Yeah, I'm not sure how true this is anymore either. There are good
running 4-4-0's in Sn3 (about the same size as an HO locomotive) that
have boards and speakers. There are even N scale 4-4-0's - more of
them than what is available in HO. I believe there is even a Z
scale small locomotive - a 2-6-0 - that has been outfitted with
DCC. Now, you can fit that loco into the tender of a HO locomotive
and have room left over. Even the BLI C-16 is not that much larger
than a HO small locomotive.
Weight is more of the problem - especially since some of the more
obvious places for extra weight are too high or too obvious. Outside
of making the boiler of some white metal alloy and wrapping it, it
will remain an issue. In narrow gauge this isn't as much of a
problem, as the prototype locomotives were limited as well due to the
grades - so a model moving 5 cars and no more on a grade is not out
of keeping with the prototype. But, on the Q a smaller locomotive
would haul more due to the lack of extreme grades and curves.
One problem with the smaller locomotives isn't as obvious, that is
the ability to take sharper curves. While the wheel base of some
4-4-0's and 4-6-0's are not that bad, some have a large static
wheelbase - more so than some larger locomotives. And it's a lot
harder to provide lateral movement in a 2 axle drive than an 4 axle
drive that has more joints in most of the rods. That long main rod
on some smaller engines coupled with the larger diameter of the
drivers can create some interesting engineering issues. That isn't
the problem with most of the Q locomotives under discussion though.
At 09:39 PM 2/2/2006, you wrote:
>In the early days of HO and N this was a major concern, but no longer.
>For BLI it was a consideration but PCM has N Scale-Size sound boards
>and small locos are not a problem in HO and soon won't be in N.
>Weight becomes more of a problem than motors with enough torque...
>A ten wheeler would be no problem and probably would be tooled to get the
>identical moguls.
>Charlie Vlk
>
>Dale Reeves wrote:
> > I've always assumed the main reason for the popularity of large engines is
> > due to the ease of installing the motors and drives in the larger spaces.
> > Small locos have very little room for what has to go inside. The little
> > K-2, for instance, barely has room for the small parts needed to make them
> > run, and no place to add weight to make them pull. The advent of on-board
> > modules for digital control and sound add to this problem.
Bob Webber
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