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…...... --- Speed Matching Locos to Throttle ---

........................ --- Not to Another Loco ---

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I've recently started speed matching some locos that I want to run in consists and have gone about it a little differently. So far with a handful of engines it seems to be working fine for my purposes.



Above you can see the WiTcontroller throttle I build for about $50. It displays the speed steps from 0 to 126.

I have a circular test track that …..

….. I know how many seconds it should take to lap it at any scale mph.

I've decided that 100 mph ( 161 KPH) would be the top speed that any loco I have should ever run. Most of the locos in my era are in the 60-70 mph range for top speed but there were a few that would run 90 mph. The decoders I've worked with so far are V5 LokPilot & LokSound with one Digitrax. I do some of the programming with a LokProgrammer but I'm using DecoderPro so far for the speed matching.

I start by setting the throttle on 100 and time the loco. Using DecoderPro I set the Vhigh so that the loco laps at a scale 100 mph with the throttle set at 100 (8.5 seconds on my test track/loop). Then I set Vmid so that it laps at 50 mph (corresponding seconds per lap). I've messed with Vstart a little but it usually hasn't been necessary with the ESU decoders as after setting the first two they usually start about the same time and run about the same even at speeds in the 10-15 mph range and in a consist they won't be running under that very much.

So far doing the above has worked really well and in a very short period of time. The throttle is easy to consist with. Just add the road numbers to the consist and away you go. I've spaced up to three at a time on the circular track not coupled and they might run just a touch different speed but not enough that I see it as a problem. Also timing them (sec/lap) they all seem to be very close to the speed the throttle is showing from in the teens to the 90's (mph).

So far I also tried a Digitrax decoder and the one I use (not sure if this is true for all Digitrax) only allows Vstart and Vmax using DecoderPro. Still using just those two I was able to get it pretty close to the locos with ESU decoders. I could still move to the speed table panes but so far haven't seemed to need to.

I realize that a throttle that shows the speed the engine is running is not prototypical but I like the fact that if I see 20 on the throttle the train is running a scale 20 mph or 66 and it is running 66 mph. Since this is so easy and fast to do I'm thinking of doing it to all of the engines, not just the ones I'd consist. That way I'll know what scale speed any of them are running at any time.

I feel it is easier to do this with a circular track to time on but could be done on another section of track of known length or using one of the trackside speedometers you can buy. I have my circular track marked with four markers equal distance apart so that I can start the timing at any one of them or even time from one to another and then adjust the 'real' time for a full lap.

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