Model Railway Forum

Anyone ever used or tried one of these? Are there alternatives? SpeedWagon speed or distance calculator.

I haven’t but I use the if it looks right it is right method.

I assume its measuring real speed not scale speed?

Brian wrote: ↑Thu Jun 25, 2020 2:05 pm I assume its measuring real speed not scale speed?

The guide says "The unit is shipped with all three jumpers in place which sets the unit to measure speed in MPH scaled to OO." so i assume it is scale speed.

Why you spend £40 to find out how fast train is going ?.

brian1951 wrote: ↑Thu Jun 25, 2020 7:45 pm Why you spend £40 to find out how fast train is going ?.

Actually.. Good point.

If you do want to estimate scale speed, you need to get a stop watch (Or similar) and measure a specific distance on your layout... Much cheaper.

From my perspective, if it looks about right and one is happy with it, it is about right. Back in steam days in the UK only the top express locos (And then only a few of them) had speedometers of any kind fitted. Linespeed was all done by estimation and experience. It is only since diesels came in that speedometers were fitted to most locomotives and units. Some diesel shunters never had them.

Not something I'm intending to purchase, at least not till I run out of other things to buy I came across it and was just curious. Agree with the 'if it looks right' statement, but haven't you ever wondered? I have.

No I can honestly say I haven’t. I do know that an OO express loco at full power on a DC Gaugemaster controller is doing a scale speed around 250 mph.

brian1951 wrote: ↑Thu Jun 25, 2020 7:45 pm Why you spend £40 to find out how fast train is going ?.

With DCC & double heading, it helps to program CV's or even set a maximum speed

Though model speeds of say 30mph may look fast to some & slow to others

40 quid! possibly milking a few pence worth of electronic there.
Well it's a third towards a sound decoder or 2 thirds toward a s/h shunter on flea bay.
Though some will, even if it was half the price I personally cannot see the benefit of it.