Newbie seeking recommendations for N scale locomotive

[JeffH]

Good day! I’m a new member from Ohio.

I've been doing a lot of reading here, and really appreciate all the tips and techniques, especially as they relate to scenery.

I have some old (mid 90's) locomotives and rolling stock that my wife bought me when our kids were young to setup a ring around the Christmas tree. And as a kid, I had a pretty big Lionel train setup.

Anyway, I'm planning to build 4'x8' (maybe bigger) layout over the next year or so, and I'm starting to research a good quality, but inexpensive DC locomotive to buy. I’m more into building the scenery than I am with having the track be lifelike… So I’m not too picky when it come to being precise to scale with things like hand rails and graphics. As long as it looks nice.

The layout I'm planning will be just one long section that will vary in track height from 0” to 6" with the steepest grade at 4%. I would like to haul 15 or so rail cars behind a diesel locomotive. So it will have to be powerful enough to handle that. So far, my old 1994 locomotive can handle the load on a 4% grade with a dozen cars behind it. But it is old, and runds a bit erratic and it's LOUD...

I’d like to keep the cost of the locomotive below $200 USD. What would all you experts recommend? So far, I have identified the Kato N EMD SD70ACe Cab Headlight Version as a reasonable candidate.

Are there better alternatives out there? I've searched and searched for review, but all the reviews I've come across are 10 years old.

Thank you all!

 

[Selector]

Hi, and welcome. Just a bit of a correction, if you don't mind. It's not the power so much as the traction that makes a train stall on a grade. Our models have plenty of power, but if the 'wrong' diesel or steamer is on the head end of a hefty string of cars trailing it, and you hear grinding coming from under the locomotive, it's scraping its metal tires on the rails, trying to continue forward movement. But, it's too light, and so the tires spin and the train stalls. You must get another 'helper' or drop some of the trailing tonnage, or reduce the grade.

Note, also, that any curves contribute to the grade effect, augmenting the resistance behind the locomotive. So, if you can figure a way to reduce your grade closer to 3%, I think you'll be happier in that rather small space you're contemplating.

 

[JazzDad]

Welcome! (In N scale)

 

[JeffH]

Hi, and welcome. Just a bit of a correction, if you don't mind. It's not the power so much as the traction that makes a train stall on a grade. Our models have plenty of power, but if the 'wrong' diesel or steamer is on the head end of a hefty string of cars trailing it, and you hear grinding coming from under the locomotive, it's scraping its metal tires on the rails, trying to continue forward movement. But, it's too light, and so the tires spin and the train stalls. You must get another 'helper' or drop some of the trailing tonnage, or reduce the grade.

Note, also, that any curves contribute to the grade effect, augmenting the resistance behind the locomotive. So, if you can figure a way to reduce your grade closer to 3%, I think you'll be happier in that rather small space you're contemplating.

Thanks for clarifying that! It's good to know about 'helpers' too.

I believe my layout only has 4% on declines. I believe it's 3% on the inclines. It's been a while since I designed it. I'll try to share my layout in another thread.

Does anyone have any recommendations for a locomotive with the best traction?