Do You Run Multiple Diesel Units?

So far on my pike,I like three units as a standard or one locomotive per 12 cars. I also like my super size trains, four or five on the front and two or three pushing. All units are powered and no traction tires allowed. All scale size rolling equipment.

 

Clem 

All engines are powered, but I don't MU them all that often. The ones I have MU'd are usually only for a few days or so, and not done permanently. Two in an MU is all I have ever tried so far and with MTH DCS only so far, have not tried it with Legacy.

Yes right now I have six Lionel legacy MU'd up one set of Union Pacfic and go's like this the new Lionel es44ac+sd70ace+ac6000 sounds great. The next runner up is CSX es44ac+sd80mac+ac6000 superbass. I like running modern diesel two or three powered units MTH or Lionel. I like the sound combinations you get when this is done and how it looks.

I have done four but a pit to much for my layout. Some times I will add a pusher in back kind of cool and it add's some sound to the back. 

@ Billy Those MUs must have awesome sound with that "super bass" in the consist.

Streamlined diesels are run as AA, AB or ABA, with just one powered.  The later models are just run singly.

I run a 2243 A-B-A set with both A units powered.  All my other A-B-A and A-A sets run with only the lead unit powered.  The 2243 set runs smooth and quiet with very little current draw.  It is my favorite set.

Here's a nice set. FM Trainmaster and an old Baldwin. Don

That is nice Don. I'll bet there is a "Little Joe" that runs under that catenary?

Since I run scale-wheels now, I usually run a pair of powered diesels at the front of a train.

 

On occasion, I'll run three.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uB6lkEa1uvE

I have run three Williams SD-45's together, all three are powered units, on a freight train with over 30 cars. I have run two Williams GP-9's together on another freight train and they ran almost as good as the three SD-45's together.

I had to upgrade a Williams F-7 A unit to power to run my Santa Fe "El Capitan" passenger set of six cars. So I run two powered F-7's and one unpowered F-7 b unit with my passenger train.

 

I have tried a DCS lash-up of two engines and it was not easy to program at first but once programmed it ran decently.

 

Lee Fritz

I like to run at least two, usually three, and if I can, four units at a time.  

 

One unit alone: I seldom run just one diesel: about as rarely as I see one unit only in the real world.

 

Two: I like to run a cow and calf (WBB 44 tonners, both powered).   RK P23 NW-2s, just the cow is powered, the calf is unpowered.  I've bashed  a calf BEEP, too, it and the cow are powered when I run both.  

 

When I run BEEPs even stock ones,  I always run two (tethered together, they run so much more smoothly).  I also have two LC+ GP7s that I like to run together, as well as two Legacy U30Cs I run together, in both cases both units are powered.

 

Three units: I run F3 and E9 and Baldwin A-B-A sets a lot with passenger trains. Two of the three will be powered, the third, a dummy.

 

Four: I run F3 A-B-B-A once in a while, I have many different F3s (all Warbonnet) and can run anything from just one powered unit to all four powered.  Usually it is just two powered.  I also have -B-B-A set of BEEFs, all powered: good little set.

 

Five and six: I have enough Warbonnet F3s to run A-B-B-B-A sets, with only one B unit a dummy.  I don't run this too often - so many units make the train behind it look short even if its twelve cars long.  I usually run one A and one B powered and the rest dummies.  

 

 

I will run one, two or three, but only one powered.

DCS mu's in this video.

 

https://youtu.be/W_9J-KSpK3s

    @ beginning CSX BNSF 4 engine multi unit
    @ .55 West bound Guilford Pan Am  5 engine multi unit
    @ 1.54 East bound Guilford 2 unit switching track

My favorite multi-unit setup is four Ohio Central engines...two MTH RS3s, one GP38, and one GP35.  The GP35 is powered and so is one RS3...the other two are dummy units.

 

When this photo was taken, the GP35 hadn't yet arrived...

 

  Bridge to Scotty we need more power..............

