Consisting two Direct Current locomotives?

[IDRick]

My goal is to convert to DCC down the road but will have to set that aside for a while.  I currently have an Aristo-Craft Train Engineer radio controller with PWM on DC.  I love the walk around control but really would like to consist two locomotives together.  I run small trains (10 cars or less) so don't need to consist for pulling capability but want to do it anyway!  Can any veterans tell me how to consist two DC locos?  Little came up when I searched on google...

[richg1998]

Did not search very much. Have fun.

http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/88/t/149269.aspx

Rich

[mbinsewi]

Well that old thread quickly turned into a fight of DC vs DCC !

As stated in that old thread, and as I state now, just put two locos on the track, maybe a foot or so apart, and see how they run together.

Keep trying all your locos until you find a couple that run as close together as you can.

You find a match?  great! use those two for your consist.  They don't have to match exactly, just close.  It'll work fine.

As far as the faster one in front or the rear? try'em and see how they work.  You'll decide which one you want to lead.

Heck, I have DCC, and I still have a couple locos that run great together, both on address 3.  No time consuming speed matching and CV adjusting needed.

The only problem is, as will be with yours, both will have the lights on.

Go ahead, play around with your locos and see what works.

Oh, and any decent power pack will handle the load.  Back in the day, I even used the old cheapies that came with the train sets.

Mike.

 

[IDRick]

richg1998

Did not search very much. Have fun.

http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/88/t/149269.aspx

Rich

 

 

Yikes, that quickly moved into a DCC vs DC thread...  Limited value to answer my question.

[IDRick]

Thanks Mike!  Always very helpful!

[ATLANTIC CENTRAL]

IDRick

My goal is to convert to DCC down the road but will have to set that aside for a while.  I currently have an Aristo-Craft Train Engineer radio controller with PWM on DC.  I love the walk around control but really would like to consist two locomotives together.  I run small trains (10 cars or less) so don't need to consist for pulling capability but want to do it anyway!  Can any veterans tell me how to consist two DC locos?  Little came up when I searched on google...

 

What are the two locos? Like Mike said, put them on the track and see how they run together.

Myself, and a number of others still using DC run locomotive "consists" all the time.

Most trains on my layout are pulled by more than one loco, many need more than one loco.......

If they are the same brand, and similar in "style" or type, they most likely have the same or very similar drive and will easily run together.

If not, the simple testing mike recommented will find the pairs that work.

I run Proto 2000 2-8-8-2's with Bachmann Spectrum 2-6-6-2's, they run great together......

I do mode lthe 50's, so most of my diesels are matched sets, ABBA F3's, set of 4 GP7's, etc.

Take care,

Sheldon 

[IDRick]

Sheldon and Mike,

Both of you asked which locomotives do I want to consist?

I have two P2k GP-30's, two Athearn BB GP38-2s and an Atlas GP38-2.  I'd like the following consists: A) P2k's, B) Athearn, and C) Atlas + Athearn GP38-2.

Without playing on the layout, I'm guessing the P2K's should go together well and hopefully the Athearn.  I'm thinking that the Atlas +Athearn may not match up as well.  Thanks for the tips on how to test compatability!  Most helpful!

Best,

Rick

[RR_Mel]

Back when I was doing that if one locomotive was a bit fast I would put a pair of 1amp diodes back to back in parallel in series with the faster motor.  That will drop the voltage about .7 volts slowing it down a bit.

 

 

 

 

Mel

 

 

My Model Railroad   

http://melvineperry.blogspot.com/

 

Bakersfield, California

 

I'm beginning to realize that aging is not for wimps.

 

[doctorwayne]

As others have mentioned, if you want to run multiple locos together, just for appearance sake, see which ones match-up best by testing.
I run multiple locos, using DC, regularly, whether double or triple-headed and also with a pusher (or pushers).
I don't usually run trains that are particularly long, but my layout is mostly grades and curves, quite often occuring in the same places.
I have, though, on occasions, run trains in excess of 70 cars or in excess of 22lbs, and as long as the extra power is needed, they'll cooperate very well, even if they won't when running the simple speed-matching tests mentioned previously.

Wayne

[rrinker]

 Close is always good enough, regardless of the power source. If they were way off, Mel showed what people did when it was DC or nothing. But as long as the two locoos are someone close in speed, one you hook a cut of cars to them, the load will even out and each will pull its share.

                                   --Randy

[ATLANTIC CENTRAL]

One additional note, more important than speed matching, it is best if the starting voltage is close to the same. If both locos start moving at close to the same time, everything else works its self out mechanically.

Sheldon

[doctorwayne]

ATLANTIC CENTRAL

One additional note, more important than speed matching, it is best if the starting voltage is close to the same. If both locos start moving at close to the same time, everything else works its self out mechanically.

Sheldon

 

I agree:  The lead loco, in the photo below, started moving at a lower throttle setting than the second loco, and would drag the second loco and the following train for several inches before the motor in the second one kicked-in.  Once that happened, though, the two ran together quite nicely....

 

I eventually re-motored the 37, and now the two cooperate quite well right from the start.

 

Wayne

[IDRick]

Thanks guys, always very helpful information!  These forums are a treasure!  

[j. c.]

i tend to put the faster loco as the first one infront of the train as it will slow down a bit with load.