trainsBuddy What's interesting is that Walthers sets forward direction on their Proto 2000 B units to move towards the "F" location. But I have seen now quite a few pictures of GN prototypes where AB sets are running back to back - you can easily see that their fuel tanks point in opposite directions.
What's interesting is that Walthers sets forward direction on their Proto 2000 B units to move towards the "F" location. But I have seen now quite a few pictures of GN prototypes where AB sets are running back to back - you can easily see that their fuel tanks point in opposite directions.
I assume you are refering to the DCC versions and their decoder settings? The manufacturer is not likely to set them differently for A or B units but simply leaves them at the default setting from the decoder manufacturer. since the models are wired the same, the front is the front, A or B, until you program them to run together as a consist.
With, DC all units wired the same will run in the same direction, regardless of front or back.
Sheldon
Texas Zepher MILW-RODRA good example I just realized is the ad >>>> right over there for Standard Hobby Supply. Pair of BNSF (Dash 9's or AC4400's?) paired up long hood to long hood. ???? The question isn't about general MUing but about cabless "B" units. I was not aware that there were any "B" dash-9s or AC4400s. The last modern loco I saw that had a "B" variation was the GP60.
MILW-RODRA good example I just realized is the ad >>>> right over there for Standard Hobby Supply. Pair of BNSF (Dash 9's or AC4400's?) paired up long hood to long hood.
There weren't.
ATLANTIC CENTRALI assume you are refering to the DCC versions and their decoder settings?
I assume you are refering to the DCC versions and their decoder settings?
Yes, I'm talking about DCC, why is there a different way of running trains?. Just kidding I figured that they didn't bother programming them differently.
Santa Fe had 320 FT units. The first two AB pairs were built with drawbars. The next 316 Santa Fe units were built WITH couplers. Other railroads had FTs built with couplers, following the Santa Fe pioneered design. Preston Cook sent me the EMD drawings on some of these. Larry Brasher has documented this in his book on Santa Fe locomotive development.
SSW9389 Santa Fe had 320 FT units. The first two AB pairs were built with drawbars. The next 316 Santa Fe units were built WITH couplers. Other railroads had FTs built with couplers, following the Santa Fe pioneered design. Preston Cook sent me the EMD drawings on some of these. Larry Brasher has documented this in his book on Santa Fe locomotive development.
Yes this is true, and, the Southern, Missouri Pacific and D&RG also ordered their FT's with couplers although not in the kind of quanitites as the ATSF. In the earlist days these where actually called FS rather than FT, the S standing for "separable", this designation was soon dropped or fogotten.
While the ATSF did buy a lot of FT's (FS's?), still, about two thirds of the total production where draw bar connected sets when built. And draw bar connected was the catalog standard for the product, with the extra couplers being an option.
Since the building block concept of the multi unit diesel was just comming of age, many at EMD and the railroads still thought in steam terms. The 2700 HP of an FT AB was seen as equal to a heavy 2-8-0 or a 2-8-2, so the need for smaller units of power was NOT imediately understood. Maintenence needs and load matching for efficency soon cleared that up.