2014 AC4400CW Radius

I thought MTH cancelled all the 2-rail AC4400CW from the most recent catalog (2014 Volume 1). Which 2014 AC4400CW were you referring to?

These are just my opinion

Thanks,

Naveen Rajan

My personal experience with the scale-wheeled/fixed pilot MTH 6-axle diesels is that they'll negotiate 36" radius (O-72) curves provided there are no kinks and the track doesn't have twists in it. MTH recommends 42" radius (O-84). This is with cars or other engines coupled. Your table isn't wide enough for the scale-wheeled engines.

The 6-axle hi-rail diesels, due to the wider wheel tread and moving pilots, will negotiate 21" radius (O-42) curves but with their size won't look good doing it.

I wish I would have known that before I bought it. I just took for granted that the spec. sheet from the catalog states will operate on 31" Radius. Guess I will be making more room for larger curves.

i looked at the 2014vol1 catalog online and it DOES indicated 31" radius for the scale wheel version.  That's an unfortunate mistake if it is indeed not correct.

However, maybe MTH tweaked something this time around to make it run on 31" curves?

I don't have any experience with MTH, but if the specification sheet states that the engine requires a 31" radius (62" diameter), then I don't understand why you thought it

would operate properly on a much smaller radius (i.e. around 21").

Mike,

I was also waiting for that BNSF AC4400CW from the 2014 catalog but moved on to other models when the MTH website started showing them as cancelled, earlier this year. I didn’t realize that they were made.

I run the BNSF ESS44AC from the most recent run on MTH Realtrax (with the center rail removed) on the floor in my basement. I was having trouble even with O-82 curves (41” radius) & I don’t see an AC4400CW running well on a smaller curve like 24” radius. The locomotive just by itself might negotiate the curve but the trouble comes when you couple a longer / lighter car behind it. In my first attempt, the locomotive tended to topple the car immediately behind it because of the O-82 curve. So now I have 1 or more 10” MTH Realtrax 10” straight sections on either side of the O-82 curves & cars haven’t toppled. Another issue I noticed was the higher friction limiting the number of cars I could pull on the sharper curves.

Maybe MTH specified 31” for just the locomotive by itself like some automobile manufacturers used to inflate the fuel economy values by testing in some perfect world conditons.

Even I had plans for a table top layout but I like modern 2-rail 6-axle locomotives & modern cars that are typically longer. So I had to settle for a loop on the floor.

These are just my opinion

Thanks,

Naveen Rajan

Table width=48"

MTH stated track diameter (2x31"r)=62"

Not even close.

Why don't you just put it on the track and see if it works or derails?  Pretty simple, eh???  It won't hurt the engine unless it falls to the floor after derailing.  So, be ready to catch it.

Rick

One problem that is unique to O gauge (3-rail) is the "O-number" curve reference. That is a diameter reference. This leads to a lot of confusion as I see a lot of posts on the 3-rail side of the house refering to "O-72 radius", etc. which is incorrect. The actual radius is half that, hence my references in my above post with the "O-number" in parentheses. That said, you may be able to run the locomotive through tighter curves by replacing the scale wheels with hi-rail wheels (the center axle on each truck has flange-less wheels), but the body-mounted couplers will have issues.

One way around this, depending on what's in the room, would be to set up a 9" to 12" wide shelf around the walls of the room (obviously the corners will need to come out a bit) and set up a loop or point-to-point using 36" radius (O-72) curves. That would leave the bulk of the room available for other purposes.

 If you are interested. I have the parts to make your engine three rail. I would convert it for the parts exchange I take off of yours.

 Another option in a tight space is to stick with four axle units like the EMD GPs or GE Dash 8 or Dash9 B's. (B= 4 axles, C = 6axles.)

 I'd buy your engine but I just got a dozen! (or more)

Wow, it does say cancelled???

http://mthtrains.com/content/22-20382-2

I've noticed that very often MTH specs will give the same number of inches for their 2 rail version as their 3 rail version. The big difference is that the three rail will say 42 inch diameter , for example, while the 2-rail will state 42 inch radius.

You've got to read carefully.

Jim

Thanks for your offer Joe. But I plan on staying 2 rail. I will do what I have to too make it work.

Naveen, I would like to hear more about your layout. Im open to suggestions on which way to go with my layout. I think I will make room for a 41" radius and see how it goes.

 That is great to hear actually. (Hey, I had to ask)

I don't want to add to the myth about so much extra room for 2 rail. It would be great if you could get some bigger curves! You may want to run some even bigger equipment down the road.

Then, you are truly a wise man, smarter than I am.

I buy stuff (and try and make it work). Then I read up on it.

 Please ask anything you need. There are many that run away from two rail. It's been around a long time. Nothing to terribly hard about it.

  My favorite, is to get things running for play value. I just had a 9' straight track to start. The engines running well prompted me to get going on a loop and some yards.

 Now, I just need to get back at it.

Mike,

That radius will work fine for these MTH diesels. I have a three-rail scale layout and convert all the three-rail stuff to fixed pilots and Kadees, but I also have a collection of two-rail equipment, including MTH engines, like yours. I've toyed with going all two-rail, but it's pretty late in the game for me to do that. But if I were starting today, no question I would be all two-rail. You have that chance if you want to do it.

Good luck,

RM

Same here. Have extensive collection of 3-rail -- too expensive/difficult to replace. So I'm going hybrid with 2-rail and 3-rail equipment and a switchable layout whenever I get it built. That's why everything I'm designing has larger curve radii -- 42" (O-84) and above.