Why have a motorized 2nd car

[disturbman]

Vincent - Most N. American model trains have the motor in the engine or head car, the Japanese sets are different. I can see why he was confused and as a result I made out on the purchase.

 

Yeah but still, that's strange. It's very easy to identify the motor car. You just have to weight it. The motor cars are far more heavier than the others. A connoisseur (love this word, it tastes like french, it looks like french but it ain't french anymore) would have feel the difference. Or he lacked curiosity... Anyway, that's not so relevant.

[marknewton]

A while back on ebay, I found a listing for a 683 Thunder Bird Kato set as "not having a motor in the set". The seller even started that he tested it and it didn't run. It was curious if the seller only tested the head car on a test track. I informed him to check one of the passenger cars for a motor, but he never got back to me...

 

I've had similar experience buying a Bachmann 2-8-0. The seller reckoned it didn't work, so I replied that he needed to couple the tender to the engine and connect the jumper leads between the two. He replied that it didn't have a tender. I got the thing for ten dollars, and needless to say, it ran like a beauty. I later realised that he didn't know what the tender was - his description said it was a "steam train engine and coal car". Oh well, I tried. 

 

Cheers,

 

Mark.

[marknewton]

There are a couple of other oddities in some model RR engines, some of the Fleishmann and Minitrix Steam engines have the motor in the tender and it pushes the engine along and the wheels and rods turn by friction.

 

That's an arrangement commonly used by European & UK manufacturers. Another arrangement is to have a large motor and flywheel in the tender driving the loco wheels via a flexible shaft. I've even seen a few models with both engine and tender driven on all wheels. A mate of mine has an Austrian 2-10-0 with that style of drive, it will just about pull out tree stumps! 

 

Cheers,

 

Mark.

[inobu]

A while back on ebay, I found a listing for a 683 Thunder Bird Kato set as "not having a motor in the set". The seller even started that he tested it and it didn't run. It was curious if the seller only tested the head car on a test track. I informed him to check one of the passenger cars for a motor, but he never got back to me...

 

I've had similar experience buying a Bachmann 2-8-0. The seller reckoned it didn't work, so I replied that he needed to couple the tender to the engine and connect the jumper leads between the two. He replied that it didn't have a tender. I got the thing for ten dollars, and needless to say, it ran like a beauty. I later realised that he didn't know what the tender was - his description said it was a "steam train engine and coal car". Oh well, I tried. 

 

Cheers,

 

Mark.

 

Its scary knowing that people like that are out there. You try to help them out but they don't want to take time to listen so you, so you get what you deserve. A good train for a good price.

 

Inobu

[marknewton]

You're not wrong, Inobu. There seems to be a lot of people on eBay selling model trains who have no idea what they're talking about!

 

Cheers,

 

Mark.

[NGT6 1315]

There are a couple of other oddities in some model RR engines, some of the Fleishmann and Minitrix Steam engines have the motor in the tender and it pushes the engine along and the wheels and rods turn by friction.

 

That's an arrangement commonly used by European & UK manufacturers. Another arrangement is to have a large motor and flywheel in the tender driving the loco wheels via a flexible shaft. I've even seen a few models with both engine and tender driven on all wheels. A mate of mine has an Austrian 2-10-0 with that style of drive, it will just about pull out tree stumps! 

 

 

Yes, Roco also do steam engines with tender drive - have one of these myself. The only downside to that arrangement - in my opinion - is that the bogies on the tender will not pivot.