williams 2-8-4 berkshire's pulling power

[bluerose lady]

Hello Guys,Gals........

Does anyone know how many pieces of free rolling frieght cars can a williams 2-8-4 berkshire can pull ?  I wondered becasue I just have 4 williams 60 foot madsions and a boxcar.  My layout is a TINY 4 by 8 with a oval and 3 switches LOL. any opinions, anyone ?
the woman who loves toy trains
Tiffany

[Joe Satnik]

Hey, Tiff.

From a December 2001 CTT review by Bob Keller:

"This engine is fun to operate. Our low-speed test clocked the steamer at 37.4 scale mph and we measured a high-end speed of 147.4 scale mph. The traction tire-equipped engine's drawbar pull is 1 pound, 1.7 ounces, or roughly equal to 53 modern, free-rolling cars.

Getting started with our 25-car mixed make and vintage test train, the Berk spun its drivers but a nudge of the cab got it rolling. The train rounded the layout without fail for hours. With this heavy load in tow, we clocked the Berk at 111.1 scale mph at 18 volts."

Hope this helps.

Sincerely,

Joe Satnik

Edit: Corrected CTT review date from 2006 to December 2001

[r0gruth]

The longest I could pull with mine was 37 cars.Then they started to pull off on the curves.

[bluerose lady]

Hello Mr. Joe satnik..........

OH  thank you so much !!!!!!!!!! i was looking for information like that about the williams berkshire. you are very helpful !!!! BIG SMILE.

the woman who loves toy trains
Tiffany

[bluerose lady]

Hello rOgruth........

wow 37 cars with single williams berkshire !!! that is better than i expected.

the woman who loves toy trains
Tiffany

[bluerose lady]

hello Mr. Satnik......

would you happen to have same information like the berkshire about the williams sd-45's in the CTT ?

the woman who loves toy trains
Tiffany

[DominicMazoch]

I've run 6 15" AL cars behind an SD90MAC!

[bluerose lady]

Hello DominicMazoch........

my goodness !!, 6 of those 15 inch cars, that must be looooooong train !!! i only have room for least 90 inch train oh well.

the woman who loves toy trains
Tiffany

[Joe Satnik]

Dear Tifffany,

I didn't see a review for the SD-45 on the (subscriber-only portion of the) CTT website. 

The Williams SD-90 was reviewed though, and that's pretty similar to the SD-45 (dual 3 axle power trucks with traction tires).

From Bob Keller's Williams SD-90 review (December 1999 CTT):

"On the test track the engine delivered smooth, quiet performance. Conducting the average speed tests, the SD90MAC performed well, with a low end speed of 17.7 scale mph and a high-end average of 155 scale mph.

The 4.8 pound engine easily hauled our 20-car test train and never seemed to tire or get noticeably warm. We measured 3.3 pounds of drawbar pull from this engine, which roughly equals more than 190 (that's 1-9-0) modern, free-rolling pieces of rolling stock on straight and level track."

Hope this helps.

Sincerely,

Joe Satnik

[bluerose lady]

Hello Mr. Satnik............

my goodness !!  190 freight cars ? i will never have that many but least 8.  and even 8 cars is plenty for my tiny layout lol.  i guess williams 6 axle diesels are stump pullers offen more than steamers ?

the woman who loves toy trains
Tiffany

[phillyreading]

Don't know what a Berkshire 2-8-4 can pull but an older the older Williams(pre-Bachmann) S-2 Pennsy steam engine I have can pull about 27 Lionel post war hopper  or gondola cars behind it before it derails on my 042 curves. I didn't have that many modern freight cars to use with the S-2 steam engine.
Also I have three Williams SD-45's and they have differant wheel designs. The one with traction tires does best as for pulling but can't handle any Lionel add-on track(145C contact for highway crossing lights) accessories, as it has only two sets of metal wheels on each truck assembly and one set of plastic wheels, stops cold at the accessory contact. My SD-45 with all metal wheels(no traction tires doesn't pull as many freight cars but doesn't get stuck anywhere either.

Lee F.

[Joe Satnik]

One motor vs. two? 

Difference in weight?

More weight on traction tires?

3rail would know. 

(3.3 pounds of pull..holy cow..I suppose you could measure it with a fishing scale..)

Joe

[r0gruth]

With the right mixture of cars and being careful about placement,I have been able to pull 40 + cars with any of my Williams locos.

By rewiring the motors in the locos in series instead of parallel,the speeds canbe lowered.
Understand that this wiring voids the WBB warranty.

[DominicMazoch]

The Sd45 and 90's have the same type of motors and trucks.  the 45 seems"heavier" to me, though.  But I do run the UP Katy 90 with 6 AL Texas Specail cars with the Lionel 2245 "B" unit.  If L can come up with a NYC Superliner set with a 90 Mac, I can make my own TS set.

Anyway, I have figured out the two reds on the Katy.  One red shade is pass, the other is freight.

[phillyreading]

I have three Williams SD-45's and have found that through the years Williams made these with differant weight factors, and with dual motors.
One of my SD-45's is lighter in weight but has traction tires, cab # 4656 a Pennsy SD-45. Another SD-45, cab # 7893 Reading Lines, has dual motors but has all three axles made of metal without traction tires and it weighs about a half pound or more than the Pennsy SD-45.
The newer SD-45's have plastic wheels for the third or blind flange set of wheels, also have traction tires. This set-up won't work with some accessory activation devices as the outside rail power is broken when the SD-45 goes over an activation device. What I have done is to double head my powered SD-45's after I install a wire harness between the two engines to keep constant power to both engines.

Lee F.