Speed Matching


macjet

macjet

Member
I've been reading my Zephyr manual, the DCC Guide, and everything that I can find online. I'm looking for a reliable way to speed match my locomotives. We're talking 25 units here so speed isn't the concern as much as consistency.

I'm looking at purchasing the PR3 and installing the JMRI software. Would a scale speedometer assist in this endeavor?

Anything appreciated.

Thanks.
 
If you can rig up a scale speedometer, it would be a matter of adjusting CV's on the locomotives so the same the throttle setting gets about the same speed. However, you'll only manage to get anything from very close to just about good enough speed matching, even with DCC. I've found I just have to know which of my locomotives run a little faster no matter what I do and make sure I make them the lead unit.
 
macjet said:
I've been reading my Zephyr manual, the DCC Guide, and everything that I can find online. I'm looking for a reliable way to speed match my locomotives. We're talking 25 units here so speed isn't the concern as much as consistency.

I'm looking at purchasing the PR3 and installing the JMRI software. Would a scale speedometer assist in this endeavor?

Anything appreciated.

Thanks.
Click to expand...

The great thing about speed matching is after the two loco's are programmed initially, you can reopen JMRI for programming on the main, open up bought files, one on each side of the screen, and using the speed table screen, adjust the individual locos speed. I've done this to several sets of my steamers so they can double head. You have 28 speed steps on most decoders now, (some even have 128 steps,) and 28 is what is in the JMRI.
 
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Cjcrescent said:
The great thing about speed matching is after the two loco's are programmed initially, you can reopen JMRI for programming on the main, open up bought files, one on each side of the screen, and using the speed table screen, adjust the individual locos speed. I've done this to several sets of my steamers so they can double head. You have 28 speed steps on most decoders now, (some even have 128 steps,) and 28 is what is in the JMRI.
Click to expand...

That sounds like a great feature. I look forward to trying this out.

Do you have to adjust each speed table? Or does DecoderPro do that for you?
 
macjet said:
That sounds like a great feature. I look forward to trying this out.

Do you have to adjust each speed table? Or does DecoderPro do that for you?
Click to expand...

You have to change it yourself, then write it to the the decoder. Takes longer to tell you how to do it than it does to do it.
 
Cjcrescent said:
You have to change it yourself, then write it to the the decoder. Takes longer to tell you how to do it than it does to do it.
Click to expand...

That is what I've heard. I guess I just need to go ahead and order the PR3 and start playing with it.

Thanks!
 
Yep. If you don't have a nice long section of parallel track where you can have your locos "go to the races" against each other for speed comparison across the range, I suggest temporarily laying one. You're trying to match 3 areas - start/low-end, mid-range, and top/high end.
 
Funny you say that Jeff. We're headed to Home Depot today. I was thinking of using a 1X4 and some L brackets against a garage wall. What length though? 8', more, less?
 
8' would be nice - I was thinking no less than two, three if possible, lengths of flextrack. If you've got the space for 12' you'll have a test track to beat all others... and with JMRI and the Zephyr you should be able to program on the main, so you don't have to move the engines back and forth between main and programming tracks to adjust the speed curves. Recommendation (this is from Joe Fugate's videos): set one locomotive up with the speed behavior you want. Designate that your "golden locomotive" and leave it's settings untouched after that point. Like cutting all boards to a single master, adjust all your locomotives to match the "golden" one.
 
JeffShultz said:
... Recommendation (this is from Joe Fugate's videos): set one locomotive up with the speed behavior you want. Designate that your "golden locomotive" and leave it's settings untouched after that point. Like cutting all boards to a single master, adjust all your locomotives to match the "golden" one.
Click to expand...

Also keep in mind that the "golden" one isn't necessarily the fastest. You can slow a fast one down but you can't speed a slow one up, all things being equal.
 
I've done lots of speed matching of locos over the years and found by far the best way is to match same brands in your consist. In the photo below an Atlas SD35 is consisted with two Atlas GP 40’s. All have the same decoder and gear drive trains. Everything matches.

NYC_George

1st2nd_decks_98.jpg
 
Thank goodness for those guardrails, George - it looks like a long way to the floor. :eek:. I also try to run the same manufacturers engines together to make speed matching easier but even that doesn't always work out unless you've bought them all about the same time and they have about the same amount of running time. For example, I have a Bachmann NKP GP-30 and CSX GP-35. Same exact motors and drivetrain. They were both bought about the same time and went through the same break-in procedure. The NKP unit rarely gets run because I'm still building up my NKP roster and rolling stock. The CSX unit gets run a lot, usually in consist with an Atlas U30C. No problems matching both of them but the CSX unit will want to drag the NKP unit around the track no matter how I adjust the CV's. It seems like the drivetrain in the NKP unit is still just too stiff to get a good speed match with an engine with a lot of running time.
 
consists troubles

Jim
I’m more afraid of the drop when my friends bring thier $400.00 locos over. I have to lift the gate and duck under the 2nd deck to enter the layout. That’s why it’s the height it is. I’ve also had trouble when adding new engines to a consist. It’s just something that sometimes doesn’t always work out.

NYC_George
 
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