@rplst8 posted:Most “back-drivable” gearboxes I’ve encountered require quite a bit of force to actually turn the motor over from the wheels. Usually much more force than any O-scale locomotive drivetrain could muster. I really doubt it will help in MU consists.
Put another way, if you put a back-drivable locomotive behind another locomotive and drag it around the layout with the latter, those wheels aren’t likely to turn on the former.
Ryan, you’re kinda looking at it from the wrong perspective, …..it has to do more with an inertia thing than more so from what you’re thinking,…..( if I’m thinking what you’re thinking 😉) once the power is applied to a locomotive with back drive gears, it takes a lot less amps to get to motion. In addition, the locomotive is capable of rolling at all times, it’s not reliant on the motor to get past stall current to make it move ……as I’ve said before, I firmly believe back drive nowadays is more of by-product than a feature. There’s still no star-stellar motor choices out there…the choices are junk, junky, & junkyard…..
Pat
