The pulling power of Maerklin.

11197 Views 48 Replies 13 Participants Last post by goedel, May 19, 2007

neil_s_wood

Discussion Starter · Feb 27, 2007

This item appeared on the Maerklin website. They have managed to get 200 Maerklin locos to pull a full sized DB coach. That would be 1 to 1 scale.

On the area of railways system engineering in Munich took place on 21 February 2007 a sensational experiment. Märklin locomotives of the size H0 on a scale of 1:87 should pull an original-size IC region car of the German course AG over a distance of 10 meters. The car had nevertheless an unloaded weight of approx. 48 tons and measured scarcely 27 meters. 200 Märklin locomotives of the BR 143 with the article number 37433 were available. On 50 tracks, to 4 locomotives each arranged, they were supplied by 50 transformers with energy. To set 3,000 VA necessarily around the IC region car in motion. The experiment succeeded and the 200 Märklin locomotives pulled the 1. Class car evenly, strong over of the Guiness book of the records editorship given distance. The Märklin specialist of the 1. Märklin model course team shifted altogether 625 meters of the Märklin of C-track, pulled 1.5 km cables and set over 3.000 soldered connections. The pool of broadcasting corporations transmission "W wie Wissen" sends the pictures of the preparation and the world record travel on coming Sunday, 25 February 2007 in the 1. Program at 17.03 o'clock.

So if the coach weighed 48 tons and there were 200 coaches, does this mean that each loco was pulling a quarter of a ton?

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Gary

· #9 · Feb 28, 2007 (Edited by Moderator)

QUOTE Didn't Hornby Dublo demonstrate their Deltic doing something similar at a toyfair...? One loco pulled a child (sitting on a suitable wagon of wider gauge...!), two pulled a lady, and three a gentleman.

1961 London Toy Fair demo. The most powerful British toy train ever? If only Hornby and Bachmann were as imaginative these days. Don't know how this feat compares with the Marklin coach pull and again friction coeficients came into play. I would guess that the friction coeficient of a full size coach relative to its mass would be lower (1 is superglued down and 0 will slide forever) than a bloke breaking his ankle falling off a skateboard type affair. Its a pretty amazing feat of strength from Marklin. Do the Marklin locos have traction tyres? I think the Dublo effort had traction tyres and was possibly the first British model so endowed. The Dublo Class 20 may have beaten the Deltic on the traction tyre front however was not as heavy.

The amount of power required for the 200 locos is interesting. Weedy pathetic powerless "safe" kids transformers are no fun!

Bring on the armour plated bullet proof battleship Hammant and Morgan and a few cattle prongs! This will sort out the men from the boys.

Happy modelling
Gary

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Gary

· #11 · Feb 28, 2007 (Edited by Moderator)

QUOTE They do indeed have traction tyres........as a matter of interest they are also three rail with metal bodies!

What a coincidence!

Don't Marklin run a 14V AC system as opposed to Dublo's 12V DC?

This should provide more pulling power in favour of Marklin I would have thought by an extra 17%.

So we are talking high volts, metal bodies, traction tyres, 3 rail.

All the things out of favour outside Germany yet seemingly capable of doing the business.

Happy modelling
Gary

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Gary

· #13 · Feb 28, 2007

QUOTE I wonder what would have happened if they had used the Trix (2 rail) variant?

The track would collapse under the strain!

Happy modelling
Gary

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Gary

· #20 · Mar 1, 2007 (Edited by Moderator)

QUOTE But I could certainly expect one maybe two hundred Bachmann class 66's pulling one maybe even all sound locos too that would be nice.

I wonder what 200 locos fitted with sound decoders all starting up at the same time would sound like?

It actually would never happen in prototypical form (someone will now proove that it does/did!)

I doubt that even 5000 current Hornby locos could pull one coach as without traction tyres the situation would be hopeless. Yes there are Hornby locos that can pull 15 model coaches. I wonder how many Hornby coaches a Marklin loco could pull?

200? 500?

Happy modelling
Gary

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Gary

· #23 · Mar 1, 2007

QUOTE Just a suggestion Gary - how about a "Traction Power Challenge" for the next Warley & invite all the manufactures to take part ?

Heh! Heh! Heh! Heh! (those who watch Deal or no Deal will have to imagine evil banker cackling noises)

Can we include ex manufacturers whose factories have been demolished?

Happy modelling
Gary

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Gary

· #28 · Mar 2, 2007

Traction tyres are never perfectly round and locos with them fitted can wobble. And it affects how many wheels can pick up power. And it give a model less of a prototype in miniture look.

The upside of course is better traction. Its pretty much down to the priorities.

Happy modelling
Gary

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Gary

· #30 · Mar 2, 2007 (Edited by Moderator)

You tell me. Dennis refered to Hornby specifically and asked why they don't fit traction tyres. Are European HO traction tyres to a different standard and fitted any differently? Lima were a European company and their traction tyres induced wobble. If more care is taken with their fitting by European HO manufacturers then fair enough. Rubber is a natural material and the shape of the band only has to be out a fraction and you get a wobble. Ask yourself why car tyres need balancing. Same principle applies to traction tyres.

All I know is that manufacturers have gone to massive trouble and made big investment to ensure that axles and wheels are perfectly true and round and engineered then at the last minute they fit a traction tyre by hand! It does not seem logical.

It has to be said that OO wheels are much bigger than HO wheels with a resulting higher centre line for the axle so any wobble would be more obvious on OO models.

Not taking anything away from the feat of Marklin which is fantastic. Traction tyres are an entirely seperate issue with pros and cons.

Happy modelling
Gary

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Gary

· #33 · Mar 2, 2007

QUOTE haulage power is very, very important in "Euroland" - many layouts use helix's where you have small radius curves on 1 : 50 gradiants

Interesting comment. I would guess gradients would be more popular in the offshore islands if their locos were better as going up them!

I may be wrong but when I look at the drive wheels on a British mainline OO pacific they always seem a lot bigger than on the equivalent Euroland HO loco. Is it really only 3mm?

Happy modelling
Gary

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