How does WBB 4-6-0 compare to MTH PS2 steam (running)

Yesterday at Al Clairs, we were running both of those engines on his layout. The willaims engine is  very smooth running and can run very slowly. It can pull a large string of cars. I can't say that is runs better than the MTH PS-2 but I thought that it is a better looking engine. I was impressed with it.

 

Al is redoing his layout and had just installed some Ross switches. The engine is setting on top of the switch. I don't think I have ever seen an engine run so smooth over a switch before. So two thumbs up for the engine and the switches.

Robert

"I have been spoiled by the cruise control of PS2 so do you think I would be disappointed?  ......I know it won't be the same..."

I think you pretty much answered your own question. Your really comparing apples to oranges. WWB is completely a conventional running engine where as a PS-2 will also run conventionally, but it is refined with today technologies.

My WBB ten wheeler runs - or I should say, creeps - at 5v, although the sounds will not activate below 6v. It will not "jack rabbit" start, but neither will it start at 1 smph as will my PS2 engines. If I can find room for them, I am planning on adding diodes to get those 1 smph starts. There are posts on the forum detailing this procedure.

 

There is no slowing noticed when pulling 5 - 7 modern freight cars of mixed lineage through the many 0-31 curves and switches on my small layout.

 

I probably have 10 - 12 hours on this engine, with no problems at all. I did shorten the drawbar to improve appearance.

 

Ran my WBB 10 Wheeler a LOT Christmas morning on the Lionel o-36 floor loop and it was the star of all we ran. Like others have said....not sure if it's BETTER than top line PS-2 MTH loco....but at $180 the best loco in the fleet right now. 

Great input guys, would like to see a video of one running before I make a decision though, thanks for the help! James

I was wondering if Santa Fe ever used 10 wheelers, so I made a search and found a quite a few.  My real surprise was one of the 10 wheelers was numbered, that's right, 464.

Have any of you confirmed the numbers on your 4-6-0?

Al

Great performance without gimmicks, it just runs well because it's made right.  Now if only they would redesign the Golden Memories Berkshire and Hudson to run this way!  C'mon Williams, 30:1 gear ratio or bust!

If you install some diodes as shown here low speed operation should improve

 

http://www.jcstudiosinc.com/Bl...8&categoryId=426

 

Dale H

 

The original C&O 377 is in the car shop of the B&O Museum in Baltimore.  I just visited it the other day.  The WBB is a very nice replica of the prototype.  The 377 tender is actually very long.  My rough estimate (the foot measuring method) is that the tender is about 3/7 of the length of the whole.  The 377 lettering on the tender is very large and just like the Williams.  The boiler paint on the original is peeling, so it is hard to tell whether it was originally metallic blue or gray white.  The red trim around the doors and windows still shows.  The marker lights are raised high in the front, but I was told that they were moved when some custom changes, including paint, were made when the loco was loaned for an old-time railroad celebration.  I was also told that the C&O 377 arrived at the museum under its own power after it was retired.  You can find out more about this loco by Googling C&O 377.  There are a number of excellent photos on the Web -- many of them taken by fans at the museum.  The B&O museum site has some pictures as well, as well as a short account of its history.  It weighs 71 tons, apparently, and pulled a combine and several freight cars in its final years of use.  Unfortunately, the museum has no plans to restore this beautiful engine soon, despite the fact that it is their oldest C&O steamer.  There are too many other pieces of equipment that need work, largely due to the roof collapse of their roundhouse in 2003.

 

Did I mention that both my wife and I love this little Williams engine?  It can out-pull the prototype, although it looked a little silly when it pulled five MTH premier B&O heavyweight passenger cars.  Williams hit a grand slam home run when they made this little guy.

 

Added:  I was told at the museum car shop that the 377 was originally factory-painted black, but received its new more striking colors to make it look more typical of the era commemorated by the celebration.

Just for kicks would anyone know what it would cost to ad cruise to this loco?

Cab, I don't begrudge MTH the extra $100 for the added features.  RailKing steam are excellent values when priced in the $300 range.  But there's a lot more inside that can go wrong: timing tape, tach sensor, batteries, tether wiring, fan motor, etc.  DCS doesn't work well in all layout environments.  And don't even get me started about the DCS remote!

 

When you run a PS2 loco in conventional mode there are a couple of trade-offs.    For example, when you move the transformer handle, you're not directly controlling the loco.  Instead, the on-board computer interprets the voltage as a speed command, and gradually adjusts to that speed.  Sometimes there can be lurching at very slow speeds with a light consist (i.e., below 10 volts.)

If there are any voltage drops along the main line, a low-geared loco will hardly slow down.  But a PS2 loco in conventional mode may slow noticeably and play the "brake squeal" sound, because PS2 interprets the lower voltage on that track section as if someone lowered the transformer handle.

 

Generally I like PS2 locos, and own several of them myself.  But a smooth-running conventional loco is a rare and beautiful thing.  My point, as it was 11 yrs ago, is that we didn't need a complex electronic barbecue to get locos to run smoothly.  Just a sound basic design.

 

One more observation, and a question: O36 is the new O31. I'm curious... if you're creeping around pulling ONLY a sound car, does it slow down at all on O36?   -Ted

I do not own the WBB 10 wheeler but I do have a few WBB engines and I like them but they cannot  compare to a DCS engine when it comes to running characteristics. True they are a smooth operator in the Post War sense but when it comes to going up and down a grade that is anything more then 1% the WBB must be driven, whereas the DCS engine is set speed and forget.

The WBB will basicly do what any conventional engine will do. It's a nice train, well worth the money you spend for it and it looks good also. But, it's not DCS! I bet it would upgrade nicely though.

 

Mario E.

I only ran my BW 4-6-0 around the 9x16 loops for a short time but found operating the start-up speed and making running speed changes to be smooth. I run my Conventional engines with Cab 1 controlled via a TPC which has multiple speed steps.

I initially bought the TPCs when first issued because they always helped with accessing features and controlling speed on my aggravating Proto 1.0 engines.  

So do these engines have a less top speed than others? If i understand y'all   right you are using more of the bottom half of the throttle than the top  ? Because of the gearing? Is uncoupling easier than others because of the gearing?