Ah, finally some one that speaks to my Crazy MinD!! THX Greg!!
What I did was an exercise in... increasing Horse Power, and pulling load increases...
If I could 'double the H.P. - then I should be able to double the load pulled' ( trains cars )
It was a challenge to create more power.. Yes, A/C does have 4 motors per loco, but very different motors, but think this thought, How could one increase the H.P. in an A/C motor block that is full of motors? ... no room left.....
USA motor blocks have room,.. I just had to find it!
My general goal has been to increase the pulling power. This means more power. One can then pull more cars.. I am comfortable pulling 50 cars in a conservative setting and layout with My SD70Mac research loco, My Red one. I figure If I can increase power two fold - that a loco could pull 100 cars instead ...This 'would ' require more decoder current capacity, while I agree with your statements about not using or drawing more current than a stock loco will, pulling the same 50 cars!! But My goal was to pull 100 cars which by nature require a higher amp supply to provide the power. ALL by one loco..
So My intentions where based on results and data collected from the Red SD70, equipped with volt and amp meters that provide real time results while pulling cars on any given layout and compared and related to coupler pulling loads ( draw bar or tractive effort ) for a given train load. I have exceeded 7 Amp. continuous on high grades pulling 70 cars! I have run a 50 car train running a much better 3-5 amp load range, but still reaching 5-6 amp continuous on the same high grades.
This leads My conclusions to see a need for 15 amp minimum for any power boards. Second I am creating a design parameter that gives a safe zone .. I want to run my motors at 50% capacity - the power boards at about 50% capacity... I have matched and balanced my design work so as not to be operating any one component at or near it's maximum load range, but more in the 50-60% range to reduce long term heat build up and prolong component life overall! This lead to a 30-35 amp ESC in the SD60T which has worked well so far.
All while pulling 100 cars all day with one loco...
So I want more decoder for .... more pulling power,... not for the same load !!
Ironically, during the time I have spent on this portion of My project I have come to see results that indicate to me My 'theory' may have been flawed...
I made the assumption that 2x H.P. would pull 2x cars!!
I now see that to do this, I also need 2x the loco weight....! A rather exciting conclusion,
As My red 70 now weighs a hefty 19.5 pounds, it would be impossible to have the same loco weight become 38-40 pounds...!!!!!
Plus there is the run time cut in 1/2 with a given battery pack size, with out consideration given for extra battery power someplace???
It has been a good learning experience, but may not be truly practical in practice. I will keep My running example of the SD60T for further testing and thought, but may not build anymore in that 4 motor family! Still interested in how it runs long term and anything I may have missed to date. Pulling with more power may show something I do not see at this point in time.
As for Matt's loco, it most likely will not be over worked in the end. So board consideration may change, currently Matt is set on the upcoming new board from AirWire, choosing to stay in the same family as His other current loco boards...
Dirk - DMS Ry.