[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

Re: Testing Reverse Curve



I have a Lionel GG1 that I should test too...


Bill Lohman wrote:
> Hi Ira and the rest of you,
>  
> I'll be glad to help and I'll definitely get out to the Layout and do 
> some testing the first Saturday I have open before we take the layout 
> down for the show. 
>  
> Saturdays are currently booked with Westlake High School Football 
> playoffs -- currently in San Antonio -- as we have a son on the team.
>  
> I plan on testing  Lionel and Sunset 3rd Rail Big Boys and a couple of 
> other locomotives which have large wheelbases. The longest rigid 
> wheelbase loco I have is a Sunset 3rd Rail UP 9030 4-12-2.  The 
> flanged drivers on mine are on the first and last driver pair with the 
> remaining 4 sets blind drivers.  Rick and Ricky have the Lionel 
> version with flanged drivers in different location.   This might be an 
> interesting comparison. 
>  
>  I'll test K-line 21 inch passenger cars which are usually pretty 
> forgiving on tighter curves as their couplers are attached directly to 
> their trucks like Lionel and MTH. 
>  
>  And I'll test  Golden Gate Depot 21 inch cars which have coupler and 
> truck arrangements that are less forgiving as their design is more 
> like 2 rail O and HO scale equipment. 
>  
> Hope this will help.  If anyone is interested in being there the day I 
> test or in testing at the same time, please let me know soonest and I 
> will try to pick a Saturday so we can attempt team up.   Otherwise, 
> I'll just show up on a Saturday when we're operating and I'm free.
>  
> Rgds, Bill
>  
> P.S.  Those of you who made it this far, here's some wheelbase trivia 
> on some larger locomotives that you might find interesting or might 
> put you to sleep.. 
>  
>  Note that the Challenger has the smallest and most forgiving 
> wheelbase, but does have overhang.  The Big Boy and the SP AC-12 Cab 
> Forward are the king daddys of overhang.  The UP 9000 is the king of 
> rigid wheelbase.  Even the Union Pacific had to be very careful where 
> the deployed these guys.
>  
> UP 4-12-2  drivers wheelbase is 7 7/8 inches
>  
> Santa Fe 2-10-4   6 3/4 inches
>  
> UP FEF 3  4-8-4     5 5/8 inches
>  
> Big Boys   both  engine sets have a 4 3/4 inch wheelbase
>  
> SP AC-12 Cab Forward 4-8-8-2   both engine sets have a 4 3/8 inch 
> wheelbase
>  
> UP Challenger  both engine sets have 3 1/4 inches wheelbase.
>  
>  
>  
>
>
>  
> On Wed, Dec 3, 2008 at 1:37 PM, Ira Schneider <ira_schneider@iname.com 
> <mailto:ira_schneider@iname.com>> wrote:
>
>     Hi,
>
>     We recently made a change to the layout at The Railyard to allow
>     large articulated
>     engines to run on track 1.
>
>     We used the transition modules to shift track 1 from the D position
>     to the E position on the inside curve.  This increased the spacing
>     between tracks 1
>     and 2 so articulated engines running on track 1 no longer hit
>     trains running on track 2
>     while on the inside curve.
>
>     However, this moves track 1 to the E position on the corner, which
>     consists of a combination
>     of O-72 and O-54 tracks.
>
>     We need to find out if there are any trains which cannot run on
>     this track.
>
>     In the next few weeks, please bring any trains you have which
>     require O-72
>     radius curves and test them on track 1.  This includes scale engines,
>     such as the Big Boy, and long passenger cars.  We already know
>     that a scale
>     Challenger can navigate this track.  We are concerned that others
>     may not be
>     so fortunate.
>
>     It is important that we understand the implications of this
>     configuration before we
>     consider setting it up at a future event.  We already know that
>     with the standard
>     configuration, an articulated engine, such as a scale Challenger,
>     cannot run
>     on track 1 since it interferes with trains running on track 2.  We
>     need to know
>     if this alternate configuration limits other trains from running.
>
>     Please let us know if you find any train which fails to run on
>     this configuration.
>
>     Thanks.
>
>
>
>
>     Ira
>
>
>
>
>     ------
>     TTAT members reflector.
>
>