I just bought one of these and so far, I'm pretty impressed. I know that this particular engine has been available for almost a year or more now. Just wondering what the general impressions are from those who have one.
I bought the Erie version as soon as they came out and there is no bad or ugly about it. Very smooth running, great sound - I especially like the whistle - and completely trouble free. If you pressed me for criticism, I could only cite its tractive effort. It's a little light in the loafers, not quite as good as my P2K NKP Berkshire, which isn't all that great, either. I have seriously considered buying another 2-10-2 so as to run them doubleheaded. But the money has gone to other things, thus far.
Are you referring to the N or HO version? I'm chewing on buying one in N. According to the mag, the HO version pulls like a tractor.
I'm referring to the HO version. I don't know which interested the original poster.
I just ran a comparison test on a 2 per cent grade with some very free rolling freight cars, including 31 Bowser hoppers. The 2-10-2 hauled 32 up the grade but stalled with number 33. My P2K Berk managed 36 cars. Just for fun I tried an Atlas RS-1. It made the grade with 40 in tow. Finally I pitted a BLI PRR 4-8-2 against the hill. It was climbing pretty well with 44 cars when a coupler failed two cars back. After a second try and another coupler failure I called it quits.
One other note: I broke down and bought a PCM PRR Decapod. Without the traction tire it was lucky to get 22 cars over the hill. Not very impressive. I have a pair of Sunset PRR 2-8-0s, either of which can beat that. But the Dec's sound is really nice and its a smooth runner, too.
Say, as long as we're talking about locos, what radius are you running on your layout? I'm planning a layout with unitrack, and while I have the room for 31 in, if 26 won't be a disaster, that would be great. I'm modifiying a Untrack plan from their website.
gr68, 26 inches will be just fine for almost any HO engine, but by all means use the wider radius where you can. If you have Walthers heavyweight passenger cars you will appreciate the wider curves. It is surprising to see how much resistance those long cars generate around an even moderately narrow radius like 26". I have a BLI Hudson that sometimes stalls hauling an eight car train around my 26" reverse loop. That is my minimum radius, the rest of the pike having turns of 29" to 32". I limit my freights to about 30 cars to ease the strain on the couplers and avoid stringlining. Some day I'll test it to see just what the real limits are.
I just came back from my "club" where I ran my new Proto 2-10-2 on rollers for 30 minutes in each direction to "breal it in". I then ran it on the club layout which has 2 different helixes (each with a 2.2% incline). I ran the 2-10-2 with 30 cars and with the traction tires installed and it had no issues.
I'm pretty please overall.
I have nothing bad to say about my 2-10-2. Great running, great sounding loco.
tpatrick gr68, 26 inches will be just fine for almost any HO engine, but by all means use the wider radius where you can. If you have Walthers heavyweight passenger cars you will appreciate the wider curves. It is surprising to see how much resistance those long cars generate around an even moderately narrow radius like 26". I have a BLI Hudson that sometimes stalls hauling an eight car train around my 26" reverse loop. That is my minimum radius, the rest of the pike having turns of 29" to 32". I limit my freights to about 30 cars to ease the strain on the couplers and avoid stringlining. Some day I'll test it to see just what the real limits are.
Hello,
I would also like to have that engine, but I have 20 inch curves on my layout, and I would like the engine being able to pull 30 freight cars up a 3% grade. Will this engine negotiate 20 inch radius without problems? Is it equipped with traction tires right out of the factory, or do you have to put them on by yourself?
What I also would like to know is: is it possible to install a smoke unit inside the stack? Is there space enough for it?
20" radius is goign to be tight for a 2-10-2. My 4-8-4 has trouble with 22" radius, so they are now restrictied to runnign at the club. It's all a compromise, and the 4-8-4's never ran on the branch I model anyway. Of course, neather did H24-66 Trainmasters either, but I have one.
ANd 30 weighted cars on a 3% grade? A real 2-10-1 couldn't do that. I doubt it will pull that many on that steep a grade, and definitely not if the grade is curving. A curve in the grade increases the effective grade,, especially when it is at the limits for the loco to even operate.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
Thank you for the quick answer. But what about the smoke unit? Is it possible to install one or not?
