Large Scale Central

Pulling power of 2-8-8-2 tested

Videos
#1

I have a 2-8-8-2 which is modeled on the Denver and Rio Grande 3507…at first I thought I had something like the Northern Pacific 2-8-8-2s but a friend sent me this picture…

So here’s mine, which I’ve weathered some and put some temporary heralds and numbers on:

So my son and I got to wondering how many cars it could actually pull, and we put together two trains amounting to 23 cars, two cabooses, and the extra cola tender that’s always attached to the 2-8-8-2. Here’s the video; the slow-down was the lcomotive trying to pull through a curve that you can’t see in the video, so I gave it more juice and it sped right up.

I think it could actually pull a few more cars, some of the commercial boxcars are heavy, although the Santa Fe train is without roofs because I am currently weathering them and haven’t greased the journal boxes yet either. Anyway, here’s my shot at trying to make a video of the whole train.

#2

I think there are eight motors in that locomotive. It will pull stumps.

Watch for the drivers going out of quarter, though. The wheels on most are just press fit on the axles.

Great job of weathering.

#3

Now that is a sweet beast!! I have seen some in action at op sessions, they could pull all the cars in the yard, and the house around it hahaha

#4

Very cool John. Loco looks good and it creeps with a long train very nicely! So what’s the story on the roofless box cars?

#5

Jon Radder said:

Very cool John. Loco looks good and it creeps with a long train very nicely! So what’s the story on the roofless box cars?

They say there’s a prototype for everything but I doubt we’ll ever see roofless boxcars! They are temporarily removed because I’m weathering them and it’s easier taking them off.

p.s. That would be twice you’ve seen something on my railroad you’ll never see prototype…you remember when you were here and the cowcatcher somehow “caught” a baseball and was pushing it around the track? Apparently the scale of a major league baseball fits the gauge of g-scale track perfectly! That was a good one.

#6

Very interesting… Neat video and nice looking Eng. (http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-cool.gif)

#7

Dbl’ed hummmmmmm

(http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-cool.gif)

#8

You must pay your sign painter by the week, just to do your logo!

It’s about time you showed off your talents.(https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)

#9

John Caughey said:

You must pay your sign painter by the week, just to do your logo!

It’s about time you showed off your talents.(https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)

I can tell you’re feeling better (thankfully), because you’re back to your smart-ass self !

#10

I don’t know why I said 8 motors, there are just 4, one for each of two axles. Still a stump puller.

#11

actually if it is an Aristo, just 2 motors… one at the end of each set of drivers

#12

John Passaro said:

They say there’s a prototype for everything but I doubt we’ll ever see roofless boxcars!

The Canadian National cut the roof off some 40’ boxcars back in the 70s and converted them to wood chip cars.

#13

With that name he had to find an engine it would fit on …. Nice work!,

#14

Chris Kieffer said:

John Passaro said:

They say there’s a prototype for everything but I doubt we’ll ever see roofless boxcars!

The Canadian National cut the roof off some 40’ boxcars back in the 70s and converted them to wood chip cars.

Well. there you have it! Hope the weather in your neck of farm country isn’t too brutal.

edit: Actually, now that I look at it a little more closely, it appears they have welded a couple of feet of sheet metal onto the top of the car’s siding, no doubt for extra capacity. It would make a very interesting build, wouldn’t it?