A Good Quality Locomotive Will Make All The Difference!

It can be very frustrating having a locomotive that you
need to push to get going, or it suddenly speeds up and
falls off the tracks.

A locomotive runs by picking up the electricity from the
track through its wheels. The wheels transfer the
electricity to the motor, which then turns the gears
to drive the locomotive.

A locomotive with poor pickup on the wheels or a poor gear
set up will give you lots of problems. As with most things,
you get what you pay for… but this is one area you do not
want to skimp on. A great operating locomotive is 90% of
the way to having a fantastic model train layout.

When buying a locomotive these points are critical:

    *     The
amount of metal wheels that pick up the electricity - the
more the better, but definitely more than 1 set.

    * A good gearing ratio and motor
which requires the least amount of electricity to move
the locomotive, with a slow but smooth start.

    * Flywheels at one or both ends
of the motor to ensure a smooth take off and smooth stop.

    * The weight of the locomotive
should be just right to maintain a good connection to
the track at all times but not too heavy to make the
locomotive sluggish.

    * The length of the locomotive -
shorter diesel locomotives are less likely to derail on
the curves than longer steam locomotives.

Most hobby shops will let you test the locomotive on
their in-house test tracks before you buy.

Test the locomotive forwards and backwards… Check
for a nice smooth take off and a nice smooth stop
when the power is ramped up or down.

I usually go into my local hobby shop after doing
my research online, test the locomotive, and then
purchase online…

That tip has saved me nearly 30% of the retail
price in some cases…

Buy quality when you buy your locomotives… I guarantee
the investment will be well worth it.