How Many of You Do Locomotive Consists?


I'd like to do some consists as well, but I'm not to that point yet. I'm doing DCC and have been wondering if it takes any extra toll on the locos? I have yet to read up on DCC consists so I may be jumping the gun a bit. It just seems to me that no matter the configuration, balancing the power load and speed would be difficult to achieve... Especially if you don't have two perfectly matched units.
 
Pipestretcher said:
I'd like to do some consists as well, but I'm not to that point yet. I'm doing DCC and have been wondering if it takes any extra toll on the locos? I have yet to read up on DCC consists so I may be jumping the gun a bit. It just seems to me that no matter the configuration, balancing the power load and speed would be difficult to achieve... Especially if you don't have two perfectly matched units.
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What brand of DCC control system do you use and what brands are your engines and decoders fitted to them?
 
I sometimes do. In normal operation, my train lengths are around 12 to 14 cars which a single locomotive can pull up the two and a half percent grade. Every once in a while I'll run longer trains just to do something different. This video was taken as I was just adding more and more cars to the train. The video was taken at the top of the grade. I did add more cars, about a dozen and a pusher locomotive after the video was taken, but the battery in the cam-corder took a dump before the entire train passed.

 
Pipestretcher said:
Decoders and system are Digitrax. The locos I'm interested in consisting are Bachmann Spectrum.
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I can't see you having any real speed matching problems. I'm not a Digitrax user, so I don't know how that system sets up consists. I use NCE and even it's "Advanced" consisting method has, I believe, differences to other brand's. Read up on yours in it's manual and give it a go. To test how each loco will respond to the commands in a consist, set it up with the locos several inches apart and run them. You'll soon see if 1 or more is faster than the other, or not. So long as the differences are not too great, as a rule of thumb, always place the fastest in the lead position. That way there should always be tension on all the couplers.
 
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