Most of the time I just run one powered and one dummy Diesel locomotive and 10 to 20 scale cars.

Yes ABA alco PAs two powered and they all smoke. Run them all under one Tmcc number.

Which manufactures six car "El Capitan" set did you require extra Williams power to pull?  

Normally, I do not run huge locomotive consists, because my layout just does not lend itself to really long trains, but here's what I often run:

• FTA-FTB-FTB, sometimes doubleheaded by a 4-6-4.
• Erie-Built A-B-A, A-B, or A-A or Erie A alone. Sometimes the consist is doubleheaded by a 2-10-2, 4-8-2, or 4-8-4.
• Atlas GP7's and GP9's from one to five units (one dummy). Legacy GP7 solo.
• Baldwin AS-616 solo
• RSD4's single or two units.  Sometimes doubleheaded by 2-10-2.  Will add RSD7 to this consist when built this year or next.
• F7A-F7B-F7B when delivered. These will sometimes be doubleheaded by a 2-10-2, 4-8-2, or 4-8-4, or by diesels, pairs of geeps or Alco-GE RSD's.
• E8mA-B-A or A-B or A-A, or an E8Am alone. Sometimes doubleheaded by a 4-6-4.

Paul,

 

  Diesels were made to be MUed, I think it looks strange when only one unit is used.

 

  I run 3 Lionel Legacy SD70ACe on my intermodal train all are powered. I do have a SD50 MTH dummy if more power is needed (looks only) but siding space is becoming a priority.

 

  I am currently running a Lionel Legacy RS11 with a non powered Lionel RS11 Dummy on a mixed freight. 

 

   Also run ABA Kline F7 and a Lionel ABA Alco FA both TMCC.

 

   Forgot To mention the SD70s are NS Heritage and everything else is PRR.

 

JohnB

I bought all three road numbers of MTH's PS-1 equipped Chessie GP38-2s just so I could MU them.  One was good and the other bought broken to fix up.  I got one of the two working, and the other still needs new motors.  At some point they will get ERR upgrades, but it's still fun to run the two conventionally.

 

On a side note about the two that I got as fixer uppers, it looked like someone tried to make them an MU set.  The one that works now looks like someone wanted it to start backwards.  With PS-1 this is easy, you just swap the two motor connectors on the board.  But the person that tried to do it didn't know that and instead removed the wires from the motors and reattached them.  When doing so shorted to the motor case and thus it didn't work anymore.  I cleaned it up and it runs fine.  The other one has a motor that draws a pant load of current, so I need a new motor and it'll be ready for service.

I'm currently running 9 MTH-Premier NS Heritage engines in a multiple consist (lashup) with 32 intermodal cars................Rogerw.

For sure. One of my favorite diesels are the F units. I run them all as ABBA combos. At least two are powered. When the new F7's arrive from 3rd Rail, there will be 4 powered units per consist.

I run these three legacy guys (SD40/GP35/GP30) together all the time.

They run smooth as silk slow or fast and sound is spectacular especially at start up.

Joe

 

In a dedicated,  all powered,  lash-up I have run three Premier diesels.  

 

Separate engines, not in a lash-up on the same track,  I have run up to 5 at the same time, mix of steam and diesel.  Using the "all" function on DCS.

 

Lots of action!

 

Mark

I have 3 UP Legacy Geeps that I run as an MU.  They perform wonderfully as an MU.  I also have an SP Powered A-Powered B-Dummy A Legacy F7 MU that also runs perfectly.  

 

I have had just the opposite experience with my new set of Atlas O F Units, Powered A--Dummy B--Powered A.  I have had nothing but problems with them.  They simply will not play nicely together.  When the MU is brought to a stop one of the powered As continues to run.  I have tried the Nudge function but that has been an utter waste of time. Atlas's response has been any even greater disappointment.  I sent them in for service after requesting an RA.  I got them back a month later with a note telling me they tested out fine. First time I ran them out of the box one engine was clearly accelerating faster than the other and they bucked each other, just like they did before I paid 40 bucks to ship the East Coast. 

