Paragon3 N&W Y6b 2-8-8-2

This model steam locomotive has some awesome pulling power.  To wit:

I have 165 coal hoppers all with handmade coal loads, metal wheels and KD #5 couplers.  They consist of 113 55 ton, mostly Bowser kits and some others. The first 39 of these immediately behind the engine are all overweight so they won't derail on curves, weighing in at an average of 4 to 4.1 ounces each.  Then there are 41 70 ton hoppers with 26 Model Die Casting and some Bowsers.  The last part consists of 11 100 ton hoppers mostly BLIs.  The total combined weight of these hoppers is (about) 38 pounds!  The consist is (about) 70 (seventy) feet long.  Except as noted above, all of them are weighted to NMRA specs.

My layout for the most part is flat with minimum 36 inch radius curves. It is powered with a Digitrax DCC system.

So I coupled this consist of hoppers to a single Y6B and advanced the DT400R throttle slowly to about speed step 2 or 3 (128 speed step setup) and it slowly took all of the slack out of the couplers and then the very last hopper followed all of the rest on down the track!!  I was amazed.  I then slowly advanced the throttle to full speed and that single Y6B pulled all 126 hoppers but not at full speed, maybe at about half speed, but non-the-less, it did indeed pull all 70 feet and 38 pounds of them.  I didn't leave the loco at full throttle for long for fear of stripping a gear or twisting a coupling shaft in two.

Thought you would like to know.

- W. N.