The LL F7 was the winner. I actually pulled the coupler off the back and had to turn it around and run it backwards. It pulls 100 cars around the loop without slipping. I have a second one that just isnt as strong. Not sure why. The Bmann 2-8-0 was an unbelievable challenger that actually could pull the 100 cars but sounded like it would explode with that much in back of it. The Bmann heavy mountain wouldnt even budge it. Kato SD90 just spun its wheels.
It would be cool to update the listing. It appears the plastic frame LL F7 & LL FA2 are very similar? How about the LL BL2 or LL F40?? I'd like to see where the IM F's & MTL FT's fit on the list? It's so cool the way the Trix FM HH does so well for a small unit.
There are straight track pullers and then there are pullers around a turn. Some of the results will change dramatically if you are going around a relatively tight turn, even to the point of some of the steam engines toppling off the tracks.
The newer version of the BL2 outpulled the older one by 15 cars. I was stunned. Both are heavy. The older one has the big ole honkin lead weights. Guess you just never know.
I think by far the manufacturers with the best pullers is LifeLike. And while the Kato PA and E 8 are good the list of LifeLike engines is far longer. The GP18, old and new, F7, FA 2 [plastic frame], FA1 and FA2's [split frame], Erie builts, PA, the E 6,7 and 8 units to name a few. I use their GP 20 to pull my atlas track cleaner. I originally bought them when they were on close out for my grandkids but changed my mind. LifeLike really came a long way with all those releases. Unfortunately the 2-8-8-2 did not live up to expectations but there is hope that with the new issue the first issue can be resurrected witrh a minimal of new parts.
On our club layout (SONS) in Detroit area, I tested the pulling power of my Athearn Big Boy. The first test was I pulled 70 Deluxe Innovations Coal Porter Twin tubs that had 4 buckshot down in the tubs on each corner plus Finescale coal loads,body mounted couplers and and Micro-Trains trucks with low profile wheels.It walked off with the 70 cars without any problem. The second test I tried was I added 32 Kato coal porters without any modification on them and the Big Boy still walked off with them without slipping, that is 102 cars.102 cars is excellent and some of the start up was around a large curve. I pulled them for about 2 or 3 hours without any problems. gene maddox
Yep! Looks like Athearn nailed the question can manufacturers make quality good running, great pulling steam in N scale, Now when are the "other" manufacturers going to take a lesson and learn? Rob
Hi everyone I'm new here. Any way I have five Kato loco. My most powerful loco is my kato fef-3 844 pulls like nothing behind it it will pull 34 cars up my 4% grade no problem could easily add more if I had the space. That at 20mph throttle setting on my dc controller. I have a Kato gs-4 it will pull my 20 car Kato sp daylight up the 4% grade no problem either.
By the way for the fef-3 those were passenger cars. On the straight and level track it would pull more than 100 freight cars no problem.
Wow, this thread has been PULLED from a decade of dormancy! I think with the current move to DCC with sound and lead free mechanisms, we're probably never going to see single locomotives out pull the old. I agree the Kato FEF is a great one...excellent motor, weight and traction.
My Life Like E8, F7, GP18, really...any of those 90's, surprisingly great LL models. Also, British N Gauge - Union Mills, a small one-man operation, makes these little steam locos that are just fantastic little machines and similar to the LL locos, will pull whatever is asked of them.
The LifeLike locomotives, with the exception of some of their steam offerings, were good pullers. Our club once had a "J" shaped Ntrak layout at one of the early Ohio N Scale Weekends. At the end of the event we got all the cars that were on the layout and formed one train 143 cars long. An ABBA set of LifeLike FA/B 1's coupled on and pulled that train around the layout twice. At times that train occupied seven of the eight three foot corners of the layout. It did this with no slippage and one got the impression they could pull more. Ain't bad for an ABBA set that only cost me about $65.00 back in the day when LifeLike was dumping these on the market. LifeLike seemed to use a different metal in their wheelsets than other manufacturers. I don't know how much difference that made but maybe that had something to do with the adhesion factor. Also maybe we should factor in the weight of the locomotive to get a ratio of pulling power to weight. Obviously locomotives like the PA and E units have more weight and can be expected to pull more but break it down to how much pulling power per ounce (or gram) the engine weighs and the results could prove interesting.
Intermountain FP-7's are heavy and haul well, interestingly enough they also seem to be happier in tight radius than the F3's and F7's!! I have an FP7 and F7B that I couldn't load enough cars behind, caboose-to-loco full wrap on a 2x8 loop with 11.25" curves. My new NP challenger also pulled that train, albeit with a bit of slip in the turns...
The original FA-2 and then the later FA-1. The Bmann F-7 would rank right in there but most had a short life span due to cracked plastic gears.
All boils down to 3 factors, all measureable. 1) Gross weight of the locomotive 2) Wheel material and the factor of adhesion of that material on nickel silver 3) Drag from non-powered wheels There's at least a minor factor of mechanism vibration, if it breaks adhesion What doesn't enter into it.... 1) Gearing ratio 2) number of poles of the motor 3) DCC vs DC (unless the decoder installation reduces weight Don't underestimate wheel material, that's the skunk in the woodpile here I still have difficulty convincing some about.
