]

Have you added weight to your engine " other than Batt. " to improve traction? I was thinking of adding LEAD to the fuel tank on a USA engine. If you have did it help or hurt? Thanks Sean