[rdefino]

Hi there,

I'm just getting my old HO set setup for my daughter. Haven't used them for about 30yrs. I have a 2 loco engines and one is much much faster than the other. could it be the age of them making them slow. I have cleaned the wheels and track so they run better.

also, when buying a engine, is there a marking or something to now how fast the train will be?

thanks

 

[shaygetz]

Welcome to the forum.

Many factors determine speed, the general one being that the cheaper the engine, the faster it will go. That is because little thought is put into the drive for an engine the industry builds for the toy market i.e. an audience who will set it up and spend time bolting around the loop just to see how fast it goes.

The operators market demands a slower, more realistic speed and therefore are willing to fork over the coin to get a locomotive that is engineered for lower gearing, smooth starts and stops, etc.

With all that said, the marking you are looking for is the price tag......Generally speaking, the higher that marking is, the more likely it will run smoother and more realistically.

Hope that helps.