A slow Super Chief 10020

[legotrainfan]

Hi!

Two Super Chiefs 10020 pull four Santa Fe waggons. Both Super Chiefs have got brand new motors (10153), but I think they are quite slow and that four waggons are too many four them. The Santa Fe waggons are quite heavy compared to many other waggons. And my track layout is quite curvy. Any ideas to make the whole thing quicker?

I thought about adding a third motor into the B-unit I am going to build, but when you have three motors on one track route, they do not run as quickly as they could. Obviously three motors need too much electricity. And if you put 4 motors on one track route, they move even more slowly. Good idea to use two speed regulators to provide at least 3 motors with enough electricity or is it a bad idea?

[Captain Ka-Boom]

Try cleaning your tracks it would suck but i have RC trains. I think an eraser or sponge on the whole track might work.

[Holodoc]

Two Super Chiefs 10020 pull four Santa Fe waggons. Both Super Chiefs have got brand new motors (10153), but I think they are quite slow and that four waggons are too many four them. The Santa Fe waggons are quite heavy compared to many other waggons. And my track layout is quite curvy. Any ideas to make the whole thing quicker?

I

[SavaTheAggie]

As I've said many times before on this forum and elsewhere, I killed one of my motors on my Santa Fe train on a very curvy TexLUG Layout. There is a design flaw on the passenger cars - the upside-down construction of the object between the two wheel bogies (whatever it is called). There are plates on the top (and thus on the very bottom of the MOC), of this structure. These need to be replaced with tiles. The studs on the plates will drag against the rails when going through long or 'S' curves, and will add a lot of friction to the train.

Turn your passenger cars over and inspect the studs on this structure. If they look worn on the sides, replace them with tiles ASAP.

--Tony

[WesternOutlaw]

Try eliminating one of your SF Chiefs and only have one with two motors. This will give the one unit more power. I'm really surprised that you're having trouble with four cars. Must be all the curves.

EDIT: just a thought; how many pieces of track do you have in your layout? (also the number of switch track?) It could be an issue with not enough power moving through your track (vs. your train). From experience, the more switch track you have, the less track power.

[legotrainfan]

EDIT: just a thought; how many pieces of track do you have in your layout? (also the number of switch track?) It could be an issue with not enough power moving through your track (vs. your train). From experience, the more switch track you have, the less track power.

The route my Super Chief usually takes has 70-80 track pieces, out of which are 30-35 curved tracks and six switches.

All the other trains run nicely on the same route, but they are lighter and have waggons that are not so heavy (like 4512).

The Super Chief accelerates nicely when it goes over several straights, but when it comes to the curvy area, it slows down. :-(

There is a design flaw on the passenger cars - the upside-down construction of the object between the two wheel bogies (whatever it is called). There are plates on the top (and thus on the very bottom of the MOC), of this structure. These need to be replaced with tiles. The studs on the plates will drag against the rails when going through long or 'S' curves, and will add a lot of friction to the train.

Turn your passenger cars over and inspect the studs on this structure. If they look worn on the sides, replace them with tiles ASAP.

--Tony

I'll check if the studs touch the curved rails. Thanks Tony and thanks to all of you! *y* More advice is still welcome, of course! ;-)

[AzMean]

The Super Chief accelerates nicely when it goes over several straights, but when it comes to the curvy area, it slows down

its a safety train! :-D

[legotrainfan]

I checked Tony's (SavaTheAggie's) suggestion and he's right! The studs of the two grey 2x6 plates in this middle upside down construction seem to touch the rails! As you know on each stud there is the word LEGO printed on them. On some studs one or two letters are hardly visible. And I have not had time to buy a rubber to clean the rails, which is - paradoxically but true - good because it gave me further evidence. The outer row of studs on both plates is a bit dirty. So the studs of the plates really seem to touch the curved rails. At least the two new motors have not had to suffer long. I have only used them for about 10 days.

Thanks Tony and thanks to all of you for your effort and precious help! *y* *y* *y*

And now it's time to go shopping on bricklink, looking for some old gray tiles! ;-)

EDIT: It just seems to affect the 10022 waggons. The plates on the middle upside down construction of the 10025 waggons didn't show any marks.

Edited February 2, 2008 by legotrainfan

[Holodoc]

I checked Tony's (SavaTheAggie's) suggestion and he's right! The studs of the two grey 2x6 plates in this middle upside down construction seem to touch the rails.

...

And now it's time to go shopping on bricklink, looking for some old gray tiles! ;-)

Ouch - I think I will have to a look at the downside of my cars as well. 8-|

Thanks for the info StA! *y* *y* *y*

Shopping on BL ON!

[legotrainfan]

The BNSF engine 10133 has a black 4x6 plate at its bottom (upside down construction between the wheels) and it also touches the tracks! I thought 10133 also had to be very close to the tracks and checked it today. The plate must also be substituted by tiles!

As I've said only the waggons 10022 touch the rails through the two grey 2x6 plates at their bottoms. The middle part between the wheels hangs one plate deeper than the middle part of the waggons 10025. So the 10025s won't cause any unwanted friction.

Once again: thanks to SavaTheAggie! *y* Without your advice I would have damaged the motors in my two 10020s and one more in my BNSF engine 10133!