# How much bucks does bang cost?



## [email protected] (Jan 30, 2012)

I now have more rolling stock than my El Cheapo Deluxe engines can pull. They slip, spin and grind away. I broke...wait...I mean 'modified' the Athearn KC Southern dummy so that the rear coupler swings about 120°. That helped it clear my 18" cutbacks. Now, I simply need more pulling power. I run straight DC. Is it better to amplify my power to the track or get a better engine that can pull with a single powerpack? Also, I run on the floor. So there is much I.D. 10 T. error.

Thanks
Richard


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## Bucklaew (Oct 7, 2010)

The first thing I would check on older engines are the rubber bands on the pulling wheel. You would be surprised at how much more pulling power you will get. I bought 100 for less than a buck on ebay.


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## NIMT (Jan 6, 2011)

Richard,
Buy yourself an old Blue Box Athearn and you'll get some cheap serious pulling power!


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## Grabbem88 (Feb 24, 2012)

NIMT said:


> Richard,
> Buy yourself an old Blue Box Athearn and you'll get some cheap serious pulling power!


Lol! 27 cars most loaded and my athearns are done... 
Add some more lead now that's a different story!

Good rubber and more weight should help.


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## Southern (Nov 17, 2008)

You can buy a better engine. You can buy another one just like you have and run them together. If you run more than one engine they should be geared the same. Alway put the fastest one in the front.

Do not hook more transformer to the same track. That is not a good way to get more pulling power from your engines. It is a great way to fry them.


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## Grabbem88 (Feb 24, 2012)

I never knew you could add another transformer lol. That's playing with fire so to speak


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## [email protected] (Jan 30, 2012)

I like the smell of burnt electrolite...


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## NIMT (Jan 6, 2011)

Grabbem88 said:


> Lol! 27 cars most loaded and my athearns are done...
> Add some more lead now that's a different story!
> 
> Good rubber and more weight should help.


Grabbem88,
I don't know which Athearns you've run? But my BB will keep and surpass almost any other engines for pulling power! And Athearn never had to use rubber tread to do it!

tdeuwaite,
burnt electrolite???
What are you running your trains on battery power???
There isn't any electrolites in transformers!


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## [email protected] (Jan 30, 2012)

:thumbsup: Well, technically, the book says, "An electrolyte is any substance containing free ions that make the substance electrically conductive. The most typical electrolyte is an ionic solution, but molten electrolytes and solid electrolytes are also possible."

I did unspells it gooder this time.


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## [email protected] (Jan 30, 2012)

Seriously, I did misspeak above when I said, "single transformer." I meant a single 'unamplified' transformer. But that did make me wonder if you actually could stack two transformers in parallel without feeding back into eachother thereby smoking whatever that goop is inside a transformer...


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## NIMT (Jan 6, 2011)

Wow the "book" beats my thinking all to heck!
Two transformers... hum what does the "book" say?


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## Grabbem88 (Feb 24, 2012)

NIMT said:


> Grabbem88,
> I don't know which Athearns you've run? But my BB will keep and surpass almost any other engines for pulling power! And Athearn never had to use rubber tread to do it!
> 
> tdeuwaite,
> ...


Let me rephrase my BB athearn with some serious loads at 27 car my wheels slip.. Not to be confused with it can't pull it. Most of the time I'm on a curve when I start to pull so that hinders my pulling a bit heck I got an old Amtrak tyco single 4 wheel drive that pulls them but that's with alot of lead on the wheels.. So all in all my BB's are awesome and I own everything from gp60 to sd40 and I'm happy with them


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## Southern (Nov 17, 2008)

My BB Athearn DD40 will out pull everything I have. i do not know how many cars it can pull because I run out of track, it is chasing its tail. but that is what it was made for, so i guess that dose not count.


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## MacDaddy55 (Aug 19, 2008)

*New Category?*

We need a new category or thread on Pulling Power! Kinda like a Tractor Pull at the County or State Fair!:laugh: My Athearn Pennsy F7 can pull 28 cars without any problem...no incline/grade though!:thumbsup:


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## MacDaddy55 (Aug 19, 2008)

Southern said:


> My BB Athearn DD40 will out pull everything I have. i do not know how many cars it can pull because I run out of track, it is chasing its tail. but that is what it was made for, so i guess that dose not count.


Hey John, How did you make out on the move...last time I saw your layout it was in the back of a trailer headed to your new place?


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## sstlaure (Oct 12, 2010)

If the wheels on the engine are slipping (i.e. not stalled) then adding weight to the engine will increase the tractive effort you can apply to the tracks.

If the engine stalls, you don't have enough power.
If the engine slips, you don't have enough traction.


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## Southern (Nov 17, 2008)

MacDaddy55 said:


> Hey John, How did you make out on the move...last time I saw your layout it was in the back of a trailer headed to your new place?


Thanks for asking. It is up and running. doing better than ever. this is the fourth house that it has been in in its 50 + years as a train table. We bought a ranch/basment just so I would have room to expanded it from a table to a full room layout.


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## [email protected] (Jan 30, 2012)

I forgot to mention that I am trying to run a whole bunch of $3 junque I bought at the GTE in Kansas City last week. I've ordered a 100-pack of metal wheels.


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## Brakeman Jake (Mar 8, 2009)

"When a horse isn't strong enough,you add another horse.Feeding a single one a double ration won't make it a stronger horse"...If your loco has reached its limit,increasing current won't have it do more.You can add a second (or third or more) engines to have more pulling power.On the other hand,if your power supply isn't strong enough,you need a stronger one and NO you can't team power supplies.


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## [email protected] (Jan 30, 2012)

Thanks Jake.

OK, here it is. Before watching this, please remember that I am in the Land of Oz...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mq4eVjNsZfM&feature=youtu.be


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## New Berlin RR (Feb 11, 2012)

well for me it cost $199.95 but it pulls at least 8 cars at a time with no problem


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

[email protected] said:


> OK, here it is. Before watching this, please remember that I am in the Land of Oz...


Is that backdrop carnage from the cats?!? Or flying monkeys, maybe?

PETA schmeta ... I'd be settin' up some beartraps right about now!


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## [email protected] (Jan 30, 2012)

That backdrop is a cheapy vinyl tablecloth from here (Very big!):

http://www.trainparty.com/partysupplies.html


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## [email protected] (Jan 30, 2012)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCvUGyfTgDU


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## New Berlin RR (Feb 11, 2012)

however I guess my bang cost me $0 (free) as my parents were the ones who bought me my first set, the Burlington Northern set (GP 38-2 I have) and they gave it to me...she was able to haul a lot at first, then started having issues after sitting for 3+ years in an attic and after putting oil in her well she works much better and hauls at least 10 cars, havent tried more then that yet...


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## [email protected] (Jan 30, 2012)

Free is my favorite kind...


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