A guide to choosing a motor and gearbox for a locomotive
The following GOGWiki articles provide the background information to choosing a motor and gearbox:
It is recommended that these articles are read in order. Together, they provide a method to determine that a model locomotive has sufficient power (or strictly, tractive effort) to haul a train of a certain size, and in particular to:
- Start the train from rest without stalling
- Haul the train on straight level track at a defined model speed
- Haul the train on specified curve radius and/or gradient at reduced but acceptable speed.
A key part of this process is to choose a suitable motor and gear train for the job.
As a supplement to these articles and to aid understanding the process, there is a worked example showing how the procedures set out in these articles can be used.
Modellers should also refer to:
These give important dimensions and performance data for ranges of commercial products.
The data sheets are not comprehensive. There are motors that may be suitable for O gauge locomotives, or used in such locomotives, that are not included. In such cases, the manufacturer’s own data sheets may be available on the manufacturer’s web site. Note that suppliers and retailers of model railway products will not always have this information because today few if any motors are made specifically for our market. Most are designed for electronic or electromechanical equipment.
Written by Nick Baines
