how is it that you can have more than 1 engine pulling a train because in my experience each of my engines is slightly faster/slower?
If the individual locos run reasonably closely in speed, then you can usually couple them up without much problem. Put the locos on the track separeated by a couple of feet and run them. If one is significantly faster then the others, it probably should not be put in tandem. If they do run reasonalby close in speed, you're OK. Best to put the fastet one in front.
Try turning one loco around, if the timing is off a bit, a loco may run faster or slower running backwards.
saw an AMTRACK flyint thru town today and botgh engines were pulling/ pushing hard. I would not try that in model railroading for murphy's law would strike disaster , inside a tunnel. ;D ;D ;D
I run two trains on my layout that are pulled by two locos each. The locos are closely matched in speed and pull well together. One train is pulled by an Athearn F7 A-B set and the other is pulled by an Athearn F7 and an Athearn GP50. Once in a while I run out a pair of Bachmann locos (a GP40 and a GP35) and let them pull for a while. I also use a Proto 2000 set (E7-A and E6-B). All the locos have Digitrax decoders and are controlled with a Bachmann EZ-Command system. The layout is all Bachmann EZ-Track.
DCC is different from DC. With DCC vastly different locos can be matched up.
Gene
With the exception of my EZ Command DCC, all I can do is assign the same address to 2 locos. I have been told the more full featured units can match speeds pretty close.
For closely matched locos, it's actually a bit easier to make up a consist with DC as there is no need to program direction, regardless of the loco's orientation on the tracks. Both pointing forward, nose to nose, rear to rear, makes no difference.
I run coal trains with a lead facing forward, another on the tail end facing to the rear, looks very realistic. I have a couple of dummies I sometimes set in the center.
in the old days of the early 70s, we use to take resistors and match speeds in various diesels in that manner. For non-dcc, this works very well to closely match speeds. I use resistors based on maximum load for a particular locomotive. They will be under 10 ohms in value and usually about 5 watts in power. This requires hard wiring the pickup from the truck to the motor.
Speed control technology gets better every day. In slightly larger scale with out speed control I do this consist often. Each unit pulls about 1.5 amps AC.
(http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w141/mikedian/IMG_6173.jpg)
With electronic speed control running engines that are different is much easier. Even doing pushers on the end of the train is possible.
sadly, bachman does not make these but you could try using dummys if your loco has power.
yeah i do have a santa fe engine and dummy that i use together
I have five katos pulling a train and all my others are dual hook ups.It's just that I have so many engines.I'm not bragging it's just that I buy a lot on ebay and shows.