Speed range on E-R Sharknose locos

[OldEastRR]

These things are powerful but on DC the fastest they go is 45-50 smph. Were they built like that? Maybe on DCC they have a higher top end?

[altohorn25]

I have two sets of them, both converted to DCC.  They run slow as well; somewhere in the speed range you're talking about.

It must be the motors or gearing that ER used.

Nate

[Maletrain]

The prototypes were not fast, either. 

Early-on, the B&O tried using them as head end helpers on passenger trains headed out of Cumberland for the Sand Patch grade.  They quickly stopped using them for that purpose because they could not maintain the speed needed to match the time table.  Previously, they had used steam helpers, and ended up using F7s and GPs.

However, the sharks were great at low speed hauling heavy loads.

So, seems you have "prototypical power and speed" in your models.  Can't get better than that, right? 

[thomasjmdavis]

Performance is quite impressive - smooth and responsive, no pickup problems, and exceptional slow speed performance. Quite frankly, the top-to-bottom speed spectrum on these models is equal to perhaps the bottom half of most diesel models. And yeah, they do get to be a bit noisy at full throttle. But come on, clearly they weren't designed to run that fast (said speeds being a bit beyond prototypical reality). In any case, the "noisiness" factor definitely becomes less of an issue after a bit of lubrication and breaking-in.

http://www.spookshow.net/loco/euroshark.html
 

Better "too slow" than old N scale max speed of about 200 mph.  The ER units might be perfect

How slow is "slow"?  Eye of the beholder....or you can test it.  In years past, I built a dogbone layout that was designed (intentionally- give self pat on back) with 33' of track- 1 scale mile in N scale.  I was surprised myself by how "slow" a train appeared to be moving if it took 60 seconds to go around and return to the start point.  A mile in 60 seconds is 60 miles an hour.  Visitors wondered why I would have a freight train "crawl" around that layout for 2 minutes (30 miles an hour).  Sure, some notable name trains hit 100 mph now and then, but a whole lot of diesel road engines were geared for 65 mph max or lower- the lower the gearing, the greater the tractive effort.

I refrained from testing what actual max speeds of my N scale locos were in those days (built that layout in the early-mid 80s), because I did not want anything to go airborne when it hit the curves.

[brokemoto]

The prototypes had a maximum speed of sixty or sixty five MPH. New York Central rated theirs at seventy, but most of what I have read is in the sixty-to sixty five MPH range.   It was not often that the railroads ran them that fast.  Their low gearing and larger traction motors made them great haulers of dense, heavy commodities, such as coal---when they worked, that is.  They were plagued with prime mover and electrical problems.

Only three major roads ran them:  B&O, Penn and NYCS.  One of the Chicago area roads had some of the early versions, which were really DR-4-4-15s, but had the shark car body instead of the babyface. They were eventually sold to the B&O.   Penn might have had some of those early versions, as well.

Most of B&Os were gone by the mid 1960s.  NYCS retired some in 1966 and the rest in 1967.  None went to PC nor were any re-numbered in 1966.  I do not know if any of Penn's made it to PC.  I seem to recall seeing some photographs of them on the DelMarVa line that were taken in 1968, some still in five stripe (!), but I can not be sure of the date.

Penn ran theirs on the DelMarVa line in their later years.  That is a fairly flat line, but I do not know at what speed Penn ran them on that line.  Penn also had some of theirs re-engined with ALCo 251s.  From what I understand, the re-engined locomotives were a bit more reliable, but putting the new prime movers was not cost-effective, so Penn did not go beyond a few units.  The only survivors are a pair of As that Baldwin built for NYCS.  They have been under tarpaulins somewhere in Michigan for years.  Allegedly, they still ran when they were parked, but who knows if they will, now.

[davefoxx]

I do not believe that you can increase the top end speed with DCC, unless you’re somehow increasing the voltage on the rails above that which is recommended for your scale.



DFF

[bbussey]

Seems to me that a prototypical top speed would be the preferred operating speed.

[TVRR]

Seems to me that a prototypical top speed would be the preferred operating speed.

   Certainly agree with the exception of when the wife says "make it go FAST..".

[Mike C]

   Certainly agree with the exception of when the wife says "make it go FAST..".

  TWSS !

[OldEastRR]

What does ":TWSS" mean?

[wazzou]

What does ":TWSS" mean?

That’s what she says/said.

[Missaberoad]

[Bill H]

   when the wife says "make it go FAST..".

Geez, almost an Ed McMahon straight man opener....