Any Tips on MUing locos?

[R. T. POTEET]

This is not particularly complicated but it is going to take a moment to explain; I will relate this to diesels but the same rules apply for steam locomotives but, as I will outline later, the nature of this system looks better with diesel locomotives..

Before we go any further we are going to have to decide a position on our throttle where we are going to run our consist once we get it balanced.

Lets, for example, lash up four diesels which tend to run at no load different speeds; arrange these in order with locomotive #1 being the slowest running up to locomotive #4 which is the fastest. Leave lokes #3 and #4 on the track separated by, say, a couple of feet, put a train behind loke #4 and apply power.  If loke #4 gains on loke #3 add cars and reapply power. Continue doing this until loke #4 with its loaded train bogging it down finally runs slower than loke #3.

Hook up loke #3 to the coupler of loke #4, put loke #2 separated by a couple of feet from loke #3 on the track and apply power. Lokes #3 and #4 should be running faster than loke #2. Sooner or later you will add enough cars to slow lokes #3 and #4 to a speed slower than loke #2.

I think that you can see that sooner or later you will have lokes #1, #2, #3, and #4 running at the same speed and all will be pulling an equal share of the weight of the train.

It may take a few minutes to set this up but sooner or later as long as you keep your track voltage the same you will get your train to balance. You also need to insure the integrity of the couplers on your cars.

This procedure used to show up frequently in the hobby press in the '60s and '70s but I haven't seen it done up in quite awhile. We had a guy in the club in Taxachusetts that double headed steam locomotives all the time; I will admit it was a little bit strange to see a big Pennsy 2-10-0 helping a diminutive 4-6-0 road locomotive over the hill but that's just what you can get with this system. As I said earlier, this system will work for steam locomotives but it is better adaptable for diesels.

Insure that your locomotive couplers mate properly and will stay coupled; if your lashup splits those units still attached to the train will immediately load and begin spinning their drivers. 

[greendiamond]

You won't damage the locomotives. This is one reason some people decide to go with DCC. One of the things you can do with the decoders is to adjust starting and stopping voltages, adjust maximum voltages and with some decoders actually adjust the voltages between beginning and max voltages. That way you can have two locomotives with very dissimilar running characteristics on DC run extremely well together using DCC.

Being new to the hobby is a great time to research DCC since you dont yet have a whole roundhouse full of locomotives to install decoders in at this time. Too many locomotives to convert is an excuse many people use NOT to try DCC.

See I anyone in your area is using DCC. Ask around. There are several DCC groups on www.groups.yahoo.com that you can ask questions of as well.

Good Luck! Above all remember one thing, this is just a hobby and meant to be fun.

[Anonymous]

I do it all the time in N scale. I have several consists of 2 or 3 locomotives and if fact do not run any singely. I do not mix manufacturers and try to keep the consists the same or similar models. The Kato SD40-2, SD45, C44-9W, and C30-7 all run well together and the Atlas SD60 and GP40-2's do the same. I have the slowest locomative trailing in the consist. In HO I do it sometimes but as a rule I don't.

[BNSFNUT]

I run up to 4 locos MU'ed together most of the time (my trains run up to 40 cars). I run Athern, Atlas and Bachmann together and have not had any troubles. I believe that the unit will balance out due to the electrical charistics of todays motors. The only thing I have to worry about is that my one throttle will handle only 3 locos so I have to be sure that 4 loco trains are on the 2 that will handle them.

[Anonymous]

I would like to communicate, will be in your area soon. Email me: [e-mail]

[Anonymous]

Charles:
I haven't read all the replies to your query but the only two mfgs I have any luck on this is Atheran and Atlas. I have only two of the newest Lifelike engines and can run them with no problem.
Anything older than 1999 don't try an MU lash-up.
What happens is you suckup the amperage and everything comes to a grinding halt and can burn out either a motor(s) or the power pack.
I know from experience. I messed at least a couple power packs doing this with older incompatible equipment.
# # #
hed

[trainsrus1]

Not that I can tell it does'nt seem to hurt. I have three Athearn F7's (ABA) Mu'd since the late 50"s and if anything I use more rubber bands. Same motors are still running in each A unit. The B unit is on a second motor that was used when installed in 91.

[Anonymous]

As long as the locos run at fairly similar speeds, you will not harm them. One could argue that a speed decrepancy between locos will produce more wear, but so will running an 80 car train. Just lash 'em up and have fun!!

[Anonymous]

It's like having the dynamic brakes on for the faster units. It will takes it's toll. How much
it shorten the models life is anybody's guess.
Some Re-drive all their units with the same drives to avoid this problem. There are several manufactors who exist to staify this need.

I hope I have helped

[Anonymous]

So in regards to engine life and the effect of MUing... does putting to different speed units together do damage or shorten the life of either unit?

[trainsrus1]

I have had the best results putting the strongest or fastest unit on the point. I have fewer "pull-a-parts" if all the couplers in the power lashup are kept tight. So multiple links are fastest to slowest. You may also find that some units will run at different speeds in opposite directions.
Good luck.

[Anonymous]

I have very limited experience but have discovered
that even diesel loco of the same type/manufacturer may not have identical speeds.
I have 3 HO Lifelike E-7's and 4 HO Lifelike PA's
and none of them have identical speeds. When I link up,my lead loco is the slowest putting most
effort on the second unit which is the faster of the two.
[e-mail]

[Anonymous]

I am relatively new to the hobby and would like to try MUing some locos together...
Can anyone give me any tips on how to MU locomotives? Most of my locos don't have the same type of motor in them, so at the same power output...one loco would run slightly faster than the other...
Does it make that much of a difference? Or will I ruin the locos if I run them together?