A Good Quality Locomotive Will Make All The Difference!
By Bruce Morgan - a Passionate Model Railroader
It can be very frustrating having a locomotive that you need to push to get going, or it suddenly speeds up and falls off the tracks.
A locomotive runs by picking up the electricity from the track through its wheels. The wheels transfer the electricity to the motor, which then turns the gears to drive the locomotive.
A locomotive with poor pickup on the wheels or a poor gear set up will give you lots of problems. As with most things, you get what you pay for . . .but this is one area you do not want to skimp on. A great operating locomotive is 90% of the way to having a fantastic model train layout.
When buying a locomotive these points are critical:
- The amount of metal wheels that pick up the electricity - the more the better, but definitely more than 1 set.
- A good gearing ratio and motor which requires the least amount of electricity to move the locomotive, with a slow but smooth start.
- Flywheels at one or both ends of the motor to ensure a smooth take off and smooth stop.
- The weight of the locomotive should be just right to maintain a good connection to the track at all times but not too heavy to make the locomotive sluggish.
- The length of the locomotive - shorter diesel locomotives are less likely to derail on the curves than longer steam locomotives.
Most hobby shops will let you test the locomotive on their in-house test tracks before you buy.
Test the locomotive forwards and backwards; check for a nice smooth take off and a nice smooth stop when the power is ramped up or down.
I usually go into my local hobby shop after doing my research online, test the locomotive, and then purchase online.
That tip has saved me nearly 30% of the retail price in some cases.
Buy quality when you buy your locomotives; I guarantee the investment will be well worth it.
Bruce Morgan is the author of the best-selling Model Trains For Beginners.