It can be frustrating at times having a locomotive that you need to push to get going, or one that suddenly speeds up and falls off the tracks.

In order for a locomotive to run, it picks up the electricity from the track through its wheels. The wheels transfer the electricity to the motor, which then turns the gears to drive the locomotive.

A locomotive with poor pickup on the wheels or a poor gear set up will give you lots of problems.  As with most things, you get what you pay for… but this is one area you do not want to skimp on.  90% of a great model train layout, is a great operating locomotive!

These are critical points when buying a locomotive:

• The amount of metal wheels that pick up the electricity – the more the better, but definitely more than 1 set.
• A good gearing ratio and motor which requires the least amount of electricity to move the locomotive, with a slow but smooth start.
• Flywheels at one or both ends of the motor to ensure a smooth take off and smooth stop.
• The weight of the locomotive should be just right to maintain a good connection to the track at all times but not too heavy to make the locomotive sluggish.  If it’s too light, you’ll need to add some weight.
• The length of the locomotive – shorter diesel locomotives are less likely to derail on the curves than longer steam locomotives.

Locomotive – Test Before you Buy

Before you buy a locomotive, ask the hobby shop if you can test it out on one of their in-house tracks.  Make sure it’s what you want.

Test the locomotive forwards and backwards… Check for a nice smooth take off and a nice smooth stop when the power is ramped up or down.

If you do the right research, and test the locomotive at the hobby shop, you can usually negotiate the price with the owner.  That tip has saved me nearly 30% of the retail price in some cases…

Buy quality when you buy your locomotive… I guarantee the investment will be well worth it.