# ABBA



## Treeman (Jan 6, 2008)

I have on order a USA Chrome Sante Fe ABBA and 9 of the passenger Streamline cars for a customer.  Will it require all  8 of the motors to pull this train on a relatively flat wide radius curve layout?  Could the motors be pulled out of the two B units and use them for battery cars?  What would be the best way operate the lights in the cars?  A seperate small battery in each car or link them together to the motor battery?  Appreciate the help from you battery guys.  Mike


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## pimanjc (Jan 2, 2008)

Jerry,
I don't know about the 9-USA Streamliners, but a F3 AB combination easily pulled 13-Aristo Streamliners at Marty's the last two years.  The second B unit in the photo is a dummy RC/battery car.   John J and I combined our cars for the consist. 










The F3s also easily pull  7-Aristo Streamliners around my 2.5%grade - 8ft curves on the home layout.  

I have the metal wheels on the F3s.

Hope this helps.

JimC.


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## Bill Swindell (Jan 2, 2008)

As far as batteries, you can put 12 D cells in each of the engines. That's about 10AH. 

The USA passenger cars are very heavy. Loading the engines a lot will cause them to consume a lot of power. I would suggest that you might consider testing how many units it taqkes to pull the cars and how much current they draw. That will give you an idea about pulling motors from engines.


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## Treeman (Jan 6, 2008)

Jim:  Are those USA, F units.
Mike


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## Treeman (Jan 6, 2008)

I agree Bill, I would like to see the A's pull the 9 cars before modifying the B's.
However Jim's look like they are doing a fine job.
Mike


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## pimanjc (Jan 2, 2008)

Mike,
Yes, those are USA F3 a/b units, followed by a modified aristo B - dummy RC/battery car, and the streamliners.
JimC.


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## Paul Norton (Jan 8, 2008)

When Doug Matheson and I were assembling his F3B power car we discussed long, lighted passenger trains.
 








 
We came to the conclusion it would take a very healthy power supply to run a train like that on track power. Battery power would be real challenge.
 
A USAT aluminum streamliner weighs about 13 pounds. A train of 9 cars would total 117 pounds, not counting the 4 locomotives and battery packs. The lights in USAT equipment are real power hogs. The factory lighting in my wooden caboose would eat a 9-volt battery pack for lunch. It would take a very big battery and very heavy gauge wires to power the lights in 9 passenger cars. Converting the lights in the cars to LEDs might help extend the battery life, but that would be a lot of work.
 
Then there are the 4 locomotives. Again they would require some big batteries and heavy gauge wire to power all the motors in four units. While we enthusiastically endorse battery power, this is the one situation where track power and a large power supply make a lot of sense.


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## Treeman (Jan 6, 2008)

Jim:  Do you know what your Aristo Streamliners weigh.  The train at Martys had to be getting pretty heavy.
Mike


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## wchasr (Jan 2, 2008)

I honestly get some serious flashbacks reading this thread title. Brings me back to days of 8 track tapes and spandex. 

Chas 

(going off humming dancing queen)


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## pimanjc (Jan 2, 2008)

Mike,
i don't know what the streamliners weigh.  I will try tomorrow to pull out a couple of them and weigh them.  My cars will weigh slightly more than JJ's because there is a 2- C-cell battery pack in the luggage/gas tank of each of my cars for the lighting.  
JimC.


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## markoles (Jan 2, 2008)

Chas,

That's what I was thinking!

Mama Mia!

Just glad we didn't have to see Larry O in spandex.

I did see David Lee Roth 5 years ago in Atlantic City.  He was jumping around with his trademark spandex pants.  YIKES!!!

Mark


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## NTCGRR (Jan 2, 2008)

my USAT passenger cars weigh 10.5 pds each.
I've been thinking about this. I used to run GP38-2,gp 9, sd40-2 with one TE and battery 18 volt for years. The F units are not much different than geeps, I'd make one B unit battery/RC car so he can run it ABA or ABBA or AB if he wanted to .
 gives you choices of motive mower.


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## pimanjc (Jan 2, 2008)

Mike,
The Streamliners weigh about 5.5lbs.   The Battery/RC FB dummy weighs 7lbs.   Total weight was about 77+7 = 84lbs.
JimC.


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## Treeman (Jan 6, 2008)

Thanks, Jim & Marty   I think we can make it work.
Marty do you run the lights in your UP passenger train.


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## NTCGRR (Jan 2, 2008)

Mike yes, I have a DPDT so I can run locos only or locos with car lights . I did have an extra batt for lights only but I don't run that much in the dark.
I live in the dark tho.


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## John J (Dec 29, 2007)

In 2006  I won the  WORK BENCH HOG AWARD at  Marty's  when I was installing  batteries in my bagage car then  plugs between the cars to light the lights.    I bought the batteries  off  the  visotors table at Marty's  
It looked  nice with the lights lit that night .


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## pimanjc (Jan 2, 2008)

JJ,
"Nice" is an understatement!  Your cars looked great, and inspired me to light my streamliners by battery power.

Memories:









It was rumored that JJ loved his lighted cars so much that he even slept with them....









/DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/wow.gif

JimC.


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## Treeman (Jan 6, 2008)

Do you guys consider the USA passenger car lights a big drain on the batteries.
Mike


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## John J (Dec 29, 2007)

My Cars are Aristo.   The lights in side are like Wheat Bulbs.   The drain is verry low.


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## NTCGRR (Jan 2, 2008)

Mike, ,,,,Mike ,,,Mike,,, your questions are a big drain on us. It would depend on the size of battery.. just get the locos going then they can figure out the cars. Just wait till you take the baggage car apart to work on it. you will shed blood then. I've cut myself everytime I work on those cars to add people, etc. tint windowsm etc.
get the guy up and running and the cars will come later because all cars will need a plug on them and the track power brushes removed.
This is two different topics and about 4 evenings of work.


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## John J (Dec 29, 2007)

In the case of my Aristo cars  I cut the wire off the  contacts on the trucks and pulled them back into the car.  I then attached a plug for between cars.  This is what I am doing in the great pcitures that have been posted.  ( I do photograph well don't I )

The way I did it ( good or bad I am not sure yet)  forces me to run the cars in a certian order if I want to run lights.  I may have to look at making a mueing plug like on the aristo craft engines.

Of cours if you put a battery on the bottom  of each car  this is not a issue.  It is then you have to be concerened about  draw.


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## pimanjc (Jan 2, 2008)

Here is a picture of my streamliners running at Marty's this year [2007] 









The cars are individually lighted by a 3v battery pack in the luggage compartment.  Either LEDs or MAGLITE bulbs were used.  Pictures of MLS friends, WAGRRS members and family were placed inside.









JJ's way of doing it was much easier than the way I did it.

JimC.


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