Effects on engine pulling heavy load

Jeff

My first sign of overload would be the traction tires. If they are ok should not be an issue. Also I found that with the die-cast cars is to make sure the axles are well lubricated. 

  Steve

I have never worn out an engine with loading, nor burned a motor out on a good quality (over $200 list price) loco due to overload.  I might have burned one motor because it was locked-rotor but continued to get current, not sure, but never have I had a motor that was still turning burn out.  I suppose it could happen.  

I buy the locos to run even if, just due to number, most sit on the shelf most of the time, so when I run them I load them up, set them up slopes at slow speeds, etc., and don't worry about it.  I have worn out a loco (LM Big boy) just running it so many hours (close to 4000 I think) that everything got worn and loose - the motor still working but it was a pathetic runner by then.  

I would say it depends on the locomotive and the landscape....I have no grades on my layout.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?f...ge&v=O0SD5vx-iKw

The whole consist in this train is die cast except for the caboose.

I have to believe that some wear is bound to occur. I know owners that load em up and send them on their way, I prefer to limit my trains to a safe load. Long trains get extra engines.

Jim

Strain: a force tending to pull or stretch something to an extreme or damaging degree.

I'd go with your uncommon sense, Jeff.

BTW, years ago, one of MTH's tech's, at their Columbia headquarters, told me it wasn't a good idea to overload locomotives; especially, the smaller units.

Rick

Eric does reviews of different engines and when he does he also does a pull test with a gauge that lets you see how much weight it will pull.

see "product reviews"

http://www.ericstrains.com/video/

Being a diecast fan, over the years, I've wondered the same thing Jeff.  My layout is level, and relatively small.  I've been hauling 12-15 diecast for over ten years of frequent use and am happy to report no ill effects (sorry to fulfill your prophecy RickO !).  I'm no expert, but I figure "the weakest link" theory applies, which in most cases would be stretched and thrown tires or slipping drive wheels.  It is alarming to hand pull a diecast consist and has always amazed me of the initial tractive effort these models overcome!  That being said, if the motor or drivetrain component was going to fail, it would occur at starting out, or going up grades.  If you allowed the motor to completely stall, with more power than the armature wire can tolerate, in time, the wire will burn. On a level layout, once the train is at speed, properly lubed diecast will pull with much less drag. But motors and gears should hopefully be repairable/replaceable, so enjoy your diecast!

Stack    

One time push/pull tests don't stress a model locomotive the same way repeated overloads do.

Rick

Don't pull them with the locomotives with the plastic gears.

The only load related failure I had was an E33 that threw a traction tire with 30 cars on a 2% grade, jammed the wheels, and cooked the PS/2 board before I could shut it off!

I can also attest to the fact that's it's VERY difficult to replace the driver FET on a 5V PS/2 board, they obviously were not made to be repaired!

A agree with the common sense statement, if it looks and runs like it's overloaded, it probably is.  I have found that some motors get mighty hot with a heavy load after running for a spell.

You can really tell that these engines are working hard by the profuse smoke output from both units!

If you can read the part number on the motor, you can look up its specs which will give you its power rating....usually in Watts, Horsepower, whatever.  If you have the ability to monitor voltage and current into the engine from panel meters or transformer readout like the Z4000, you can do a rough back-of-the-envelope calculation of what's going into the engine (Power = Volts x Amps) which is a crude proxy of what's going into the motor(s). 

Obviously you need to subtract off the baseline non-motor power from lights, smoke unit, sounds, lit passenger cars, etc.  The idea is to measure the incremental power at different speeds, loads, going up/down grades, etc.  Yes, this is a very simplistic calculation and incremental power is consumed by more than just the motor(s).  But it doesn't take long to do and you quickly develop a sense of what 50 Watts vs. 100 Watts means in terms of actual work output.  It's sort of like monitoring the MPG in your vehicle...when the numbers go south you know its time to do some maintenance. 

I suppose one school of thought would say that as long as the breaker isn't tripping that power is not a concern but to each his own.

Thank you all for your responses. Very much appreciated.

I know I will not be able to resist running my die cast. I will be oiling the wheels as suggested. From responses I gather running on level parts of layout should not create problems. I will double head when traveling the hills and valleys! Maybe even triple head. 

There was a point that I took them off the tracks and went with the plastic which are also very nice. Lasted a few weeks and they found their way back in service. 

From say 15, 20-30 feet across a layout, do die-cast hoppers REALLY look so much better that you can tell them from plastic units?   I have no idea.... just asking.

I burned up a Christmas General one year. I was pulling 9 cars with it.

It started bouncing then finally stopped. Burned out the E unit and motor....

My LHS told me no more than 5 cars with that engine....

..

.

if someone would define over load maybe.  knowing the pulling power gives you the amount of weight it can pull.  even Ogauge magazine does a pull test when reviewing an engine.

I run some big trains in Standard Gauge. I have run 14 State cars weighing in at 7 lbs each. A dual motored electric and a single motored steamer have individually pulled this train with no problem.

The can motors may be bigger. I doubt the gearing is any more robust than O-gauge. The electronics would be the same as O-gauge.

In O-gauge I have pulled 50 plus cars with 1 engine. 

Hi

I can tell you that I have most of my fright cars a 1lb per car.

I will  pull at times 20-40 cars at a time. Found that you better have good traction tires and no plastic gears or you will eat them up. I have no problem with the Lionel or mth.

 The willams have plastic gears there good for 20 cars max.

old weaver 10-12 cars max. 

I have 1.5 grade and seen manny trains that went south on the grade that lost tires outhers that lost a gears and wever that broke a chain. 

Nope

In  fact, up-close detailing on diecast cars tends to be less crisp than plastic. The appeal lies in the weight and rolling characteristics. Mixed in with a train of plastic cars, the average person would be hard-pressed to recognize them.

I have about a dozen or so die-cast cars, but I've never tried to run them all in one train. If I did, I'd certainly have more than one loco on the point.

---PCJ

If you weight the plastic cars to NMRA standards, they will roll as well as the diecast cars IMO.