Possible, but the Maxon we use here at "Brand X" is an industrial motor that usually operates in much more difficult situations. We only utilize about 30% of the capacity in our applications. I figure the extra stress of pulling more cars around a radius would be more taxing. Frankly we have the power to pull more, just the lack of weight causes the wheel to slip, so this ought to be a good situation for anyone. Joe MTL
as promised photos of the body being put together again: body back on the chasis, cab sliding back on and everything back to normal, just body mounted couplers etc left. I have run it on it's own (so far) on the track and it is tiny bit slower, but altogether sweeter and better running - even electrical pickup seem to have improved - my track has been standing and collecting dust for the last week... put the geep on and it run without slightest hesitation. more tests to follow Chris
I don't mind :shade: whoever does it first can have my soul (and body, if they are desperate :zip Chris
well, unfortunately my testing is limited by the shortcomings of my test track - it is simply an MTL oval extended by a 12 pack of 110mm straights; I am supporting it on a flat table laying on two trestles (1070 mm apart, one raised by three pieces of 12mm ply) - this gives me: 36/1070=3.36% gradient limited by the length of my track, I have hooked behind the loco: 18 pennzee 3 bay hoppers and 7 boxcars (40'), altogether 25 cars - anymore is pointless, since the tail end of the consist would be rolling downhill while the front end is climbing the gradient... At any one time at least a third of them is on the curve and remaining 2/3 up the 3.4% gradient. :thumbs_up::thumbs_up::thumbs_up: the geep either crawls or runs fast (up to the max speed) without slightest hesitation, no noise apart from clickety, click from the car wheels on track joints. I have stopped the consist, so that the loco is on the upper curve of the oval (near the exit to downhill straight) all the cars are on both curves and the uphill bit - and then just restarted without the slightest complaint from the loco. I have obviously got nowhere near the limits of this "new" loco performance and will not be able to so until I got the decent layout... so far it is better than I could have expected Chris an addendum couple of hrs later: after having my supper, I have decided that since I can't increase the number of cars, the only thing to do, to test things further is to increase the gradient - I have added another 18mm to my setup, making it (36+18)/1070=5% gradient.... and guess what - only at the most difficult test (ie start from stationary with all the cars behind on two curves and the uphill bit) could I detect slight hesitation and increased effort to start (at a crawl), but once going, it is rolling happily with not a slightest sign of trouble.
few links: http://tungstenco.com http://www.wolfmet.com http://www.tungsten-heavy-powder.com and one with basic material info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tungsten what you want is a lump of solid sintered alloy, both for max density and ease of making those weights it machines easily using normal metalworking methods, you only have to be careful about small dia holes and threads. I have used milling machine with carbide tooling, but only because I have it and it makes it easier. You can with a bit of perserverence use hacksaw and file and since somebody already asked me about buying them on Z Central Station the answers is: I had ideas about selling replacement chassis, but only if it could be industrialised. What I am doing at the moment is prototyping and testing. I have no plans to sell anything at this stage (at the hourly rate I charge and with $ ve £ exchange rate, you couldn't afford me anyway ) Chris
