I am interested in knowing if anyone has attempted to add weight to this little loco. It struggles and stalls up my 2% grades and think extra weight is needed.. Any ideas would be helpful. Thanksd Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk
I would add 7 grams of weight inside the tender. This would greatly improve the tracking of the tender and would probably prevent the FV Hiawatha from stalling on your 2% grade. On my large around the room layout. I have a grade of 1 1/2% that runs over 40 feet and my FV Hiawatha's have no problem negotiating that grade with the added weight in the tender. Staying cool and having fun with it...... Shades
One of the hotly contested issues when DCC showed up was the lose of traction, due to the weight being cut out. Good pulling locomotives began to suffer wheel slip and other issues as they pulled 2% or better grades. With all the wiring harnesses, DCC decoder, speaker there isn't much room for added weight. Another hotly contested issue is when hobbyist have problems keeping an engine, loco or tender on the track the immediate response or cure is "Add weight". May I say it would be better to check the wheel sets and track to make sure they are gauged properly. Replace either, if needed. Always use the proper weight as set by various standard setters in the hobby. To much weight can work against you as quickly as to little. I agree with Red River, regarding the tender. Sneeking in weight into the locomotive chassis will be a challenge. Let us know how it turns out.
I might agree about the tender. But I am having wheel slippage on my drivers. It's not the track. That's been ok. All my locos make it up the grades. And there is not any issue with the decoder causing problems there.. Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk
Unfortunately, there's little or no room in the FV Hiawatha for added weight. If I remember correctly, the front drivers are equipped with traction tires, so pulling a reasonable string of passenger cars shouldn't be too difficult. This leads me to believe that your grade is steeper than 2% or recheck your track as Rick suggested. I would make sure there is little or no grime on the rails of track that encompass your 2% grade. That can also cause wheel slippage. Staying cool and having fun with it...... Shades
Rick: In the FV Hiawatha, the decoder and speaker is located in the tender. The sound decoder that I used in this locomotive is a ESU Micro Select sound decoder which fits into the eight pin plug in the tender. For a speaker, I used a Zimo cube speaker which provides great sound. Both of my two FV Hiawathas' were upgraded in this manner. Its an easy installation. Staying cool and having fun with it...... Shades
I would venture to guess you are talking about diesels there. I would agree but there have been many benefits that came with dcc. Once I used it, I never wanted to go back to having so many blocks and switches. Extra wiring. Etc etc... Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk
How many cars are you trying to pull? Keep in mind the prototype was designed to pull a 6 car train ( with a maximum of 9 cars) at 100 mph. It was designed for speed, not pulling power...........there's only so much you can do with only 2 sets of drivers. My Hiawatha has no problems with a 2.35% grade on my home layout pulling the stock train or with the stock train plus 2 cars. I would check the drawbar to the tender.....it's metal and if it gets bent it can cause unequal weight on the drivers resulting in poor traction.
Locomotive is a Steam Engine and a Diesel engine is a Motor or so I've been taught. Old timer that I am. If you think about it, there's absolutely no locomotion to be seen with a diesel. Anyway, it doesn't much matter today whether or not it is a locomotive or diesel, as there is little to no extra room for added weights. The weights on a locomotive, need to be directly over the drivers to have a positive affect and that will be hard to do. A rule of thumb on my layout is a locomotive must be able to pull 10 freight or passenger cars up my two per-cent grades. A little secret, most of my cars have the Micro-Trains trucks and wheel-sets. Smooth pullers with minimal friction. Still I wish you the best with your project and I hope it gives you what you want.
gcav17: I guess your track work is the problem according to your post in another thread. QUOTE="gcav17, post: 985531, member: 22661"]It's been quite awhile since I have done anything to the CMB. I have managed to get supplies I need here and there. Over the weekend I went to Omaha to pick up my latest purchase from EBay. I think I kinda got lucky here. The sound decoder was already installed. It's as Tsunami 750. The install was done by Mickey at the House of Choo choos in Omaha so I sm not even concerned about the workmanship. Here is a video of her going over some very rough track that begs for some work..... Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk[/QUOTE] Staying cool and having fun with...... Shades
Yep. My new section has glitches. But the old part that has been flawless for a long time is just to steep for it. It is for some. I was wondering about weight is all. Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk
That is my CM&B layout. I rebuilt a large section of it this winter. It has settled a bit so I need to fix a few spots on the new section... Go to my Carnage page and you will find the rebuild.. Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk
Well done and looks professional. Gosh, I didn't realize the Milwaukee locomotive in question was a 4-4-2. They were lucky to pull any passenger cars behind that stove. Never mind us hobbyist.
Thanks Rick. I definitely got some bugs to work out. I am surprised by all the shifting that went on this summer. But winter will be here soon and this handyman/painter/mr. Fixit guy will get out the bugs. Maybe even finish those trestles! Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk
They did not pull large trains. Their intent was to go very fast, and that was quite successful. There were only a few of these and they set a speed record for time between Chicago and the Twin Cities.
Yes Rick, the FV Hiawatha has a wheel arrangement of 4-4-2. The first driver is equipped with traction tires. This locomotive isn't going to pull a long string of passenger cars. Five or maybe six cars is the maximum and a grade of 2% is the limit depending on the radii one has in the grade. If the radii in the grade are narrow, the grade % increases to about 3%. That's why increasing the weight in the tender is essential to improve tracking of the tender. Also wiring the tender directly to the locomotive is another option to improve tracking of the locomotive. Only one set of drivers has electrical contact to the track due to the traction tires on the first set of drivers. For whats its worth, Powersteamguy1790 is also an advocate of adding weight to the tender to improve its tracking which in turn increases the locomotive's tracking and pulling power as well. Staying cool and having fun with it..... Shades
Yes RedRiver4433, I'm aware that Bob is a great supporter of adding weight to a tender. Seems to me I said, I supported that somewhere in a post or two back...aways. It certainly helps the tender track better but I don't know how that would help the locomotive. Unless the drawbar acts to pull down the locomotive resulting in added traction. Then there's the case of pulling the front guide trucks up and off the track and you could safely say nothing gained. Had that happen!!! Taking us back to properly weighting any locomotive is the only way you are going to add traction. Directly over the drivers. If you can find room. Sigh! So, to anyone tuned in here do give it a try.
Maybe I can flatten out some lead, and see what I will gain. I will be happy with 5 cars. But I do like to try to get the max out of things. Why I was crazy enough to load up that new MP Mike with 75 cars . Drive from the outside line to the inside line. And once it started to slip on my high trestle, I barely touched it. And wouldn't you know it? All the torque behind it actually caused it to jump! It fell 48" staight to the concrete floor.......... Luckily, luckily all that was damaged was the front coupler and drawbar. It still runs like new.. Man... My heart about sank with that dramatic event.... Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk
