performance specifications of older power

[NW Mailing List]

Since I model the 1930's, I have some older power from K2's K3's, Z1's  
and Y3's and even working on a 'fleet' of M2's.  I have occasionally  
stumbled on a reference to a locomotives top speed, or limits in the  
design that produced a less than desirable top speed.  The Y2's  
through the Y4's were limited by the back pressure involving the front  
engines piping, which gave them a top speed in the low 40mph range.  I  
have heard the counterweight issues with the K3 limited them to under  
40mph or the 3rd driver would start hopping and kink the rails.  So,  
what were the operational top speeds of the K1's, K2's, K3's, Z1's,  
Y2-4's,  E2's an M, and M2's engines?  Right now I have borrowed a  
friends old HO Scale speedometer box car from old 1980's plan, which  
has a digital readout for speed on the top of the car, and I was  
trying to set up the top speed for my locos DCC decoders.  The top  
speed would be on straight and level track, in ideal conditions, not  
the posted speed limits of the road.



Mark Lindsey
y3a at earthlink.net
Stuck in the 1930's