At least you picked the right gears to go with in the first place. Thanks Much.
Dave Engle --- On Sat, 2/16/13, Don Thompson <[email protected]> wrote: From: Don Thompson <[email protected]> Subject: Re: {S-Scale List} Speed Matching, etc. To: "[email protected]" <[email protected]> Date: Saturday, February 16, 2013, 3:58 PM Dear Dave, not SHS. Our switchers came geared for prototype scale speeds. We asked Raoul Martin of NWSL about adding a gear for increased speed. He told us we needed to replace both the worm and worm gear for this feature as they are matched for single or double cut worms. We had very few complaints about the slower switcher speed. Don T. Sent from my iPhone On Feb 16, 2013, at 1:20 PM, David Engle <[email protected]> wrote: I thought either SHS or A-M led the way by including the gearsets for both so the buyer could make the change at home? Dave Engle --- On Fri, 2/15/13, Edward Loizeaux <[email protected]> wrote: From: Edward Loizeaux <[email protected]> Subject: {S-Scale List} Speed Matching, etc. To: "List, S scale" <[email protected]> Date: Friday, February 15, 2013, 2:36 PM > > However my understanding is Lionel has altered the gearing on the second > > run U33's and now they won't play nice with the first run. Thanks Lionel - > > you just killed any repurchase from my POV. Poor Lionel. The first run was too fast and so S scale guys complained. Lionel reduced the top speed and the S scale guys are again complaining. They want it to go faster now. Poor Lionel, what can they ever do right? > > Boy, it seems we come up with more reasons for Lionel to abandon the scale > > market than to continue... Human nature is strange, to say the least. But the stated problem has an easy solution. No need to complain about anything. >> I can only assume any changes MTH makes to the former SHS drive mechanisms >> will be greeted with the same enthusiasm. >> Rich G(ajnak) I cannot wait to hear the complaints when the MTH catalog comes out. A field day for the pouters. Maybe I will go on vacation for a couple of weeks. Get away from it all. >> What does concern me is whether different locomotives will MU or double >> head. Speed matching is a proven concept with Tsunami and other modern NMRA/DCC decoders. I am not sure why there is concern. Many HO guys here in the San Francisco area do speed matching at numerous op sessions and club runs on a regular basis without difficulty. >> I have a first run U33c, now with the pilots fixed to the frame, scale >> wheels, Kadee couplers (actually I think they are Walthers) and a Tsunami >> decoder. It's a bit faster than I would have preferred Excessive speed can easily be reduced by setting a CV for maximum speed. Easy to do. No need to live with something considered to be too fast. >> Now I know some of my DCC friends are already thinking all you have to do is >> diddle endlessly with speed tables and CV's to get it right. Been there, >> done that. Diddling with speed tables and CV’s is one way to get there. No doubt that it is the hard way to reach the goal. An easier way is by using JMRI/Decoder Pro and let your PC/laptop do the diddling. It is somewhat automatic after you set the slow point and the fast point and choose a speed curve. The computer does all the hard work of matching one loco to another. Many experienced speed-matching folks report speed matching of four locos in about an hour. That would cover an A-B-B-A, at least. Of course, these results are AFTER the learning curve is behind them and it just becomes a procedure to be followed without too much experimentation. Another approach, discovered by John Gibson, is to use some new whiz-bang software product which does it all automatically. A loop of track is set up with sensors at multiple points along the way. The “master” loco is run around at various speed steps and the time/speed/location data is collected and stored. Then the “slave” loco is run around the same loop of track and the computer matches it to the “master” just run earlier. Apparently it works well and is almost totally automatic in operation. No more diddling with CVs at all. Of course, you need a loop of track, a computer, numerous sensors, software and a learning curve to master. But then it becomes a slam dunk. Or so it is reported. John Gibson has the details for those interested. >> It works in some cases where the differences aren't great in the first place >> but it is not a cure-all. There is only so much you can do when designs and >> gear rations vary too much. Just about every HO guy in Santa Clara County would disagree with that conclusion. Speed matching is done all the time in HO with different brands of locos, different motors, different gear ratios and so forth. It works when done properly. In the case of Lionel’s U33, the gear ratios between the first and second production runs were changed from 12:1 to 15:1 which is about a 25% reduction in top speed. With the same motor and drive train, this is not a huge difference and can easily be handled with speed matching. If MUing two U33 locos makes my heart beat faster, I would certainly not let a bit of speed matching stand between me and that joy. This is really not a problem with a Tsunami in the loco. The ultimate test for speed matching is to run both DCC decoder-equipped locos forward at medium speed with medium momentum. Hit the reverse button. Both locos should slowly decrease speed, stop, reverse, slowly start up and reach medium speed going backwards – all the while traveling at about the same speed as each other. This is done routinely by several folks around here and they do not consider it unusual at all. Trying to educate, not criticize. Hope this is taken in the spirit intended. Cheers….Ed Loizeaux
