Locomotive Compatability

[Bojangle]

I'll try to keep my introduction brief, then get to the point.  I am a 70 year old retired rancher,  living  on a ranch in Northwest Colorado.  Besides ranching I also have a backround  in the electrical/electronic field. After some 50 years of building and flying R/C planes,  I am forced to change hobbies due to vision problems (macular degeneration).  I decided to turn to model railroading. 
My layout so far consists of an 8 foot by 4 foot  HO EZ track on the floor of a spare bedroom, with a passing siding, 2 spurs and a staging yard. DC Analog. ( I have a Bachmann DCC system for later application.)   Now for the observations.
I bought 2 Bachmann  GP40, Union Pacific, DCC, and a 70 ton switcher DCC.  I placed the 2 Geeps on opposite sides of the layout and set the throttle wide open.  After about 30 rounds,  the rear loco caught up to the other.  This was to be expected, if I had better sight, I would take a loco apart, and would probably find a "Mabuchi" label, but I could be wrong.   I am contemplating setting up a dynamometer of some kind to test the locos.  As long as I use the two I have, I don't expect any problems with consists, but what about other manufacturers models? As a beginner I know little about trains, but for a proper consist shouldn't all locos be fairly matched?  Of course with DCC I can match the throttles, but then there is the power/torque factors.   I thought it might be an interesting topic to discuss.   ( A friend once told me that engineers shouldn't play with toys).
I plan to build a 12' x 12'  extension to my office/shop, with solar panels on the roof to power lights and the layout. (Too much time on my hands) More details on that later.
Bojangle

[pdlethbridge]

After 30 rounds, I'd say they were pretty compatible. Would a 2-3% difference be a problem? I don't think so. But DCC gives you the ability to control each loco separately. Thus even that 2-3% difference can be eliminated, as each loco under DCC control would have its own address and throttle setting. I commend you for your abilities. Having a disability can be difficult at times, but having time and patience will help overcome problems. ( I'm a 60 yr old stroke victim.)

[Bojangle]

The guy at the hobby store (200 miles away), told me I probably wouldn't enjoy HO due to my poor eyesight.  I'm practically blind in one eye, the other is fuzzy.  But I can turn on the throttle, close my eyes and listen to the "rail clack" as the wheels cross the joints.  I always recall the rythmic  sound when  a train passed through our ranch.  I could sit there  all day listening to the 100 or more coal hoppers going past.  I also remember saying "someday I will have my own train". I won't use flex track, since that would detract from that sound. 

Yes, the little difference between locos probably won't matter, it is just one of the faults of being an engineer, in that we tend to strive for a perfection that doesn't  exist in this "disposable" world.  To be on the safe side, I think I will only use
Bachmann locos, being the first bought, I love the smoothness of their trains, even at crawl throttle. 

Thanks for  your reply, you are my first contact with the outside world, as I live in a very remote area (my choice).

Bo

[gwfan]

Hullo Bo.

Sorry about the eyes. I live in CO up in the foothills at 8,800 feet so I realise the suggestion that you investigate G scale might not be appropriate (snow for 5 months of the year!). I have found that the larger scale helps with these old eyes (cataract problem). However don't give up on flexitrack it is simple to cut small slots in the rails at regular intervals. You might also want to experiment with the rail breaks as too many can spoil the illusion. I have found that with long consists one break can sound a lot more authentic than multiple breaks. Flexible track gives you much more freedom to lay your track with appropriate curves. It's also cheaper!

Chris

[Bojangle]

Hi Chris
I considered large scale, in fact I bought my wife a Bachmann Roaring Ridge, ON30 that runs on my HO track.  She saw it  in the catalog and said " I want that".  I am very fortunate in that she doesn't care how much I spend  (money or time) on my hobbies.
Good idea about notching the flex track, with the aid of a device called an "Optivisor", I can still do the small stuff if need be.
Thanks for the suggestions.
Bo