 

If anyone has any suggestions on how I can get the two units to match speeds better I would be very grateful.

 

MUs are a lot fun.....when they work.  I plan on sticking with Legacy Diesels because I know they work.  The Atlas engines have been nothing but frustrating.  I was surprised how poorly the Atlas units performed.  I have not read many negative comments about them and they look great, but I have been nothing but disappointed with them.  I was so bummed with them I passed on the ATSF F7s recently discussed.  that was tough because they will look amazing.  

 

How do Scott Mann's diesels work in an MU?  Does 3rd use the same ERR electronics that Atlas Uses?

This is from my You Tube Channel. RailKing A-B-A F-3's • Union Pacific. 

At the time this video was made, MTH, had a new feature called Click / Clack a rail sound.                                                               Gary

.

i've run 4 Williams diesels on point for a 100 car train

 

 

One of the joys of modeling the Erie Lackawanna is building multicolored, multi-builder and multi-modeled consists. Trainmasters, RS3s, Alco Centuries, GP9s, F3s & 7s in A & B, even E8s in Lackawanna, Erie, and E-L combinations are, avoiding anachronistic groupings, fair game in creating prototypical trains. I check some of the many color photo books and videos available to support my choices. 

 

I can step back in time and see the power that I watched on the West slope of the Poconos as a boy. Trains can tell a story and I love mixing it up and explaining the combinations to visitors to our club layout. 

 

Conductor Earl 

   

Five units, all powered. Click on the triangle to access a video.

 

Nice layout Mike. Not the average engine consist you would see every day, a GP and pups. I like the turntable too.   

Zero! I only run single powered units, no dummies either. I don't need the additional complexity.

I usually run multiple diesels on the Free State Junction Railway.

 

The short line Merchants Limited is pulled by a Baltimore and Annapolis SW9 end cab switcher with a Canton Railroad SW9 calf, and a Maryland & Pennsylvania SW9 calf.

 

Canton Railway MP15 end cab switcher and SW 9 calf

 

Baldwin shark demonstrators AA 

 

A pair of B&O GP 9s ( sometimes I add a B&O shark nose to this consist ) 

 

BL2 switcher and FA 2 cab unit ( both Western Maryland ) 

 

FM Trainmaster ( Reading ) and a FA 2 cab unit ( Western Maryland ) 

I only run MU'ed consists.  My F units are 2 or 3 units but usually only one powered.  Same with my modern diesels at least one powered unit with usually two on the front and maybe one on the rear.

 

Art

The SW 9's were new to the Pittsburg and Shawmut 1953. As the cars got larger, and the trains became longer, that's the way it was done.  The GP 7 came later, a refurbished Pennsy unit. For some reason, the MU system only worked with the GP 7 as the lead unit.   There are pictures of the (5) engine consists.   Other side of Pittsburgh on the Montour RR it was done the same way.  SW 7 and SW 9's on the Montour.

Williams ALCO FA-1 NYC ABA.  One powered

Currently 3 SD70 Ace with Legacy and 3 GP35 with Legacy on another loop.  Looks cool!

Let’s see.

 

PRR PA1 A-A (1 powered)

EL E8 A-B-A (1 powered)

LVRR GP38-2 (2 units, 1 powered)

D&H RS3 (2 units, 1 powered…sometimes I add a powered C628)

RDG RS3 & GP9 (RS3 powered, GP9 used to be powered till the boards went bad)

RDG RDC (4 units, 1 powered)

DMIR GP9 (2 units, 1 powered)

I RUN 1 Southern Legacy powered and 1 MTH non powered on a 5 X 9 layout.

I usually run all powered in most of the MU setups...unless it's an ABBA set or something that comes with unpowered units. I used to buy unpowered diesels, but I stopped doing that and sold off all of the ones I had and only do powered units if possible these days.

 

-Eric Siegel