Kato EMD F3A/F3B

[Densha]

So, a few days a ago my grandma got herself a 2nd hand Kato EMD F3, one with a driving cab and two without. But as you may know it are actually three locos with all of them having a motor, even as the model. Now comes the problem: at first the speed of them was about the same, but (probably after the motor warmed up) the speed of the locos changed resulting in some of them pulling the others back and sometimes pushing the other forward. Now this certain problem is not unknown when having analog multiple traction, but didn't Kato make them so that this could also be possible in analog? They even have a UP set with two powered F3A locos.

Is there anything I can do with this? Would DCC solve the problem or is that not sure? She has already few DCC trains and controller, but she doesn't like the converting stage.

[The_Ghan]

Wow!

 

I've only seen the A/B/A consist ... and I thought it had one power car and two dummies.

 

Your grandma must have an A/B/B set.  I think the Santa Fe's used that configuration.  All cars powered?  Cool !!!

 

The first thing I'd do is lubricate the slowest motor and run it on its own for 4-5 minutes ... then compare again.

 

DCC will allow some measured control over the individual power cars by adjusting the CVs of individual cars to match the speed.  I'd be setting each decoder to a different address while this is set up.  But it won't help if there is a difference when operating in the opposite direction.

 

Cheers

 

The_Ghan

[Densha]

If I'm right it's a A/B/B indeed, she bought them separately, though from the same seller. All three are powered indeed, but I think that even one of them has enough power for a whole train.

 

Anyway, I just heard she brought them back because she is actually modelling Sweden and I found some new Swedish N scale models via the internet. So she ordered an SJ Rc4 loco from Fleischmann and got rid of the F3's. The locos were doing weird anyway because it was multiple traction, but still... >_>

[The_Ghan]

Well .... that's one way to solve the problem ... 

 

I think obaasan will be happy with the Fleischmann.  I was checking them out in Innsbruck, Austria a couple of years ago.  I was pretty impressed but didn't buy anything.

 

Where does obaasan live, anyway?

 

Cheers

 

The_Ghan

[Densha]

It is, right?

 

But I got waaay off topic here, so I will continue here.

 

I was still very impressed by the building quality of the model, are Japanese Kato locos likewise?

[Martijn Meerts]

Might be the various units were from different production runs or not actually meant to he run together, so the motors might have been slightly different.

 

The F3's are some of the most popular locos and usually sell out really quick, so they do new production runs fairly often.

 

And yes, the Japanese Kato models are pretty much the same, or better in some cases.

[Densha]

Yeah I already expected something like that. Still weird that the guy that had them before used them for multiple traction if I'm right. Not that it matters now they're gone, but it's good to know.

 

Oh great, now I'm looking forward to buying locos, but I don't have money. Need a job.