explanation of motor in locomotive

[gandy dancer#1]

Greetings: would some one tell me what is the best motor in ho locos?? Saw one which stated 8 wheel drive, so assume2 motors? also stated it was a 5 pole, with fly wheel?? would assume thesw pull a loy of cars?? kindea like my dodge cummins 2500 up against my dodge 318??

[Len]

Greetings: would some one tell me what is the best motor in ho locos?? Saw one which stated 8 wheel drive, so assume2 motors? also stated it was a 5 pole, with fly wheel?? would assume thesw pull a loy of cars?? kindea like my dodge cummins 2500 up against my dodge 318??

8-wheel drive would normally be a diesel with a center mounted motor and drive shafts going to each of the wheel trucks. A 5 pole motor means it has 5 windings on the armature, giving smoother starts and operation than a 3 pole motor. Fly wheels also smooth operation, reduding jerky starts and stops.

How many cars a loco can pull varies with the weight of the loco, type of wheels on the loco, type of wheels and trucks on the cars, and the weight of the cars.

Len

[Jim Banner]

kindea like my dodge cummins 2500 up against my dodge 318??

Put that way, the Cummins sounds immensely bigger but isn't the displacement only about 13% more?  In any event, it is other factors that make the real difference, both in the truck engines and in the model locomotives.  Len has given you most of these factors for the locomotives but here are a few more:  eight wheel drive on a four axle diesel will usually pull better than eight wheel drive on a six or eight axle diesel, all else being equal.  Gear ratio can also make a difference.  And another huge factor is the grade the train is operating on.  Modelling is like the real world in miniature in more ways than just size.

Jim