Dual Locomotives

[Cody J]

Is It Possible To Have 2 Locos At the Front Of a train.  One facing forward and the other facing the train?

thanks
cody j

[Santa Fe buff]

Yes, but it has a flip side.
If you have an older locomotive(s),  they may not go the same way, for newer ones go with the current, so the facment dosen't really matter. The second flip is that have two locomotives can help long trains, but three, and the power will be sucked until the train can only pull less than one locomotive. Try to avoid more then two engines for it may also cause a power sort. That is why they invented the  'Dummy' locomotives. So you could say, put an older stream locomotive that has problems moving without stallling, and put an Amtrak locomotive behind it to help it. <you can add Amtrak dummies for more 'power'.> And some vintage heavyweights would may a good excursion train.

[ajp3751]

Buff, not all of your points make sence, especially when they are full of spelling errors.

First, is this a DC or DCC layout, because they are a little different. Buff does have a point saying that newer locomotives follow current on DC layouts so double, triple, or quadruple heading with locos facing different directions isn't a problem. I have no problem triple heading and sometimes quadruple heading my proto 2000 GP-30s and GP-9s on a DC layout with little speed drop but NO strength loss.



Buff, it is hard to make a point if you don't spell things right. (sort, did you mean short? stream, steam or streamlined?) Long trains won't cause a short in the system unless your wiring is faulty. You might experience power loss due to exessive consumption, but not a short.(maybe you mean power shortage. Look up short to see what it really is.)

What are you trying to say by "...has problems moving without stalling..." If something moves without stalling, I'd say it funs fine. Then "dummies" where used when you want to see more locomotives and don't need the extra power. The amtrak dummies you refer to are not the only dummies. And I'm really courious with how you claim you get more power by adding a non powered unit. Plus amtrak doesn't exactly go with vintage cars.

[Cody J]

My Layout Is DC.  My Firts Locomotive Is From 2003 And My Secong One Is From 2008

-trainsrock

[Santa Fe buff]

Buff, not all of your points make sence, especially when they are full of spelling errors.

First, is this a DC or DCC layout, because they are a little different. Buff does have a point saying that newer locomotives follow current on DC layouts so double, triple, or quadruple heading with locos facing different directions isn't a problem. I have no problem triple heading and sometimes quadruple heading my proto 2000 GP-30s and GP-9s on a DC layout with little speed drop but NO strength loss.



Buff, it is hard to make a point if you don't spell things right. (sort, did you mean short? stream, steam or streamlined?) Long trains won't cause a short in the system unless your wiring is faulty. You might experience power loss due to exessive consumption, but not a short.(maybe you mean power shortage. Look up short to see what it really is.)

What are you trying to say by "...has problems moving without stalling..." If something moves without stalling, I'd say it funs fine. Then "dummies" where used when you want to see more locomotives and don't need the extra power. The amtrak dummies you refer to are not the only dummies. And I'm really courious with how you claim you get more power by adding a non powered unit. Plus amtrak doesn't exactly go with vintage cars.

I always get my facts from my friend's layout. For some reason, more on his layout loses power to the locomotives for some reason, which is were I made that assumstion.

Short, and steam. And I did mean to try to say it as a power shortage. I never was all that good at electrical terms, but I'm getting better slowly.

Ah, another poorly worded statement by me. I meant, it has problems running (a.k.a moving) without stalling:
CORRECTION:
It has problems <running> without stalling. Which I'm saying is that it has a hard time running without stalling.

Ah, but when I said 'power' I meant it with quotations. Such has "power" like it add too the look of more power. Calming that it adds so called 'power' to the trains look. I real life you add another locomotive for more power, here we add dummies for so called 'power' to make it look more realistic. I believe this was a simple misunderstanding/wording on my part.

I was saying you could put a couple for an excursion, do keep in mind that I said there was a steam locomotive in the front with P40s/Amtrak units as helpers. I do agree they don't always use such vintage cars, but I've seen some here and there...

After all, I had a long day yesterday, I woke up at 10:30 or about that time.

The amtrak dummies you refer to are not the only dummies.

Please tell me you mean something else...
Ah forget it,
I messed up, I didn't mean it. I just mis-spelled and worded wrong, but I was very tired. And that's what happens when you don't wait to go on the computer...

Let's just have us a good day and just say 'Forget it', whatever you may say that I did wrong, I will correct in the future.

