Slow speed running - some test results

[longbow]

That's about 3mph - nice. From all accounts the new 4MT is a very smooth runner. I might have to stretch a point to accommodate one.

[lil chris]

Thanks Longbow, it is a superb model it is now my fav loco better than a 4F I have, I tried it on dc in the shop when I bought it and it was good. It was easy to fit the chip, Nigel of this parish keeps advising how good the CT elec chips are and this one is so small but gives excellent slow running, I think it will go a little bit slower to be honest. Check my layout page there is another video of it pulling into the station, I do not want to hi jack this thread.

[Newportnobby]

The only problem with slowly backing onto a train is most of the time you just end up pushing the carriages halfway down the platform without actually coupling
A judiciously placed finger at the rear of the train out of camera shot does the trick

[Bealman]

In bowling club having a beer on an Antipodean Friday night, but  anyway

[Les1952]

When Trevor Webster had the original Parnhams layout (the small one that won the NGS Cup) it went out to a few exhibitions in substantially the form in which it was made.  I say substantially because we had to carve chunks out of the backs of buildings and platform edges to get trains to run past them.

The layout had Peco electromagnets for uncoupling with magnetic droppers on the wagons.  Two of these uncouplers were placed quite close to insulfrog points.  As a result the designated shunters for the layout (Trevor's small tank locos and my 04 shunters) used to stall regularly when any shunting was attempted- a definite disadvantage when the layout is a shunting plank less than 5 feet long.

Eventually we found the only locos that would shunt reliably, running at very slow speeds and almost never stalling on the points.  These were Dapol M7s.  Three of my four would crawl slowly enough to position the droppers over the electromagnet and could be gently moved the required couple of millimetres if any adjustment was made.  These were the LSWR, Southern and a first-run BR one.  The second run BR loco wasn't so controllable.

I do remember at Grimsby show (the NGS AGM) one NGS member watching me shunting with the M7 for some minutes before loudly announcing that it couldn't be a Dapol one because Dapol M7s couldn't be made to run like that. 

The controller was one of the small Gaugemaster handhelds.   

Les

[longbow]

Here's data for my latest fleet addition:

Farish N Class - slowest sustained speed 4.1mph, top speed 146mph. Almost identical to the 5MT so presumably the same motor/gearing.

As for previous data, results are on completion of recommended running-in period, on clean 11" test track circle, using Gaugemaster DC Combi controller.

[longbow]

Another addition - this one unfortunately looks like a bit of a lemon, being noisy and erratic at low speed:

Dapol Standard 2MT - slowest sustained speed 23mph, top speed 229mph.

As for previous data, results are on completion of recommended running-in period, on clean 11" test circle, using Gaugemaster DC Combi controller.

[longbow]

Some data for recent additions. So far I'd grade only 2 out of 9 locos as having good low speed running ie less than 5mph. Underwhelming.

Slowest sustained speed/top speed:
Another Farish 5MT - 7.0mph/149mph. Similar to my first purchase.
Dapol Class 52 - 11.5mph/136mph
Dapol Class 121 - 7mph/239mph
Dapol Hall - 1.2mph/99mph

As for previous data, results are on completion of recommended lubrication and running-in period, on clean 11" test circle, using Gaugemaster DC Combi controller.

[Les1952]

MOST of my M7s would run very slowly on analogue.  Given clean wheels and track I can get the DCC-fitted ex-M7 now G5 down slower than one wheel revolution per two seconds.

Les

BTW - at extreme low speeds is the 5MT free of the cogging I've noticed with both of my 2MTs (though not the three WDs which I assume have the same motor)?   By extreme low speeds I mean 1 or 2 speed steps out of 128 on DCC - one has a Bachmann decoder and the other a Zimo sound chip.

[Dr Al]

5MT free of the cogging I've noticed with both of my 2MTs (though not the three WDs which I assume have the same motor)? 

All these locos have the same motor - the coreless can.

HTH,
Alan

[longbow]

All tests results are using DC control.

[Les1952]

5MT free of the cogging I've noticed with both of my 2MTs (though not the three WDs which I assume have the same motor)? 

All these locos have the same motor - the coreless can.

HTH,
Alan

... in which case they will probably cog as well.  My WDs don't run that slowly as a rule- the 2MTs stop out front with the inspection saloon and slowly edge past the track gang, so the cogging is very noticeable.  If I get time this weekend I'll see if the WDs exhibit the same symptoms.  Again the three have different chips in them (Bachmann, Digitrax and Zimo sound in order).

Les

As a rather daft aside the 2MTs are the strongest Farish steam locos I have by a country mile- the non-sound-fitted one is the only Farish steamer that will even look at my heavy fitted goods which is normally the preserve of Dapol A3s and Britannias.

[longbow]

Two more test results. Notable that the two Dapol tender drive locos are the best crawlers in the fleet.

Dapol 9F - slowest sustained speed 0.4mph (!), top speed 140mph+.
Farish Std 4MT 2-6-0 - slowest sustained speed 5.0mph, top speed n/a

As for previous data, results are on completion of recommended running-in period, on clean 11" test circle, using Gaugemaster DC Combi controller.

[Dr Al]

Dapol 9F - slowest sustained speed 0.4mph (!), top speed 140mph+.

Worth confirming for reference which 9F this was - the early ones had a different motor than later ones (I presume this is a later one).

Cheers,
Alan

[longbow]

Everything I've tested was recently purchased new.