DCC Impulses Column - 2
response, too. See the video of my garden loco after being set
up:
Frequently, prototypes have a top speed in the 25 to 40 MPH
range, by capability or by rule, so I try to match it in scale.
Examples include:
Branch lines, like my HO Santa Maria Valley:
Narrow gauge, like my Fn3 Rocky Mountain Pacific:
Yard switchers - be they older switchers or road switchers
For now, let's just look at what we can do with our decoders
to provide realistic motor control. The sound effects can come
along later, once we have the motor response we want.
Getting your loco started
Isaac Newton described inertia (a body at rest tends to stay at
rest, etc.). Well, model locomotives have that in spades. Not
only do they have intrinsic mechanical inertia, but also we
intentionally add inertia, in the form of flywheels, when we
can. In addition, when surfaces, even metal, sit in contact for
a period of time, they develop stiction. This is a word derived
from sticking and friction to describe the physical mechanism
behind the need to give things a shove to get them moving.
Even a small switcher, such as the HO-scale HH660 shown in
figure 1 has two flywheels and lots of bearing surfaces. While
Nano-Oil
may help, there may still
be starting stiction issues. To get your loco rolling, you need to
overcome both the inertia of the drive system and the stiction.
MRH-Dec 2013
