Diesel Colorado/Canyon
Test Drive Short Tow More of a teaser I guess. Can't wait to see more of it.
Forum Discussion
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Some trivia:
Using diesel, I once made it over Beaver Hill at 0.2 mph in Montana, less than a 2% grade.
I hit the bottom doing 40. It felt like Donner Pass at the end.
I had plenty of rated HP for the load (1 hp per ton was called for). Course it was on a train. But the dummies gave me 2 big locomotives instead of three smaller units. These traction motors aren't significantly physically larger than those in the smaller locomotives, so they get pretty hot. And three units would have given me more weight on more drivers for less slipping to boot. Each axle has it's own motor, six per unit.
This brand locomotives (GE) auto-shut themselves down little-by-little to prevent burnt windings, so my HP disappeared little-by-little as I climbed the hill. Then it started to rain towards the top. Rail is just like asphalt when it first gets wet... slipperier at first vs later. And the sanders were empty as usual.
You see, the traction motors have also had traction control (since 1950's), so even as I started cresting at a less steeper grade, I went slower and slower to the top as the axles slipped, then paused, then slipped. We literally inched our way to the top. The digital speedos actually do read in tenths (for loading etc). Topped at 0.2 mph. It was a miracle.
It took well over an hour to go just a few miles, and other trains waited hoping like H to not have to give me another motor if we stalled. We all worked by the mile, not the hour, so everybody's patience does wear thin. This was maybe closer to a "Donner Pass" deal. A borrowed team of horses might help the other guy get out of the way. Imagine that in terms of today's RVs. :)
The usual speed with no rain would have been about 12 mph with two EMD brand locomotives, thereby manually choosing enough amps to possibly smoke the motors.
Wes
...
Some trivia:
Using diesel, I once made it over Beaver Hill at 0.2 mph in Montana, less than a 2% grade.
I hit the bottom doing 40. It felt like Donner Pass at the end.
I had plenty of rated HP for the load (1 hp per ton was called for). Course it was on a train. But the dummies gave me 2 big locomotives instead of three smaller units. These traction motors aren't significantly physically larger than those in the smaller locomotives, so they get pretty hot. And three units would have given me more weight on more drivers for less slipping to boot. Each axle has it's own motor, six per unit.
This brand locomotives (GE) auto-shut themselves down little-by-little to prevent burnt windings, so my HP disappeared little-by-little as I climbed the hill. Then it started to rain towards the top. Rail is just like asphalt when it first gets wet... slipperier at first vs later. And the sanders were empty as usual.
You see, the traction motors have also had traction control (since 1950's), so even as I started cresting at a less steeper grade, I went slower and slower to the top as the axles slipped, then paused, then slipped. We literally inched our way to the top. The digital speedos actually do read in tenths (for loading etc). Topped at 0.2 mph. It was a miracle.
It took well over an hour to go just a few miles, and other trains waited hoping like H to not have to give me another motor if we stalled. We all worked by the mile, not the hour, so everybody's patience does wear thin. This was maybe closer to a "Donner Pass" deal. A borrowed team of horses might help the other guy get out of the way. Imagine that in terms of today's RVs. :)
The usual speed with no rain would have been about 12 mph with two EMD brand locomotives, thereby manually choosing enough amps to possibly smoke the motors.
Wes
...
