Standard Gauge Locomotive Lashups

Yes you can lash-up two or more Standard Gauge engines.  Note that only electrics have couplers on both ends although I have seen lash-ups with more than one steam engine where the owner some how attached an additional coupler to the front of one of the steam engine.  And yes, whatever you can do with PS-2 in the O gauge stuff you can do with the tinplate stuff.

 

 

John.

Here's what NOT to do: I modified an MTH 392 with a front coupler, has a DC motor and electronic reverse. I tried to run it with a conventional motored MTH 40Oe.

 

The 392 wanted to run a thousand miles per hour before the 400 would break loose. How disappointed I was. We were running with an MTH ZW-4000 transformer.

 

Jim Waterman

Umm.. running PS2 and traditional on the same track at the same time even if NOT MU'ed is well-nigh impossible.

 

David, somebody will correct me if I'm wrong but I'm 99% sure it's the very same PS2 board in O Gauge and Standard Gauge MTH locos.  There's just more room for it in the bigger engine!  I know everything in Barry's book applies just as well to Standard Gauge PS2.

 

 

You could also MU any pair of locomotives with the same type of conventional motor - i.e. two Bild-a-Locos or two small gear Super Motors. You could MU a steam locomotive with an electric if you wanted to. As with 0 gauge it would be best to turn off the E-units, which could easily get out of synch. I don't know about mixing a BAL with a Super Motor as I don't know if the motors are wound the same. 

Never saw a Run/Program switch on a MTH PS-2 engine. TMCC engines have these switches.

 

One caveat when running PS-2 STG engines, there speed is all over the place. Right now I have a 408 pulling 8 State cars and a 400E pulling a 5 car work train. 18 SMPH on the 408 and 24 SMPH on the 400E makes both run at the same speed. Just tried a lash up with the 2. Good news the lashup took about 2 minutes to create. Bad news the speed difference remained the same.

 

I have run multiple 408s and they worked flawlessly. My conclusion is that if both engines run by themselves at the same speed plus or minus 2 SMPH they will work. Recommendation make your lashup and do not couple the engines. Then run them to see how they pace each other.

I have the Coal Train set from a year or so ago and an extra 318. They look cool running together lugging 10 hoppers and a caboose.

 

Steve

 

 

 

       
       


Thanks for everyone's responses.  I was hoping it would work that way.

Steve, that's EXACTLY where I was going with my question.  Just purchased the Coal Train over the weekend, and was thinking of an extra 318 down the road!!!

David

I bought the coal train a couple of months ago also. The 318 is nice. However, I do not think anything looks as good as those cars being pulled by a 392E in Black with brass trim. Best looking freight train I own.