[Brian Considine]

I have examples of all types of motor/transmission & to be honest I just don't care what method is used - as long as the model performs correctly & to my satisfaction - after all the fact that we have an electric motor in a steam outline model it will always be a compromise.

 

[Brian Considine]

I too have quite a number of FLM (& other "Europeans") that are tender drive & agree with Erik.

Personally, I don't care where the drive is, as long as the locomotive performs.

I just don't see the objection of tender drive, unless of course people have been influenced by inferior copies of European models with "features" such as badly engineered traction tyres, excess play in "drawbars" & erratic mechanisms.

At the end of the day we are looking at a steam outline locomotive powerd by an electric motor - a huge compromise for a start, so where it is actually driven is irrelevant, provided, as others & myself have already said performs.

 

[Brian Considine]

QUOTE (Brossard @ 25 Oct 2011, 13:38) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Let's be clear - there's tender drive where you have a pancake type motor in the tender and the loco is pushed by the tender and then there's the motor in the tender driving a gearbox in the loco. The latter case, I think, is the best of both worlds although I haven't done any. I have a great deal of experience with the former having started British modelling in the mid-80s - very little of it good (IMO). (Some models had pancake motors in the loco - these were no better).

I think I agree with Brian and would clarify that my definition of performance is the ability of the loco to move at a scale 5mph continuously - can the pancake motor design do that? With the ability of good quality decoders to adjust performance I wait to be convinced.

I'm fairly ruthless with my locomotives. If a particular loco doesn't perform to my liking - out it goes to be replaced with one that does. My collection is fairly small as a result.

John

Hi John,

Yes, pancake motors as per Fleischmann can indeed. Unfortunately, the el-cheapo versions by some other manufactures has effectively rubbished the pancake motor's reputation, no matter how good they can be.

I suppose the ideal performer would be to have a die-cast chassis & body with (flexible) plastic detail (both locomotive & tender), room in the smokebox for a speaker, can motor with big flywheel in tender driving the locomotive itself via a low mounted inconspicuous driveshaft, not forgetting an easyfit decoder socket.

 

[Brian Considine]

QUOTE (delboy53 @ 5 Dec 2011, 21:40) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>hi folks can anyone tell me where i can get an adapter plate for a fleischmann model 4170 steam loco as i want to install a dcc decorder thanks

Hi there - you could try A & H Models - google will find them for you.

We normally stock them but are out of stock at the moment.

& welcome to MRF.

 

[Brian Considine]

QUOTE (zmil @ 22 Feb 2012, 08:29) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>I have plenty of tender driven locos that will move very gently from a standstill on DC and DCC , they will crawl at a nice slow walking pace - mind you these are made by Fleischmann

They will keep going forever, with very little maintenence. FLM traction tyres give few problems too.

 

[Brian Considine]

QUOTE (Digimaks @ 23 Feb 2012, 05:26) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>I know I am a little late with my post but I heard someone mentioned a locomotive with a clutch or transmision!? What the.......

Never heard of it! You mean , the shaft goes from motor to some separating device first, and then goes to the wheels?
What is the advantage of this?
I have locomotive with two huge flywheels, which makes it run very long after power shut off. It's LifeLike Proto 2000 locomotive.
But clutch/unclutch ... ?

AFAIR it's called "Dynadrive" (or something like that) - you have to build up the rev's to get the locomotive to move & ease off just before you get to the required speed - dropping the rev's the locomotive then coasts. I suppose a mechanical version of CV's 3 & 4 in DCC speak.