1. fluff

    fluff TrainBoard Member

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    im just curious about how many cars a single MT gp 35 will pull on level track and the biggest curves that micro trains makes. im thinking about tinkering with some z scale. i think r 490 in the biggest curve, but dont know what radius it is. im refering to MT the built in roadbed track. thanks........
     
  2. ZFRANK

    ZFRANK TrainBoard Member

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    The MTL GP's are powerfull reliable engines. I am sure they can pull quit some cars. I can recall to have seen some pictures with a proto type golden GP35 pulling a long string of cars. If you use flex track, the size of your hobby room is the limit to the maximum radius :D. The maximum length will also depend on type of cars and whether you use plastic or metal wheel sets. Short trains are more convenient though...and even 3 locomotives with just 3 cars can be prototypic.
     
  3. HOexplorer

    HOexplorer TrainBoard Supporter

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    I've pulled 17 cars with my GP9, same chassis as the GP35, and yes, I used r490 curved track. Metal wheels mean more cars. My 17 cars were plastic. Jim
     
  4. fluff

    fluff TrainBoard Member

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    thats great. very similar to an n scale atlas non dcc geep. it just bothers me for some reason when a loco wont pull but 6 or 8 cars, on level track of course. thanks for the replys. :thumbs_up:
     
  5. craz3474

    craz3474 TrainBoard Member

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  6. Loren

    Loren TrainBoard Supporter

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    Jerry,

    That gold colored GP35 was the prototype on loan to me when I took it to the BAZ BBQ way back in 2005 to show case it before release.

    Anyone whose GP won't pull half that many has some tinkering to do to make their GP perform like this prototype did.

    Oh, those were the days.......
     
  7. Mr. White

    Mr. White TrainBoard Member

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    r490 is 490mm or roughly 19.25" for the radius
     
  8. SJ Z-man

    SJ Z-man TrainBoard Member

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    on flat track, common 195mm (7.68") and 220mm (8.66") radius, we can pull about 20 cars all day. 30 if metal wheeled (Fox Valley Model makes a metal replacement for MTL trucks, AZL and Full Throttles already are metal). Beyond that, and even with that, there will be places that that single loco slips. It will, in the long term, add to the wear on the trucks. Lash up 2 or more, they look better and one helps the other, especially in that electrically dirty spot or trackwork, like turnouts.

    On grades, especially compressed layouts (a.k.a. 2x3, 3x4 and "door" sized), 20 metal wheelers would be a max. Again, still best to run 2 locos or more.
    .
     
  9. fluff

    fluff TrainBoard Member

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    they pull plenty good to satisfy me. i just dont know much about z yet. i have lots of n scale and the ratio is very close. glad to know the radius of the curves, i wish microtrains used radius instead of mm. i run around four walls, 11x10 ft. i can already see how good those big curves would look with a couple of geeps and around 30 cars or so. i asked about the geeps because they are my favorite engines, but i like f units also. thanks to all for the info....
     

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