why is my new ho alaska train going so slow

[pacuccaro]

i bought a dcc set for my son but was  told there was no way to hook up switches and buildings so we traded that in for the Alaskan train set - i remember ho trains going much faster - what am i doing wrong both the dcc and now this set the engines go very slow

[richg]

What set?
I assume HO scale because we are in the HO forum.

What DCC controller?
A DCC onboard loco controlled by a DC power Pack?
Slow compared to what other trains you have?
You need to give more info.

Rich

[Jerrys HO]

The only Alaska set I know is the McKinley Explorer and it is not DCC.

Jerry

[pacuccaro]

i used to have ho trains when i was younger and at different train shows you can see the ho engines moving very fast this new Alaskan passenger set has just 1 engine and 3 cars  it has the black ez track it is hooked up and runs but slow

the dcc set was the new ho dcc set with the 2 santa fe engines - the place we bought it from told us if you want to add buildings or switches or any other things dont go dcc now so that is why he wanted the big passanger set  it is the McKinley ho passenger set

[Jerrys HO]

pacuccaro-

I have the same DCC set ( it should be the digital commander set). They are not built for speed. These sets are entry level sets. I have other loco's I purchased seperately that run a bit faster but I don't. It just does not look realistic.
The McKinley set is a nice set also
The place that told you you can not add switches or buildings is wrong. As with any set you can add as much as you like. If you are adding switches try to stay with numbered switches. Nickel Silver track is also better than the steel track that comes with the McKinley set.

Jerry 

[hawaiiho]

i bought a dcc set for my son but was  told there was no way to hook up switches and buildings so we traded that in for the Alaskan train set - i remember ho trains going much faster - what am i doing wrong both the dcc and now this set the engines go very slow

I bought the Alaska DC set for our youngest grandson last year. While not as fast as some locomotives that I have, I would not call it unusually slow.

If I understand you correctly, your local hobby shop told you that with the DCC set, you can't add buildings or switches. This is not completely accurate.

If you were to add switches and LIGHTED buildings, you would need a separate  power supply, as the DCC EZ Command has no accessory  output built into it.

This is not an expensive purchase. A basic  supply, that will  power  any lighted buildings and  switches you add, would probably cost less than $20.

[richg]

Here is a link to a model train speed calculator for different scales.
Example.

36 inches in 5 seconds is about 35 miles per hour.

http://home.cogeco.ca/~trains/rroperat.htm

Many people are influenced by the speed of model train exhibits.
A good example is the real runaway freight story compared to the recently released movie. The movie is exciting even though you have to use a lot of disbelief.

Rich

[jward]

the old trains you are used to did not have good speed control, and were geared way too fast. the ones to-day are a vast improvement over the old train set locos from the 1970s and 1980s. they are much better made and geared to run at more realistic speeds. this is something that was pretty much demanded by the serious model railroaders who voted with their wallets. those companies like bachmann who improved their product line are still around. those like tyco and ahm who didn't, are long out of the market.

[pacuccaro]

thanks everyone - i guess now i should have kept the dcc set but we will make due with the Alaskan set - thanks for the information i am sure we will be expanding this set quickly