03-24-2017, 09:55 AM
No offence taken, Mark. I have one of those MicroMark pull meters, too, but I find actual road tests a better assessment of what a locomotive can pull. I also have plans to put in a couple of "speed traps"....not the kind where there's a cop with a radar gun, but a measured distance over which a train's speed can be shown depending on the time taken from the "Start" sign to the "End" sign. There'll be a chart on the layout's fascia showing elapsed times and the equivalent average speed over that distance. This is mainly intended as a tool to show operators (usually just me 
) what a certain speed "looks" like.
I'm not a fan of super slow switching speeds, the one tie per minute type, at least, even though the throttle which I use is probably capable of it. The purpose of the railroad is mainly to move goods and I want the layout to convey that feeling of accomplishment rather than simply running trains to see them run. I hope that when it's fully operational, it will provide that opportunity.
Most of the layout has signed speed limits, and most trains on the many uphill grades would be hard pressed to achieve them. The limits are more important to downbound trains, where excess speed could lead to catastrophic results, as most grades are on curves.
Wayne
) what a certain speed "looks" like. I'm not a fan of super slow switching speeds, the one tie per minute type, at least, even though the throttle which I use is probably capable of it. The purpose of the railroad is mainly to move goods and I want the layout to convey that feeling of accomplishment rather than simply running trains to see them run. I hope that when it's fully operational, it will provide that opportunity.
Most of the layout has signed speed limits, and most trains on the many uphill grades would be hard pressed to achieve them. The limits are more important to downbound trains, where excess speed could lead to catastrophic results, as most grades are on curves.
Wayne