Is the gear ratio on USA diesel engines the same for all engines? I know some of them share common blocks, so that is easy to figure out. I am leaning more towars purchasing another second USA engine. I have a NW2 but am looking at a GP now. Would these two be able to run together if I decided to at some point, or is the gear ratio different? I am running DC variable track power.
The NW2, S4,Gp38-2 and Gp9 all use the same motor block I believe and should MU together just fine.
SHOULD is the operative work. I have two GP-9’s. When run separately on the same track, one is a bit faster than the other. I still MU them and they don’t buck, but they aren’t perfect.
The NW-2 and the GP-9 do not use the same motor block. They might run together but I haven’t tried to do that with mine.
Bill is right, it’s not the same block. The wheelbase of EMD switchers is shorter than their road trucks by a foot. I had an NW2 which ran slower than my GP38’s and GP7’s, but you can still run them in the same lashup. Use diodes to slow down the geeps.
BTW, the prototype does not usually make a pratice of mixing switchers with road units for miinline work as the switcher trucks limit the train’s speed. Also, walkways on the switchers are lower; a safety issue when crossing from unit to unit at speed. (many switchers do not have dropsteps or for that matter, MU cables)
That said, I’ve seen SW7’s mixed with road power (GP7-GP38-SD40-SD45-2) pulling mainline tonage on the power starved Clinchfield Railroad, back in the '70’s. The tonage job didn’t go fast and the switcher was on the back end of the lashup. I guess they needed another 1200hp to get their train up the ruling grade.
Not to hijack your thread, Phil, but there was a lot of differences between railroads.
The fastidious Southern Railway used to NEVER run C-truck and B-truck units together.
The Clinchfield, on the other hand, “coupled the ready track”.
It was common to see a pair of F7’s running between a pair of SD40’s.
Bob,
No problem with the hijacking. I enjoy hearing about how the real guys used to do it and I’m sure still do in some cases. I don’t know if I ever will mix the road and switch engines but was just finding out how compatable they might be. I do need to get a second engine though, as my NW2 struggles when I put all the cars I have behind it. It’ll get em movin but it takes a little bit of a running start. Most of the time trains will be short and one engine will be fine. On those nights when I want to run something big though, I’ll need some power.
Illinois Terminal in it 's last years put anything it had in a lash up, hoping to have at least one unit running when it got to its destination. Sometimes I think they just drifted into town under momentum power.