A/B Units

[Robert Grace]

I have a Proto 2000 E8/9 A unit passenger diesel.  I notice there are both A and B units out there.  I know the B unit goes behind the A unit, but is it necessary? I'm running DC here, not DCC. The flashing headlight works with the A unit--does the B unit come with any action or is it strictly for looks?

[Jim Banner]

Dummy (no motor) B-units and sometimes powered B-unitis are run just for looks.  At other times, powered B-units are added to trains because the number of cars and/or the grades are too great for just an A-unit to pull them.  This is true independent of power source.

[lanny]

Robert,

Along with what Jim mentioned, if you are running DC, make sure your power supply can adequately handle two powered locomotives running at the same time.

Proto 2000 E units are very heavy, great runners. But if both of your units are powered, you will need to make sure your power supply is large enough (enough amps? ... sorry, I'm electrically 'challenged' :-) for both units to run. The little power paks that come with 'HO train sets" may not have enough power to run these locomotives in tandem.

I have a Spectrum F40PH and a Proto 2000 E9A. Both are heavy enough to pull a decent size passenger train up my 2.7%+ grades by themselves, though the Proto 2000 is able to handle more cars, being the heavier of the two.

lanny nicolet

[bevernie]

Also, especially on aged units, be sure to check the "traction tires!!If it won't get traction, it can't pull!                                       THANX!!    :-)

[Robert Grace]

Thanks for all the replies. I use several power packs--the one powering the rails is one of the older Bachman power packs--the black one with the red speed adjuster. The only AC I have attached to it are my 2 remote switches. For AC power for lighting I use a separate power pack so as to not drain too much on the first one. All of these, of course, in turn are plugged into a power strip and into the wall with a three prong plug. The one A unit Proto 2000 I have seems to pull the cars well enough up a small grade--the size of my layout (4'x6') precludes putting more than, say, three or four passenger cars on it, or it starts looking like a cat chasing its tail