run 2 trains on same track

Started by sjmgrandpa, December 10, 2009, 03:08:21 PM

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sjmgrandpa

several years back I got hooked thru hawthorne village on a Bachmann On30 train using narrow gauge 2-6-0 steam engine. I have bought extra track which gets set up once a year around the xmas tree and now includes around a corner table. It uses E-Z track and is one continous loop. Question: Can I add another 2-6-0 same style engine to share pulling some of the cars?? 

ABC

Yes as long as your power supply is rated at enough amps. And unless it is really old it should be perfectly fine.

GANDYLEE

Yes again to your ? This is called Double Heading and is very common in Model Railroading as it is 7 was in railroading. The previous answer of you'll need more power, as now your powering 2 motors. 

lilman316

If you want to spend the extra money you can go DCC and add decoders to them, You can then program them to run together, if you are running identical engines DC is fine, but if you mix 2 different engines especially from different mfgs the speed diffrerence can either make one engine pull the other putting stress on the lead loco, or wearing on couplers, or if the faster loco is second it will push the first around the track causing stress on the motor, so safe than sorry make sure you run to identical engines and it will run great if you have the power.

ebtbob

Good Morning All,

      Technically,  the answer to the origianl question is no,  if double heading is intended as the Bachmann On30 2-6-0 does not have an operating coupler on the pilot.  One would have to go to the expense of retrofitting the engines with the available pilots with operating couplers that is offered in the Bachmann line.
       If the original poster meant to have two separate trains running at the same time,  then the info supplied by the other posting members is applicable.
Bob Rule, Jr.
Hatboro, Pa
In God We Trust
Not so much in Congress
GATSME MRRC - www.gatsme.org

jestor

May be wrong, but I think the poster is talking about running a second Mogul pulling some cars.......as in two separate trains.  Is this what you mean? If that's the case, your power pack probably won't handle two trains if there are lighted passenger cars involved. Plus, even though the engines are of the same type,  they rarely seem to run at the exact same speed....one will eventually catch up to the other.

poliss

Someone was asking almost the exact same question elsewhere. The answer given, by someone who tried it, was that his controller overloaded with loads of smoke!