[Jhanecker2]

Your trains seem relatively new . Steam engines were rarely double headed tender to tender .  While steam engines can operate in reverse, because they each had to be crewed separately the engineer would not have been able to see very well because of the tender .  Diesels with multi unit controls only have an engineer in the leading cab so heading doesn't make as much difference . In fact having an "A" unit on the end means not needing to turn the power units around, just transferring control to the other end.

[Cody J]

So It Will Work??

[Santa Fe buff]

First, is this a DC or DCC layout, because they are a little different. Buff does have a point saying that newer locomotives follow current on DC layouts so double, triple, or quadruple heading with locos facing different directions isn't a problem. I have no problem triple heading and sometimes quadruple heading my proto 2000 GP-30s and GP-9s on a DC layout with little speed drop but NO strength loss.

I would say yes.

[Guilford Guy]

On DC yes... On DCC make sure your units are going in the same direction before MUing them...

[Yampa Bob]

Buff, can't you make a simple reply without abusing the quote feature?  Forget the quotes, just give a direct answer. I have NEVER used the quote, it just clutters up the continuity of the conversation. 

To sum this thread up a bit, if your track is powered with DC, then you can run 2 or 3 locos, DC or DCC equipped but DC compatible, or any combination thereof,  at one time, in consist,  oriented both forward, or one forward and one facing rear, makes no difference due to the "Right Rail Rule".   However, the locomotives must be fairly well matched in speed.  Place them halfway around the track from each other, run them both wide open and see if they remain a reasonable distance apart. If it takes 10 to 15 laps around before one catches the other, that's probably ok.

[Jim Banner]

Trainsrock, it will work provided two things:

(1) your power pack produces enough power to run two locomotives at once.  An inadequate power source is undoubtedly behind Santa Fe buffy's friend's problem with 3 locomotives pulling less than one.  With a large enough power pack, you can run as many locomotives as you want. 

(2) your two locomotives run at approximately the same speed.  That is, if you put both on the track about a foot apart and run them, their speeds will be similar or identical.  Actually, they will still run even if their speeds are not similar.  It is just that they may not run for long.

When I first read the title of your topic, I thought of Double Fairlies, the Siamese Twins of the steam locomotive world. 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairlie

[T-Lloyd]

Put your slightly faster locomotive ahead of the one that may be slightly slower

[Santa Fe buff]

Bob,
Your right, perhaps my mouse has become the 'quote' buttons' worse nightmare. But I think I can get over that habit, instead of quoting, like I do, I would do what I just did for this message. Put the name of who I'm addressing. Like how people put.
Buff,
......
Or:
Santa Fe,
......
Or even:
Santa Fe buff,
.......

I hope me and the quote button can stop the usage war.

[Yampa Bob]

That's much better, and thank you.

As for directing a post to a specific person, that isn't even necessary. In fact, in certain situations, it can be construed as a personal affront or admonishment, even embarrassment.  I do it as a courtesy of recognition, makes others feel good to know they are not being ignored.     

The general consensus is to put the faster locomotive in front, but this requires the lead loco to work a bit harder, in fact pulling the slower one. If you put the slower one up front, then the rear loco has to do more work, pushing the lead loco. So if the locos are well matched, it probably makes little difference.

I often run tail to tail consists of two locos, so "up front" depends on which direction I'm running.   

[robin]

ajp,

I'd lighten up on the spelling critique, your post had its share of errors.

Robin

Buff, not all of your points make sence, especially when they are full of spelling errors.

First, is this a DC or DCC layout, because they are a little different. Buff does have a point saying that newer locomotives follow current on DC layouts so double, triple, or quadruple heading with locos facing different directions isn't a problem. I have no problem triple heading and sometimes quadruple heading my proto 2000 GP-30s and GP-9s on a DC layout with little speed drop but NO strength loss.


Buff, it is hard to make a point if you don't spell things right. (sort, did you mean short? stream, steam or streamlined?) Long trains won't cause a short in the system unless your wiring is faulty. You might experience power loss due to exessive consumption, but not a short.(maybe you mean power shortage. Look up short to see what it really is.)

What are you trying to say by "...has problems moving without stalling..." If something moves without stalling, I'd say it funs fine. Then "dummies" where used when you want to see more locomotives and don't need the extra power. The amtrak dummies you refer to are not the only dummies. And I'm really courious with how you claim you get more power by adding a non powered unit. Plus amtrak doesn't exactly go with vintage cars.