# Dummy loco's?



## searstractorfan (May 30, 2011)

Who sells dummy locos? I REALLLLLY want a steam engine dummy, but also want some SD70 dummys to run on my setup....Its getting hard on my controller trying to run 3 or 4 powered locos...Im not real picky on brands, I currently have some Athearn Genesis, Bachman Spectrum and regular Bachmann, some regular athearn and I think some tyco and life like...Im all over the board on brands..not picky just want some that work....MTH im afraid is to pricey for me yet(I WILL get that tri plex they have one of these days!)


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## gc53dfgc (Apr 13, 2010)

Get some cheap or broken steamers and diesels off of ebay. Yank all the gears out of the trucks and remove the motors. leave the pickups and lights attached and you get a lighted dummy unit. That is just about the only way to get a dummy unit anymore. Also I would try and stay away from MTHs HO steam products at the time. They have a lot of tracking problems especially through switches and their smoke units are not the best (They smell horrible, unless you use Lionels O guage smoke fluid) They also have horrible DCC compatibility (to all of their HO enignes) except for I think their most recent HO Diesel engines. They also have many useless sound functions like crew chatter which most people agree is useless and unprototypical but thats a personal thing for you to decide on. They also have a sound function for as if the train were to crash which really disapoints me that that is even included and says to me that MTH is not taking their HO scale line remotely seriously and that they expect their engines to be crashed or something. Just a big dissapointment for me on that one.


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## shaygetz (Sep 23, 2007)

Powered engines make better dummies anyway...they're already setup to wire lighting in them---even sound chips....hang onto the gears and motors to change back in the future.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Buy a larger transformer and run them all powered.


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## shaygetz (Sep 23, 2007)

gunrunnerjohn said:


> Buy a larger transformer and run them all powered.


Well...yeah...that too....


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## searstractorfan (May 30, 2011)

haha ok Ill keep my eyes peeled on ebay then for some worn out regular engines...Glad to hear that about the MTH stuff, Im looking at their Triplex, but now dontknow if its worth getting...


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## norgale (Apr 4, 2011)

Ok! John brought this up and I'd like to ask what transformer to get to run multiple engines in DC? How does this work anyway? Pete


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Well, you'll have to ask the HO folks about their preferred transformer, if you need an AC transformer, I know about those. 

There are tons of choices, I just don't know which one is the best deal in DC power packs.


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## searstractorfan (May 30, 2011)

I got some really old one a guy gave me with his HO stuff...Ill check out the name...it runs 3 or 4 locos pretty good..WAY better then my bachmann DCC controller ever dreams of...


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## MacDaddy55 (Aug 19, 2008)

Tech IV is really nice with plenty of juice, decent speed control and pulse is great. I got mine on Ebay for $20.00 and its run for over 3yrs now. Happy,Happy!!:thumbsup:


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## jzrouterman (Nov 27, 2010)

norgale said:


> Ok! John brought this up and I'd like to ask what transformer to get to run multiple engines in DC? How does this work anyway? Pete


Pete, the concept of buying a large transformer really depends on what you're wanting to do and what kind of engines you have and how old they are, as you may or may not need one. Some brands like Atlas, Athearn Genises, Athearn RTR, Kato and even some of the newer Bachmanns are nothing to run together even with a small transformer doing switching operations. However, if you're planning on running a lot of engines together continuously around a layout for exteneded periods of time, then a large transformer would be the smart choice. 

Some of the older engines though are another story. Athearn blue box engines for example, though they were considered to be some of the best back in their day, the fact is that they drew almost twice the power that the modern day RTR athearns do. They didn't do too bad together using a larger transformer, but trying to run them together with maybe Atlas resulted in each fighting against the other. Because of this, they didn't do as well running together. Some of the other brands of that day were even worse. This is why dummies were so popular. I have a Proto GP15 and it is horrible running with any other engine, so I always run it alone.

But then I have two Atlas GP38s and a Bachmann GP30 of one road name that I switch with, and because I uncouple my cars with a Kadee uncoupling tool, I need to be where the action is. Consequently I have a cheap MRC $28.00 transformer near a concrete complex. This is what I use to do switching there. For other places I use a larger transformer. Though it sounds odd, switching with multi engines using this little transformer works perfectly fine. No problems at all. 

