I read somewhere that one of the new FT's will utilize the Atlas low speed motor. Does anyone remember which one? Since some roads used GP's with Ft's, I would like to know which ones will best run with Atlas GP's. Thanks.
I'm not so sure... Rumor has it that IM's Tunnel Motors will be using the older faster motor. I think the only way to know for sure is to wait and see. [ 24. August 2002, 15:41: Message edited by: Nick ]
I'm not so sure... Rumor has it that IM's Tunnel Motors will be using the older faster motor. I think the only way to know for sure is to wait and see.</font>[/QUOTE]The Intermountain FT's are using the slower design motor with an all new drive. The main reason the Tunnel Motors are not is because they are using the already complete SD60 drive that Atlas has now, the higher speed motor fits this drive.
[/QUOTE]The Intermountain FT's are using the slower design motor with an all new drive. The main reason the Tunnel Motors are not is because they are using the already complete SD60 drive that Atlas has now, the higher speed motor fits this drive.[/QB][/QUOTE] Bob, Where did you get this info?
It was my understanding that the slower speed motor and the older faster motor are physically identical, and can be interchanged with each other. Is this not the case?
It was my understanding that the slower speed motor and the older faster motor are physically identical, and can be interchanged with each other. Is this not the case?</font>[/QUOTE]They are as atlas has said on their forum. They also supposedly carry the same part number from what I understand from the Atlas forum.
The information about the drive was found on the N Scale Supply web site. I did make one mistake though, it will be based on the Atlas SD50 drive, not the SD60 drive. http://www.nscalesupply.com Click on the Tunnel Motor link for all the info.
The SD50 and SD60/M All use the same drive. Infact the latest release of the SD50/60s came with the slow speed motor as apposed to the older faster motor.
Click on the Tunnel Motor link for all the info.[/qb][/QUOTE]The SD50 and SD60/M All use the same drive. Infact the latest release of the SD50/60s came with the slow speed motor as apposed to the older faster motor.[/QB][/QUOTE] That should tell you what I know about the modern stuff I called Intermountain the other day to get a shippment update and one of the questions I asked was about the motor, I was told that the slow speed motor was being used in the FT. N Scale Supply says they have first hand knowledge from the manufacture about the motor being used in the Tunnel Motor and their web site says "Faster motor"
Thanks Bob. I had asked the same question myself of the folks at Intermountain and have now learned that the FT's will be equipped with the "Sanda Kan low-speed motor", which is apparently the same motor that Atlas uses.
The speculation on what FT uses what parts is silly.... until we have them in hand it is not useful information. If the "slow speed" Atlas motor (the one Atlas made to get their units to run more in line with the Kato units) is or isn't used in a unit has no bearing (pardon the pun) on how the unit will perform..... if the fit and finish of the frame isn't great, the whole drive train from an Atlas GP7 could be installed and it wouldn't make the units run smoothly or quietly. Likewise, since the Intermountain units are being made in the same factory (????something no one has confirmed for certain, by the way) it is likely the motors may be the same general construction.... ever compare a Atlas motor with LifeLike or ConCor??? Almost identical. The gearing on the Intermountain units looks to be new..... but until we get two units in a basement on a layout side by side the speculation isn't worth a bucket of warm spit (to paraphrase Will Rogers). Charlie
Charlie, I appreciate the input but will refer everyone back to my initial post (the start of this thread). My interest was not in projecting an overall level of performance, but rather to answer the question of whether or not they would run well with an Atlas GP7. My assumption, perhaps in error, was that if they used the same motor as Atlas's recent releases they might be able to be ran in the same consist without incident. Yes, I know that gear ratios are also a variable in this equation, but if the motor is the same then I'm optomistic that a similar gear configuration would be used as well. Why ask? I'll tell you why. I've been burned too often by waiting for that new release only to have it sold out before all of the basement side-by-sides are completed (are they ever really complete?). That suggests a strategy of deciding/reserving early and taking what comes out. BTW: this discussion went from speculation to fact when I received direct response from Intermountain confirming the motor to be used (see above).
Even if the motor is the same as the GP7 (which, depending on which production run you have may be old motor/slow motor) the MicroTrains gearing may or may not be identical to the Atlas.... The weight of the engines will be different from a Geep (I imagine) so that will impact speed too. It may work out that the Intermountain FTs will MU better than the MicroTrains. I don't think we will know until we have them in hand. Factors such as the LED and lighting circuit used may change the speed characteristics a bunch.... look at the difference between an A (with a light) and a B (without) as has been noted on LifeLike and E-R covered wagons. The bottom line is that you won't know for sure until both are out.... but it is likely both will be okay for running in lashups with Atlas and Kato locos..... the speed matching is difficult at best (locos from the same production run can vary as much as different models from different manufacturers). Suffice it to say both will be desireable models which should be very close in quality. Charlie
