One project leads to another. Solid tank car train

[dstarr]

I though it would be nice to run a train of solid tank cars.  I have quite a few tank car models, mostly Athearn blue box.  I started out with a ABA set of F units, again Athearn blue box.  Added one tank car after another and gave the train a spin around the mainline after adding each tank car; just to make sure the tank car would stay coupled, and on the track.  Dunno why I pulled out the diesels.  The only time the railroads ran solid trains of tank cars was during WWII when the U-boats were sinking tankers up and down the east coast.  For WWII of course the power should have been steam.  Shipping crude oil by rail stopped after they finished the "Big Inch" pipeline from the Texas oil fields to the Pennsylvania refineries. 

   While I was doing that, I looked at my newly installed ammeter and noticed that the Athearns were pulling better than one amp, pegging out the ammeter which I had shunted for 1 amp full scale.  Did not seem to bother my Tech II 1400 Railpower pack.  This was the first of my locomotives to pull that kind of juice. Everything else I own was down in the 1/2 amp or less dept.  I guess the Athearns are older than I thought they were.  Which leads to yet another project, remotoring the F units.  I am open to suggestions for  motors that might fit nicely.  The existing motors are can motors, so I cannot do the supermagnet trick on them. 

  Anyhow, I came up with 14 tank cars that run and stay on the track, and 7 that need work, mostly Kadee couplers.  I also like to add Hazmat posters and paint the trucks with red auto primer. 

[RR_Mel]

Two weeks ago I put a pair of Mabuchi SF-266SA motors in a Athearn SD40-2 frame that has a Cary E7 body.  With the heavy Cary cast metal shell it has over 7 ounces of drawbar.

 

 

 

I trimmed the plastic rim off the back of both motors and glued them back to back using Silicon glue, Amazing Goop.

 

 

They dropped right in place and I used the same glue to glue the motors in the Athearn frame.  I use NWSL universals for all of my re-motor projects.

 

I can’t run it on my layout yet because of my control panel overhaul but it runs very good on my 4’ piece of test track on my workbench.

 

I’m quite impressed with the performance of the Mabuchi SF-266 motors, they are so close to the Canon EN22 motor that I can’t tell any difference.

 

EDIT:

 

Dave I forgot to put in the currrent info, with out the cast metal shell the twin motors draw 290ma at wheel slip, 2.9oz at wheel slip.  With the Cary body on the frame the motors draw just over 400ma at 5oz drawbar nad 690ma at wheel slip, 7oz drawbar at wheel slip.  Putting pressure on the top of the shell I can run the current up to 1 amp with continued wheel slip.  Very powerful!!!!

 

 

Mel

 

 

My Model Railroad   

http://melvineperry.blogspot.com/

 

Bakersfield, California

 

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

 

[SeeYou190]

If you can find them, the Proto-Power West chassis that were just Athearn F7 chassis fitted with a can motor and thrust washers installed, run amazingly well.

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If you can find one with the "Micro-Motor" (it is actually a huge motor) option, it will pull the roof off of your house, but it is noisier.

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I have used these in a couple of special projects.

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-Kevin

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[RR_Mel]

SeeYou190

If you can find them, the Proto-Power West chassis that were just Athearn F7 chassis fitted with a can motor and thrust washers installed, run amazingly well.

.

If you can find one with the "Micro-Motor" (it is actually a huge motor) option, it will pull the roof off of your house, but it is noisier.

.

I have used these in a couple of special projects.

.

-Kevin

.

 

I picked up a Power West Athearn SD40T-2 off eBay with a Mashima motor and you are correct about them being powerful.  Because I run a lot in DC mode it would have been harder to balance it with my other Athearns.  I swapped out the Mashima motor with a dual shaft Canon EN22.  I have a slug of Athearn SD40-2 frames with the EN22 motors.

 

I didn’t discover until two weeks ago the SD40T-2 wheel base it much longer than the SD40-2.  That is the one I just installed the back to back Mabuchi SF-266 motor in.

 

 

Mel

 

 

My Model Railroad   

http://melvineperry.blogspot.com/

 

Bakersfield, California

 

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

 

[Southgate]

I run my mid 60s layout, kind of an ISL as if any trains entering it were assembled a little farther up the line. So, I can run solid tank trains, wood chip hoppers, gravel trains, etc, to their respective industries as unit trains.  I just like how they look, and it makes running the layout easy.  

Plus a mixed freight now and then with individual odd cars to spot at spurs.

Maybe you could work that idea into your op scheme. Or just run it like you want to because you like it that way. Dan