Can You Put 2 Ho Engines Coupled Together on Same Track

dezembro 09, 2021 Postar um comentário

Member since
November 2005
From: Central Illinois
806 posts

Posted by ICRR1964 on Saturday, March 7, 2009 7:48 PM

Sheldon,

Your offerings and ideas seem old shcool. But you seem to know what your talking about far as DC controlling goes. My current layout is "under construction" and is half DC and half DCC. More or less the DCC section is the yard I have and one loop that is short. My system is an older DCC system, not going to say what make it is because it will draw some fire. I have been using block controls for years with no troubles at all, and still like my DC control. Double heading and speed matching is not really an issue with the way its wired up and choice of loco's, I try and keep the same manufacture when double heading.

Yes, I know us DC Neanderthals are a product of old school thinking, but hey. We do what we can with what we got. I like the way My DCC section operates, it was easy to set up and get running and cuts down on allot of the wire issues you have with DC operation. Decoders are fair in price, but I just can't bring myself to dropping tons of money into decoders to convert all my fleet. So I split the difference between the 2 systems, Yes it would be nice to grab whatever I want out of the display cabinet that is in DCC, and put them on the track and double head what ever I want, but again, cost is going to be a factor.

Now the original post was asking about running loco's in tandem in "DC"? There was allot of quick reply's with go to DCC, and thats fine. If thats what you can afford and what loco's you own, they might be older ones that would need allot of mods made, or even brass. I like my DCC, it does what I want and runns the way I want. I have several people I know that have all DCC loco's, RTR right out of the box, just drop one in and your off. This is fine for the MR people that have small roster of engines and extra money. I catch all kinds of static for for not converting everything over to DCC from them, and I always point to my cabinet full of engines and the ones that are in their boxes, and then hold out my other hand expecting some coin to be dropped into my hand like magic, but it never happens.

DC/DCC, Kits/RTR, and Rivet counters this is a big debate that will go on for ever between modelers.

David, Just off hand what are you shooting for here? You seem to have some sort of personal beef with Sheldon, and seem to keep trying to gain some sort of upper hand against him, he did offer some insite on both threads.

Member since
March 2007
From: Rhododendron, OR
1,497 posts

Posted by challenger3980 on Saturday, March 7, 2009 9:08 PM

BigRusty

Well, except that in DCC there wouldn't be a 'faster one' or 'slower one', by adjusting a few CV's, they'd all be running at the same speed.

The question was about DC operation not DCC. If he wanted to know abot DCC I am sure that he would have asked about it. Incidently, my first HO layout was built in 1949, fifty years ago and those lashups were still going strong in 1984 when I packed them up to move to Sunny Scottsdale, Arizona.

This is one of my Pet Peeves also, the question was SPECIFICALLY about DC operating, NOBODY asked anything about if DCC would be an improvement (in anyone's OPINION). I am a member of a Large club, with approximately 3 ACTUAL MILES of track, with all the staging and yards included. We have been DC since 1947, and 1983 on this current layout( the club has moved twice). DC works just fine for us, and if all the staging was in service and filled to capacity as well as the yards, we could assemble about 100 trains ready to roll at any given time. YES DCC has some advantages, but with as much hidden trackage as we have, I personally not all that thrilled with the currentl in progress ADDITION of DCC. Currently, our Branch line is DC/DCC convertible, which the whole 60x70 layout will be when, THE CONTROL SYSTEM IS FINISHED, IT IS CURRENTLY UNDER CONSTRUCTION, and likely will be for more than a year, meanwhile the layout is still OPERABLE.

If DCC is your "Cup of Tea" then GREAT feel free to enjoy it all you want, but not everybody feels the need to convert to DCC. I guess since I drive a Jeep Cherokee and a Ford F350 Crewcab 4x4 Turbo Diesel, EVERBODY ELSE should too, get rid of all those Toyotas, Chevy's and BMWs, VWs too, what one size doesn't fit all, my choices FIT ME, why wouldn't they fit You too? Just as silly as everybody should be DCC.

Doug

May your flanges always stay BETWEEN the rails

Member since
March 2007
From: Rhododendron, OR
1,497 posts

Posted by challenger3980 on Saturday, March 7, 2009 10:48 PM

Chuck,

The OP CLEARLY asked a question SPECIFICALLY about running in DC, it REALLY gets old when there can't be a simple thread regarding a question in DC, without the DCC crowd coming in to say DCC would solve that. GUESS WHAT most of us here have a fair or better idea of what DCC is capable of. When was the last time you read a post about a decoder problem, and you had a SINGLE, never mind multiple DC guys tell, you wouldn't have any decoder problems, IF YOU LEFT THE DARK SIDE, and just went back to reliable DC POWER? Do the DCC crowd really suffer from LITTLE MAN SYNDROM that badly, I don't recall the exact percentages, but I did read not too long ago that about 75% or more still run DC. The number of DCC users is still a MUCH smaller percentage of the Hobby than the DC operators, the DCC Crowd just make more noise about it.

And if you really want something to Flame me about, I freely admit that my involvement in HO in general is diminishing all the time, in Favor of 3 Rail O-Gauge. They ain't your Grandpa's Lionels any more. There are 3 Rail O-Gauge that rival HO Brass for detail. Take a look some time, You might not only find yourself surprized, but even tempted, if you really look at what is available.

Unfortunately, the top pic is a stock photo, and is not a part of my collection YET, but all the others are.