De Luxe Thank you for the quick answer. But what about the smoke unit? Is it possible to install one or not?
The loco has no provisions for a smoke unit, so it would be a big/difficult job.
And Randy is right on about the pulling power and curve/grade issues.
I realize many people do not have large layout spaces, but curves less than 30" do restrict what will run, or run well.
3% grades are very steep. A better target for designing grades on a model layout would be 2%.
Sheldon
I had a very bad experience with the Proto 2-10-2.
A screw backed out at about 40 minutes run time--except I did not see it until it had already bent a rod. I was not running fast at the time, either.
The rods on these models are very thin and easily susceptible to bending. (In general I try never to handle a steam engine by grabbing in the wheel/rod area, but always by the cylinder block and a point under or alongside the cab).
My dealer, a real live store not an online dealer, had his excellent repair technician attempt to fix the engine for me free of charge. Once the rod was straightened, it did not run right at all, but there was a bind in the mechanism.
They sent it back to Walthers for a brand new one, and Walthers stood behind their product. However, rather than keep the new one after the issues I had experienced, I simply sold it on Ebay, albeit for a significant loss at the time of more than $100 (it was a sound equipped C&S version). My main issue was that I was rather disgusted that something as little as a screw backing out would be enough to screw up the thin valve gear--and I wasn't about to let that happen a second time.
Say what you want about the older brass imports, but the valve gear was made of a thick enough section that if properly lubricated it should not wear out. I personally never experienced valve gear issues with brass steam models--though have not purchased anything new made within the last 15 years excepting the Overland 2-8-8-0's.
My only other experience with P2K steam power has been the USRA 0-8-0. The fact the headlights burned out quickly was diconcerting for me, but otherwise it was a nice engine.
In general I have been happier with recent Bachmann steamers, as well as MTH and BLI steamers, and the Athearn SP 4-8-2 and UP Big Boy than with my limited forays into P2K steam power.
Meyblc I just came back from my "club" where I ran my new Proto 2-10-2 on rollers for 30 minutes in each direction to "breal it in". I then ran it on the club layout which has 2 different helixes (each with a 2.2% incline). I ran the 2-10-2 with 30 cars and with the traction tires installed and it had no issues. I'm pretty please overall.
CB&W?
TR
Hello I had a similar issue with one of the driving rod screws backing out. Its lost. Parts are no longer availiable for it. The owners manual show M8. It shows no size or thread pitch. Has any one found replacements. I cant run my C&IM 2-10-2
any help would be appriciated !
First, you could try contacting Walthers parts dept., Walthers of course took over the Proto line from Life-Like. Even if they don't have the part, they may be able to give you more info about the size etc.
Second...maybe post a 'new' question about this in the forum. You'll probably get more people seeing than you will here, tagged on the end of a post-stream from 2008!
It is probably a machine screw of a stanard size. I cannt see them going to the expense of custum cutting screws that small. That would be very expensive. It is probably a readily avaliable size. Just a matter of figuring out what size. M8 is a machine screw size. A starting point as long as that isnt just a part number lifelike assigned.
Shane
A pessimist sees a dark tunnel
An optimist sees the light at the end of the tunnel
A realist sees a frieght train
An engineer sees three idiots standing on the tracks stairing blankly in space
Whoa. A 9 year necro bump. I was reading this and felt a disturbance in the Schwartz and sure enough, I was reading posts from 9 years ago.
Rio Grande. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983
NVSRRM8 is a machine screw size. A starting point as long as that isnt just a part number lifelike assigned.
M8 is pretty big--it's about a 5/16" size. Probably a part number, but no doubt whatever it is I bet it's a standard metric size.
wjstix Second...maybe post a 'new' question about this in the forum. You'll probably get more people seeing than you will here, tagged on the end of a post-stream from 2008!
uhhh...see here: https://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/88/t/289860.aspx
riogrande5761Whoa. A 9 year necro bump. I was reading this and felt a disturbance in the Schwartz and sure enough, I was reading posts from 9 years ago.
I blame Google
Gary
"threads live forever "
george washington april 1774