[Nohandles]

I have an Accucraft K 28 and want to know if anyone has tried to lash up the Bachmann to the Accucraft? Thought that would be a more economical solution to having more narrow gauge equipment. A long time ago a friend of mine made me some reostates to regulated the voltage on the faster engine. They worked well accept for graded where the engine with less voltage would sag some. So it was always the rear engine.
My plan with the new railroad is to focus on more narrow gauge operations'.

 

[TonyWalsham]

I have.
The answer is no.
Compared to the Accucraft K-28 the Bachmann K-27 is a racehorse at a given voltage.

 

[lownote]

I assume if you could regulate the voltage to the Bachmann K it would work. Why not?

 

[Pete Thornton]

Posted By lownote on 01/15/2009 6:34 AM
I assume if you could regulate the voltage to the Bachmann K it would work. Why not?






When you use a rheostat to drop the voltage, you are also affecting the current that can be drawn to power the motor. You've made the resistance of the whole circuit larger, so the current will be proportionally reduced. That's why the rheostated loco 'sags' on hills.

Which doesn't mean it won't work, especially if you don't really need the maximum pulling power of the two locos.

I've had some success doubleheading with two r/c controlled locos with independant systems. You have to juggle two transmitters, which is fun.

 

[steam5]

Do you really need double head? That Accucraft should handle a good load.

A really rash option would be to take the motor out (or a gear and switch the motor off) of the K-27, and make it a dummy

I know Barry of Barry’s Big Trains is working on some parts to reduce the speed of the K-27, maybe then it will be better.

I have never tried it, but if you were using DCC you could change the speed curves of each loco to make them match.

 

[jimtyp]

Doug, are you using DCC? If so you could modify the speed table of the fastest loco (Bachmann K-27) to be closer to the slower loco (Accucraft K-28).

Oops, sorry, steam5 already suggested that.

 

[Nohandles]

I'm running DC power. I can't afford all the battery's to operate all my stuff in battery. Yes I do want the double lash ups because I have some great videos of them in operation.
I know the Accucraft will pull way more than scale, in fact 60 cars, but I really try to run scale consists when I run. Something about being some what scale is intriguing to me.

When my layout was in its full glory I did mix scales but not by choice but for the sake of running what I wanted to have on the rail scale to the railroads that met up.
Maybe I should save my pennies and get another Accucraft but I want a USA Big Boy first. I could lash up the K28 and C19 Accucraft together for the time being though.

Toward the end I was getting into the narrow gauge stuff and it became my first love. 4 new Ams cars has me pumped up for the new railroad.

I sold 70 of my 71 hand made buildings to a friend and regret it now but at the time I wanted a new upright bass. I'm starting to accumulation wood for all new buildings.
My company uses a pattern shop for the overflow model work we generate and I'm getting a great scrap pile of strips and squares for all the new buildings.

 

[steam5]

If you’re using normal track power, Then Tony’s initial response of “no” is spot on.

But you could still take out the motor : -)

You could muck around with electronics, but I don’t think a movie would be worth all the stuffing around.

But if you just wanted to do it temporally, just for a movie, you could possible do this.

Before I tell you what I’m thinking let me tell you this. I do have a Bachmann K-27, I haven’t had the time to re engineer the thing yet so I’m not 100% sure of the internals.

If the take the coal load off the tender, and removed the top circuit board of the “Super Socket” two of those pins on the fixed board should be the terminals to the motor (well that’s what you normally get). So now that you have the two terminals to the motor you could just stick a battery to it and it will just run at a constant speed, which maybe all you need to do your movie? And when you have finished with the move just disconnect the battery and stick the circuit board back in.

Doing the above you don’t change the loco, and you won’t need any flash controlling circuits, just a cheap battery, maybe a 6V torch battery??? This is a bit backyardish but it may get you what you want?

Someone with more experience with the K-27, is what I’m suggesting possible? Or are the motor terminals hidden amongst a sea of circuit boards and other unnecessary electronics?

 

[TonyWalsham]

The problem with trying to match the two locos is the Bachmann K-27 runs about twice as fast as the Accucraft K-28 on a given voltage.
That is because the K-27 is geared at about 15:1 and the K-28 is about 30:1.
I doubt there is any way you could do it on DC other than wait until Barry comes out with his proposed regear kit for the K-27.

 

[Del Tapparo]

Posted By Pete Thornton on 01/15/2009 7:43 AM
Posted By lownote on 01/15/2009 6:34 AM
I assume if you could regulate the voltage to the Bachmann K it would work. Why not?






When you use a rheostat to drop the voltage, you are also affecting the current that can be drawn to power the motor. You've made the resistance of the whole circuit larger, so the current will be proportionally reduced. That's why the rheostated loco 'sags' on hills.

Which doesn't mean it won't work, especially if you don't really need the maximum pulling power of the two locos.

I've had some success doubleheading with two r/c controlled locos with independant systems. You have to juggle two transmitters, which is fun.


Don't use a rheostat. Use a "Simple Critter Control". It is a PWM driver that can be used as a throttle to slow down the faster locomotive, with no current loss. It would however, require a full wave bridge rectifier on the input, as it is not designed for use on track power. The downside of this solution would be no reverse. But this could be overcome with a switch. Not the best solution, but it would work.

 

[Steve Stockham]

The "obvious" and most simple solution to your dilemna is to add r/c battery to your locomotives. Problem solved!! Now they are totally compatible!

 

[lownote]

Or RC without battery, which is what I use

 

[Steve Stockham]

True, that would work too! The reason I like battery power is so I can go anywhere anytime and not worry about little distractions like the track being clean or not...

 

[Nohandles]

Thanks guys. All a great bunch of viable solutions.

I would love to go battery but with over a 100 loco's it would cost a fortune to do it although the Dear Wife suggested I do it for the fleet of favorites, good solution too.

What I think I will do it this. I lashed up the C19 to the K28 in the family room last night, forgot how nice they run together. So this will due
for the time being.

1- Get the Big Boy because I've always wanted one,that is when I save up enough for it.

2- Save up for another Accucraft K series

3- Eventually get a Bachmann and pull the drive motor and drive and swap it out with an Accucraft motor and drive unit.
I've done this before and it still works great.
Plus it will be kit bashed before it goes on the rail any way.
Hey the bell just went off after I wrote this post. Ok, could I put batterys in a box car or 2 if needed behind the last engine and add plugs to the front and back of
each engine, multiple lash ups, to get the power to all the engines in the string? Over simplified but doable?