Butch has pretty well stated the situation in O scale. To that I can add only that most O scale modelers conjecture that the two-motor crap is a result of finding room for all the electronic gadgetry so beloved by the three-rail toytrain operators. Two caveats, however: the exposed spur gears are NOT required by the vertically-mounted motors nor do the gears require that motors be mounted vertically--this is a CHOICE of the manufacturer. Over the years there have been a number of O scale locomotive drives using vertically-mounted motors (one or two) that perform fine; the significant difference is the quality of the motor--most of the motors used in PRC-made locomotives are cheap. Back in the late 1970's Custom Brass imported a quite-satisfactory 44-tonner with two large Sagami can motors driving on one axle on each truck, the other axle being slaved with delrin chain. More than a dozen years later W&R imported a premium 44-tonner also using one motor in each hood (both drives, of course, being prototypical), but where the Sagamis were vertically-mounted, the Mashimas in the W&R were horizontal. I once owned a Key RSD-4/5 in which the drive consisted of one small Canon motor on each truck, something like a prototype traction motor; ran fine most of the time, but rather fiddly to get there.
The point of all of this is that manufacturers will do what they want to do for reasons best known to themselves; there have been excellent locomotive drives developed over the seventy and more years that scale model railroading has been around, but not all manufacturers choose to profit from previous experience in the hobby. Jace Kahn General Manager Ceres & Canisteo RR Co./Champlain County Traction Co. > To: [email protected] > From: [email protected] > Date: Tue, 18 Oct 2011 11:26:20 +0000 > Subject: {S-Scale List} Re: One Motor vs. Two > > Yep, twin motor power is a very polarizing subject in any gauge but it seems > that in O....... > > The 3R guys don't mind the twin motors because Lionel has always been built > this way. > > The 3RS are split between those who like it and those who don't, but they all > accept and tolerate it. > > The 2R guys by and large loathe it. There are some 2R'ers who have found > ways to slow the locos down by series wiring the two motors for > straight DC operation and modern electronics (DCS, TMCC & DCC) seem to work > wonders at controlling the super high speeds and smoothing out the slower > speeds. 2R'ers who operate long trains on club layouts don't seem to mind the > twin motors as much because they're mostly operating at road speeds, but > everyone complains if you want slow starts for switching it isn't so good. > > Another negative to add to the list is the exposed gears on the outside of > the truck. Not only does it serve as a dirt magnet but it makes it difficult > or impossible to bring the truck sideframes in to a correct scale width. In > O, all twin motored locos have overwidth trucks, some of which is used for > overwide wheels I'm sure. > > Butch > > > > > > ------------------------------------ > > Yahoo! Groups Links > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/S-Scale/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/S-Scale/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: [email protected] [email protected] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [email protected] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
