30-20518-3 MTH Subway set pulling power Challenging for 3-4 cars.

Maybe some day they will re-evaluate and correct the motor & heavy truck design oversites. Too late now to re do the RK's shells / frames since were oversized from the beginning. Scale unknown.

MP-15's have the same issue. MTH repair installed more weight (metal chunk) inside the PWR unit but that just puts more stress on the under rated motor. It will not slip on O54 curves pulling 6 cars now but who knows how long that will last? Probably don't want to invest any $ on limited sales products?

I had requested power units be offered for separate sale but no response was ever given. 

My PS3 CTA Bicentennial set should be here tomorrow, and I also bought the add-on cars so I will post my findings as well. I do have the PS2 CTA 3200 Chicago Bears 4 pack, and I never really had a problem running it.

Bryant Dunivan 111417 posted:

 Just open my new subway set. Stickers all over saying make sure you lubricate before you put it operation, never seen that  stressed so vehemently. I have run for about 45 minutes and was just able to put a fourth car on. I also bought the two car ad on and I wonder how they figure we’re supposed to pull that if we want to make a long train with the kind of drag they have. The cars are very very heavy.  They did not offer an additional powered car when they have it in the catalog maybe to come? 

The subway trucks are the same as the PCC trolley trucks internally. The unpowered cars are the same, just without gears and motors. You're essentially pulling dummy locomotives with a twin-motored trolley.

For what it's worth, I always bought two sets, hitched them together with two power cars, and used the add-on set to make a ten-car train like the prototype. That might've been the rationale behind offering the add-on sets.

---PCJ 

 Note that only the lead CTA car is motorized and had no problem pulling this "mixed train":

My CTA Bicentennial arrived, and the first thing I should say as it's absolutely beautiful. 

Running forward - 1 Powered pulling + 3 dummys - No problems at all

Running in reverse with the powered pushing the 3 dummys and I have some slippage going on when it's trying to start out. (This might be due to it being on my elevated 031 track and pushing it through curves) I might move it down to my larger curves and see if it does the same.

@PRRMP54 Dave, can you try running it in reverse and see what happens.

BNSF-Matt posted:@PRRMP54 Dave, can you try running it in reverse and see what happens.

That floor layout has long since been torn up and replaced with Atlas O-72. I think that I did run it in the reverse direction as I thought the the HI's observation looked exceedingly great as a lead unit. That is one K-Line car that I will keep (and two-rail at some point) even if I decide to sell off some of the others.