Pushers in O-Gauge

I used them when I was making a video of my old layout.  Really didn't need it, as the train wasn't more than 10 cars, but I wanted to try it.  I used a pwd/dummy GP9 set & I ran them as a MU Consist w/ the lead engine via DCS

Video - http://youtu.be/p579KsX_7lk

I have done this with some older Lionel steam engines because the one steamer stopped on the backside of my layout, so I got out another steamer and set it to run in reverse and back up to the other train and push it to the front of my layout. The two engines were a # 249E and a 224E, fortunately the caboose had two couplers installed.

Lee Fritz

I can remember one TRACKER layout where a near 80 car C&O Coal Train, with an MTH Premier C&O Allegheny 2-6-6-6 pulling had a diesel helper pushing on the rear. 

I also remember, on the layout of the Gaithersburg Model Railroad Society, an HO railroad loosely depicting the B&O line from Baltimore to Brunswick Maryland, where I was a member for many years, running a near 200 car train with 4 or 5 engines up front, some in the middle, and a few on the rear. I remember that train working out very well and ran for many hours like that. The layout today is on display at the Hagerstown Roundhouse Museum. 

I've added a dummy engine after the caboose to give the effect of a pusher, but never was brave enough to try a powered one at the end.

I've run Pennsy Baldwin Centipedes as pushers much in the same way as the prototypes were used. The MTH FF2 can also be used as helper as they were based at Thorndale for this purpose.

Bob

I've never used a pusher at the end of the train, but once in a while I will put a helper in the middle of the train, when running a very long train at the toy train museum. I have a K-Line Mikado with a dummy coupler on the front, and I also will run a train with a four-unit MTH Milwaukee Road boxcab in front and add a two-unit helper in the middle. 

I've done it before. It requires a little thinking ahead and knowing your engines. You need to match all the speeds and figure out which one runs the slowest, and thats the one to put on the back. You dont want the one on the rear to shove against the entire train or you'll create more problems than you solve. Its also important when doing it with command control, that you have a very strong signal throughout. The whole thing runs as one lashup (yes, I know its the devil's term but thats what the manual calls it), but the engines may be 50+ feet apart, and you need to make sure they're both getting all the commands so that you keep in sync.

Once in a while a switcher will pull too many cars out of the yard and down the hill to push them back in.  Then I'll send for help.  Otherwise no, trains long enough to merit a pusher look like the dog chasing his tail on my layout. 

Nathan

Basic Cab1 control.  TR## (where ## is 1 to 9),  Eng##,  F, Set. (horn/whistle sound)  There would be two engines set as the lead or Front (F) engine.  The Consist lead and the pusher.  This would allow the pusher front coupler to operate.

TR##, Eng## R, (Dir, if facing backwards), Set (horn/whistle sound)  is the rear unit in the consist.

TR##, Eng##, Set, (horn/whistle sound) all other units in the consist.  

Remove of all engines/ units from the consist.

TR 0, Eng ##, Set. 

I've done it a few times at open houses. The locomotives are handled as a single consist, but the last locomotive is on the tail-end of the train.

I just ran 2 AC6000 in the lead + 2 dummy's, 2 AC6000 mid train + 2 dummy's and 1 pusher + 2 dummy's on the end and 65 cars and it works well. However I do have 96" R on this track. The lash up works great.

Train Nerd Al

I use powered pushers on virtually all my trains.  I use DCS and program them in as the rear unit in the "lash up". Generally 3 on the point and 1 on the rear, or 2 on the point and 2 on the rear. It works perfectly and on long trains it really does work nicely. No string-lining and it looks cool. Modern day railroading comes alive with this effect. 

Matt- nice video!!!!

I did that with my two Legacy U-Boats.  I put one in the middle and one up front.  They were configured as an MU, and it worked like a champ.

anyone ever try a Y6 on the front of a coal train with another Y6 pushing on the back?

or, how about an A, Y6 on the front and Y6 pushing?

Has anyone tried this with more than fifty cars with grades and large curves?

Nope, but it's gonna' happen.  I did 40 cars, 20 behind the first engine and 20 behind the second. 

I intend to try to see if the Lionel N&W "A" 1218, JLC Y6b 2200, and 3rd Rail 2300 will run together (speed wise). If they will, look to see a video of the A/Y6b double-header, 40+ coal cars and the 2300 in pusher duty bringing up the rear. Will it work? Who knows? I'm looking forward to giving it a shot.

Gilly

Closest we got was double heading MTH Premier and Railking Y6b's with DCS. Worked like a champ.

I did a little experiment over a year ago with three of my Williams SD-45's, able to pull about 35 freight cars with two powered SD-45's in the lead and one powered SD-45 bring up the rear. My curves are 042 Gargraves, and the lead engine looked like it wanted to couple up to the rear engine as the train was so long. Could not go that fast or it derailed, but it was a trial to see how many cars or engines I could run at one time on my layout. My outside mainline was around 8 feet by 9 feet. I tried to take that long train through a siding around my coaling tower, would add about two feet to the distance, but the curves were too much of an S shape and the train derailed several times trying to go through.

Most of the time I run up to 15 freight cars or 8 passenger cars. Even with the Williams engines I have I need to have two powered units for a long train, especially the passenger cars. I am using a post war ZW with my Williams SD-45's or F-7 double A units, so power to the track is not an issue.

Lee Fritz

B&O Bill

    Several years ago on my club's (BDSME) old 3 rail layout I was pulling a 24 car Military Tank train with a lot of Lionel diecast 50' flatcars plus the die cast Sherman Tanks. I was pulling it with my PRR Kline Scale Mikado which I had just oiled and it just spun its wheels getting out of the yard. Good for me I also had a Kline PRR Trainmaster engine handy so I put in on the back. Using Legacy to set up a train it went out of the yard as smooth as silk. I contiuned running the train this way right through our holiday open  house. Visiters got a kick out of seeing a train with pushers.

JohnB 

I haven't been able to myself since I have a small carpet layout, but this topic did remind me of this video, with a 1.1 scale mile train using 11 locos at various points.

Williams ABA F7's both A units powered front and rear of train. The B unit contains an OTT sound system.

Tried to use pushers last night with disappointing results. Although, I was mixing Legacy and TMCC locomotives, a Legacy U30C and TMCC SD-45T-2.. I also did have a number of MPC lighter cars in the 35 car consist.  Will try again with both locomotives being either TMCC or Legacy, and using heavier cars.

Which made me think: real trains have known tonnage. Perhaps I should get out the postal scale and weigh my cars, to classify them more accurately.

The heavyweight Dover Harbor, which is scheduled to carry the markers around Horseshoe Curve over Memorial Day weekend weighs ~90 tons. The new three-car stainless steel Zephyr was about 104 tons.

B&O Bill,

For sure you should bring the rolling stock up to NMRA standards. Plus know your engines.  If they are not exactly the same speed be sure you put the slowest at the rear.

.....

Dennis