For another road name that I model, I run an Atlas RS36, An Athearn RTR GP35, and a Bachmann SD40-2 together switching like I mentioned above. If at any time I decide to run all of these around the layout continuosly on different lines, I use my two larger transformers. With the exception of the two Atlas GP38s, the rest of the above engines are relatively new. The two Atlas engines are ten years old, but they were built with supurb technology. The ones I was most surprised with were my two Bachmanns. When I got them, I thought I was going to have maybe somewhat of a slight problem running them with my Atlas and Athearn engines, given Bachmann's track record, but they run in almost perfect sinc with my other engines. Go figure.

The easiest new model engines to run together in DC are Atlas, Athearn genises and Kato. Each of these brands draw hardly any power. Athearn RTR engines run a very close second. I cannot speak for transformers I've never used but the ones I do have (even the cheap one) have been superb. These are the models I have, with the most powerful listed first, then medium, then down to the weakest.

http://hobbylinc.com/htm/mrc/mrcag950.htm Two of these

http://hobbylinc.com/htm/mrc/mrc280.htm One of these

http://hobbylinc.com/htm/mrc/mrcaa300.htm One of these

Anway, the bottom line with it all is TRIAL AND ERROR. You'll just have to experiment to see what works and what doesn't. One easy experiment to do is to run each engine alone to a desired speed. Notice what your throttle reads with each at the same speed. If it's just about in the same place with each, you won't have much of a problem running them together. However, if there is a vast thottle difference with each, well........ Even with a larger transformer you'll just have to see. For running engines together in DCC, one of the DCC modelers here will have to answer that.

Routerman


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## norgale (Apr 4, 2011)

Thanks for that Routerman and the links too. I presume that we are talking volts here with the different transformers. Since I'm electrically challanged maybe somebody could get into the power used for, say, running a two engine lashup. I have two engines that are from the mid seventies and a couple from 1996 and now the one from Atlas that I just got. Like you say trial and error will tell the story.Thanks for the explanation. Pete


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## MacDaddy55 (Aug 19, 2008)

Hey Guys...didn't we recently have a thread on running electrical blocks(with wiring) on another thread for DC to isolate track sections for multiple running?! Either I dreamed this or I've lived in another reality or both!!.


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## norgale (Apr 4, 2011)

MacDaddy I'm talking about running two engine together on the same block. I know you can run multiple engines with separate transformers but only in isolated blocks.
Question is if one train will run on a 12volt transformer will it take 24 volts to run two trains on the same track in the same block? Pete


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Actually, it's the current capability of the transformers that will determine the ability to power multiple locomotives, you don't want more voltage.


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## norgale (Apr 4, 2011)

I always thought current was voltage. As I said I'm electrically challanged.
We have volts,watts and amps,all of which must be present in some quantity to make current. Ahhh me! I have myself all confusilated now. Don't know what I'm asking for anymore. Pete


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Current times voltage = watts or power. If you have a transformer that supplies 12 volts at 1 amp, you have 12 watts. If you have a transformer that supplies 12 volts at 4 amps, you have 48 watts.

Note that your trains will only draw the power required at the set voltage, so there's no risk of blowing them up with a bigger transformer. The larger transformer just gives you more capacity.


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## norgale (Apr 4, 2011)

Now that makes sense to me. Guess I need to start looking for transformers on sleazebay. Thanks John. Pete


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## MacDaddy55 (Aug 19, 2008)

norgale said:


> MacDaddy I'm talking about running two engine together on the same block. I know you can run multiple engines with separate transformers but only in isolated blocks.
> Question is if one train will run on a 12volt transformer will it take 24 volts to run two trains on the same track in the same block? Pete


I knew I wasn't dreaming!!! or am I still assleep!!:laugh::laugh: Thanks Pete!:thumbsup:


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## jzrouterman (Nov 27, 2010)

norgale said:


> MacDaddy I'm talking about running two engine together on the same block. I know you can run multiple engines with separate transformers but only in isolated blocks.
> Question is if one train will run on a 12volt transformer will it take 24 volts to run two trains on the same track in the same block? Pete


Depends on each engine's power draw. It's a lot easier to run todays models with one transformer than it was with older models simply because most of todays models of your better brands require a lot less power draw. The best I can tell you is just try them and see.

Routerman


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Well, a single control will limit you to having both trains running at whatever speed the throttle setting is at. Also, when you reverse, they'll both reverse at the same time as well. Separate transformers, or at least multi-control transformers, allow you to independently control separate track blocks.


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