I have found the occasional extra wheelset - and a couple that were shorted. You never know what to expect, so expect everything. I think we've all had those "moments"...in fact I had one this morning, found a car I hadn't listed. I think the problem is I'm trying to do too many things at once. I've got a bunch of stuff going on outside the house now because it's spring, and I don't get the layout time I need to stay current. Not a problem during the summer or winter, but now given the choice I really want to be outside instead of in. And a couple days away from the railroad and everything looks different and you can easily forget the little things. After wheelset conversions, I always run the train around a couple times to make sure everything works the way it should. So now I have a pair of Accumates not playing well in the middle of the train, took 'em apart and burnished them, made sure all is correct, and they still uncouple at a certain point. Now I've replaced one of the offenders but ran out of testing time. And during the test, a second train started derailing in a hidden area, traced that to a curve lifting from the roadbed on a light car and dumping it over. Now that's fixed, but all has to be tested again. So next time, have two trains under test, and then we move on to the next project. And those 36" wheels DO make a difference, especially on a tanker where they're so visible. Hang in David, and just stay at it!
Distributed power is in use on the sub as on its' prototype. Here we see an SD75i pushing hard past CP Cliff up the hill to Oakville:
Thanks, Gary! GTRail - That's a 96 car grain train ahead of the SD75i... In all honesty, I don't regularly run distributed power. On the occasions I've used helpers I have had no problems, and I plan to experiment with this - and DP - more in the coming months. My power is all speed matched, so that's not much of a problem. And I can easily push 10-20 cars through the ruling grade and curves with no trouble, so I think it's doable. Time will tell!
Nice photo, Jim! Just a heads up on the distributed power operations per the prototype if your interested. Santa Fe only had SD75Ms, not any SD75Is, and none of these units are DPU capable. If they are in a distributed power consist they have to be with a unit that is capable of receiving the signal, such as a ES44DC. Although, if you read the fine print on the back of your modelers license I'm sure it allows you to DP just about anything, including SD75Ms, GP9s, or even the occasional 4-8-4. Keep up the good work! I always look forward to your weekly updates. Darren
Thanks for the reply Jim, so as long as the power is speed matched there really is no issue? What about mid train DPUs?
Out of curiosity Jim, what is the ruling grade on your line? I was under the impression it was zero, but apparently not. On my pike-in-progress I have about 2.3% and I'm able to handle a ~30 car grain train with 3 6-axle units. That's already close to my expected maximum train length (it's only a 10x20' room), so I should be good ok power-wise. But I'm hoping to add 1-2 DPUs on the rear when ops get going, for authenticity. I really need to speed-match before I try that though. Cheers, Gary
Darren, my modeler's license if fully up to date...Knew I should have used an ES44C4! GT, haven't tried that yet...can't see where it would cause a problem, though...It's mainly about being able to push 20 or so cars wherever they need to go, so your trackwork has gotta be good... Gary, it's close to 2% immediately up out of staging, and is then a steady 1/2 % all the way to Oakville. I'd originally planned to make it steeper, but realized I'd run out of backdrop if I did that...but that 2% keeps me honest, no 200 car freights here
Thanks Jim. May I ask, how many units overall do you need to haul a 96-car grain train up that ruling grade? That must be quite impressive - and a bit nerve-wracking! Cheers, Gary
Got four units on but I've done it with three...and it's not at all bad, you just don't want any jerkiness or sudden speed changes. Of course every time you change something, the way the train handles changes also. With all plastic wheelsets it was one thing, now with metal it's another. And I'm converting that train to body mounts and 36" wheels... The secret is you weight the first ten cars or so heavier than the normal. They seem to be the critical ones. The tricky spot is the S curve where the track becomes visible coming out of staging. It's down to 1% by then, but part of the train is still on the 2% - it's one LONG sucker! I tend to just set the throttle and watch - but that's generally the procedure anyway - start it up, set at 30 or 40 on the DT400, and relax...
Darren, Ya got me thinking - always dangerous. According to the BNSF roster, #s 8276 through 8301 are SD75is...so they DID have them... 235, which would have been renumbered to 8235, however, was NOT an i, only an M. I do indeed stand corrected
I was referencing the Santa Fe roster seeing that your locomotive was numbered 235. The SD75Is didn't come on till after the merger.
There's a gap in jim's nose, there is a slight color/ lighting difference. The point area on top of the nose is a bit lighter. BNSF HAS SD75I's usually some in helper service on crawford hill... The first BNSF'd units I saw was in 95-96 it was early morning dad just got a camcorder, and there went a pair of BNSF warbonnets on the wye from the south yard east to the pit or else north yard in Alliance NE. SF in the 200's and BNSF added an 8 to change them over. Also speaking of long ones I figured out that a 136 car BN 3bay train with 5 -2;s and a caboose is roughly 45'.
The BNSF SD70I's are equipped with IDP- integrated distributed power. The former Santa Fe SD75M's are not.
For what it's worth, on our club layout have have been able to do up to 65 car trains with 5 or 6 Kato six-axles. This only works in the direction in which the ruling grade is about 2.5%, and the ruling curve is 21". (It does not work in the direction where the ruling grade is 3.5% on an 18" curve!) I have not speed matched my locos, although Kato six-axles are relatively forgiving in this respect. (I do not put Atlas or anything else into the mix.) I do this controlling the rear separately from the front, as the prototype does. Obviously you need a throttle with the two knobs.
Thanks Ben, that's good to know. My rendition of the Loop is 21" radius with just under 2.4% in the Loop itself: https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/7VCsoBvZVmyWVvJqGAVQedijRcytJzUE6nIsbCbDOfw?feat=directlink Just about ready to lay track and try it out for real. Now back to Jim's thread. By the way Jim, where's the weekend update photo? -Gary
We were in St. Louis for a nephew's wedding...this weekend, though, we should see some RTTX piggyback flats if the post office cooperates.... I recall when I was designing the Sub...I had the Loop in there in three different versions, but decided to do without - heck, EVERYBODY does the Loop! Looking good, Gary!
Dear Jim: I just received my June 2012 copy of Model Railroader and see that an article will be published in the july issue about the Oakville Sub. As one who has followed this thread with interest (and maybe just a bit of envy), I'd like to offer my congratulations on the article. When's the autograph session? Seriously, man, good work!
