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 I finally got a EVo and test car coming, thanks Budkole. I was thinking of how to use it properly on the layout. Was the real test car able to be put into a freight consist? Would it handle it (hauling fifty cars say behind it)? or, Was it put in between the engines??

 What's is in the test car exactly? is it just for checking track conditions??

I'd put this into the real trains section to solicit real use answers or keep it here??

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The test car could be placed within the consist, or trailing it;  it does not monitor track conditions, except peripherally, but rather acts as an "electronic dynamometer car".  Todays' computer controlled locomotives actually do a lot of that data gathering and computation themselves;  the test car would just tap into that, but might also monitor some extra test points that would hard wired from the test loco to the car;  hence, it would probably be next to the loco being tested. 

You could run some very fine ga thread, using 1/48 scale duct tape, from various points [ hood doors, etc ] on the loco to the car to simulate this.

 

Hope that helps.

 

Best, SZ  [ who would agree "Real Trains" category would be better ]

 

Edited to add:  Here's a photo of a GE test car and the locomotive being monitored;  note the cabling at the edge by the walkway stanchions.  the locos on the other side are  providing a 'load' using their dynamic braking.  This was on the GE test track [ on a typical 'dreary Erie' day ], but you could run a similar "all loco" consist on your rr and still be prototypical.

Erie202_edited-1

Erie203_edited-1

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Last edited by Steinzeit

The Hybvrid was also seen in the company of GEVO demonstrator #2011.

 

 

I can't find it in my collection, but I saw a photo on-line which prompted me to purchase a demonstrator and do this (all with scale wheels/fixed pilots BTW):

2012-08-04 15.03.52

 

GE_Hybrid_and_ES44AC_Demonstrator

 

My demonstrator is #2005. My understanding is that 2005 was converted to hybrid and repainted/renumbered 2010 but the demo unit was hard to find, so let that be our little secret.

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  • GE Hyrbrid and ES44AC Demonstrator in Staging Yard
  • GE Hybrid and ES44AC Demonstrator on Mainline
Originally Posted by Steinzeit:

The test car could be placed within the consist, or trailing it;  it does not monitor track conditions, except peripherally, but rather acts as an "electronic dynamometer car".  Todays' computer controlled locomotives actually do a lot of that data gathering and computation themselves;  the test car would just tap into that, but might also monitor some extra test points that would hard wired from the test loco to the car;  hence, it would probably be next to the loco being tested. 

You could run some very fine ga thread, using 1/48 scale duct tape, from various points [ hood doors, etc ] on the loco to the car to simulate this.

 

Hope that helps.

 

Best, SZ  [ who would agree "Real Trains" category would be better ]

 

Edited to add:  Here's a photo of a GE test car and the locomotive being monitored;  note the cabling at the edge by the walkway stanchions.  the locos on the other side are  providing a 'load' using their dynamic braking.  This was on the GE test track [ on a typical 'dreary Erie' day ], but you could run a similar "all loco" consist on your rr and still be prototypical.

Erie202_edited-1

Erie203_edited-1


 It seems like I didn't thank you guys enough. Thank you again for the info. It seems that the test car's shell/frame must be reinforced to handle a full freight train consist??

While I think MTH's choice of an RPO [ or baggage/RPO ] wasn't a bad choice to simulate a test car, at least they could have removed the mail catcher hook on the sides.  EJ, I'd suggest you do that if you're keeping the car -- although I guess they could be used to pick up meals on the fly for the starving Field Service personnel on board.....

 

Best regards, SZ

Originally Posted by Enginear-Joe:

 It seems that the test car's shell/frame must be reinforced to handle a full freight train consist??

I don't know.  I would think the car might be weighted a bit [ with the frame/trucks/springs/bearings/etc etc to match ] to avoid the car being 'squeezed out' when slack runs in on descending grades, but that's just a guess.

 

SZ

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