# Running Aristocraft and USA Trains equipment together



## spdaylight4449 (Jan 8, 2008)

I currently have several Aristo C44-9W units and I'm planning on purchasing some USA SD40-2 units to run with them.  I'll be running the engines with a Bridgeworks throttle.  Has anyone tried this before?  Do the engines run at similar speeds?  Has anyone experienced problems with doing this?

I'm thinking about standardizing my couplers with either Kadee or Aristo (I found that the Aristo couplers also work OK with Accucraft) so does anyone have any advice about installing/using either type?

Thanks!

Brian


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## John J (Dec 29, 2007)

Here is what I have done as a test. If your are going to run two engines of different manuracture put the two engines on the track about a inch or two inches apart. Make sure they are both running the same direction. 
Give them power and let them run. See how close they stay togther. If one has a tendance to pull away from the other then the gear ratio is differnt or the Motor RPM is different. My Idea behind this is I have a USA NW-2 Cow and Calf. I thought something was wrong with the calf. So I put them on the track two inches apart. The followed each other perfectly. The distance between them changed little. 

My concern would be the two differrnt Manufactures one engine would be either pulling or pushing the other. There are ways around that.


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## pimanjc (Jan 2, 2008)

Well said, JJ.  Not much more to add.
JimC.


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## N.S. Rob (Jan 2, 2008)

I have some dash 9's and some sd 70's. I can't remmeber which one is faster or slower but they are not compatible. I strictly run USA and Aristo together. I made a special link car out of a 50' USA box car. The Aristo couplers are easier to add to a USA car than the other way around. I really have not messed with the Kadee couplers, but maybe someday.


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## Art (Jan 3, 2008)

I do run Aristo and USA together, but  tend to find they run at different speeds. It has not been a big problem for me.

Art


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

I think you will find that if you are pulling a nice long train, the faster engine will take more of the load, and slow down to "meet" the slower one. 

Regards, Greg


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## W3NZL (Jan 2, 2008)

The 3 axle Aristo truck used in the SD-45, -9, and the E-8 R all the same and compatible with the 
brand-new 2 axle truck used in their new GP-40... They R not compatible speed-wise with any of the 
earlier Aristo 2 axle diesels, the older stuff runs faster for a given voltage... All the USA diesels run faster 
than the newer Aristo units too, their pretty well compatible with the older Aristo units... U can run them 
together though, just keep the faster unit in the lead an U shouldn't have any serious problems... I solved 
this problem by putting Aristo 3 axle motor blocks under my USA SD-40 and my SD-70, I never liked the 
floppie trucks that USA uses anyway, and now their all very compatible to boot...
Paul R...


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## aceinspp (Jan 2, 2008)

I have a number of USA locos and a buch of Aristo.  USA units are much faster and will do most of the pulling when run with AC.  I would think over time you would cause damage to the gearing and motors in the USA units.  Later RJD


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## billsharron (Jan 3, 2008)

In HO scale I liked long trains and lots of units I mixed them all the time withou any major problems.  I always tested the units to see which was the fastest, it would become the lead unit.  The next fastest unit next and so on, I would run 4 or 5 units pulling 60 to 90 cars with no problems at all.  (It broke my heart to tear down that layout).  In many cases I reversed the units to see what would happen, but There were really no problems with that either.  When running light with slowest units first the consist would sometimes bunch up a bit, but not enough to derail the units.  With fastest first the consist would stretch out.   I could start the units super slow with a momentum throttle and actually take the slack out of a 70 car train equipped with Kadee's.  I do miss that layout/DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/crying.gif!!  All I have left is the video.    

I would let the units run by me at eye level at various speeds to see if any of the units were slipping their wheels excessively and if not would jot down the loco consist for duplication in the future.   I wouls sometimes swap shells to get say all UP units in the consist or all C&K (Colorado & Kansas, my made up rr name) units in the consist.  

I did it for years and years and never burnt out a motor.  I used to run them on a modular layout my club operated and they would run for hours and hours at a time again with no problems.  

I would think with care, my experience could be duplicated in large scale.   I have different G Bachmann Steam engines which I double head without any problems.   I might have to try tripple heading now that this post has stirred me all up again!!! 

Have fun and try it!!!


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