Questions, Answers & Tips -
trains together and pulled trains apart, derailing and damaging
several freight cars in the process. What's the secret?
A.
Most helper problems on model railroads are caused by having
too much power available. The rest are caused by crews failing to
talk back and forth.
Most model locomotives, on a 2% grade, can handle about two
cars per powered axle without slipping. You can test your own
engines to find a tonnage rating. Some are better and some are
worse, but it's a good place to start experimenting.
Let's assume you have DCC or another system to indepen-
dently control each engine set. If you have 24 or 25 freight cars
to pull, a good diesel-era power arrangement would be two
GP-style units on the head end, and another GP cut into the
train 16 or more cars back. The helper can also be placed on
the tail end (2), either ahead of or behind the caboose, accord-
ing to your prototype and era.
To set the train in motion, the helper should start by pushing in
the slack, with the head-end engineer making a matching low-
speed power setting and then leaving his throttle at that setting.
The helper engineer must watch the couplers in the train, and
make very small power adjustments so the point where the slack
between cars runs in and out is about 2/3 of the way back from the
lead locomotives.
If all of the couplers are stretched out, the head-end engine is pull-
ing more than its share of the load. The helper can speed up his
engine a little, or ask the lead engines to reduce power. If all of the
couplers are bunched, the helper is pushing too hard and should
ease off the power until slack appears.
You say three Geeps aren't much of a spectacle? Adjust the power
or the number of cars accordingly, but keep the front-end power
MRH-Sep 2013
