i've tried several times to do lashups with my articulateds but have had problems with the connections for one and 2. the overhang that the articulateds have even on 072 curves. I can see that the articulateds are straining against the pull of the front ends going around the curves. Does anyone know if this was a problem for the railroads and if there's some way to ease the strain on the pony truck and drivers other than making all my curves prototypical=immense radius.

Beertrain

Are you saying that you are having problems with the engine trucks derailing when doubleheading on O-72 curves? What locomotives are you running? What control system are you using?

I have limited experience doubleheading articulateds, mostly with MTH Z-6 challengers. They ran well together. Most curves were over O-72 but the switches used are O-72 and were not troublesome. I have done more doubleheading of northerns, also without significant problems. With northerns there should actually be more problems due to the greater swingout of the pilots. All the above were run with DCS so speeds matched and minimized lateral forces that might be experienced with conventional control or older command systems.

My engines were an Allegheny and a Mallet. Due to space limitation, I have no curves larger than O80 and though the engines didn't derail, I could see that they weren't happy going through the curves. They slowed down in the curves which they never do w/ one engine pulling the consist. I run conventional.

Who's Allegheny and which of the many mallets? Do they have Proto2 or EOB? What kind of transformer are you using and what is your wiring like? Could you have a voltage drop in the area with two large locomotives drawing power there? Were they running light or pulling a freight or passenger train?

It is hard to do internet diagnostics. It is really hard without knowing what you have.

Both engines are Railking with proto1 and I use an old ZW for power, and I've checked for V drop and it's okay. I put a 10 gauge conductor under the track when I built the layout since I had a roll of it and have it connected every 3 sections or so.It doesn't seem to matter what the consist is.

OK so you have lots of amps and big enough cable to start a small car!

The railking articulateds are super flexible. O-72 is large radius for them. What are you doing for front couplers? I do not recall the railking articulateds coming with them.

When I first got them I wasn't sure how to connect them w/ the little pretend coupler on the front of the engines so I searched the posts til I saw a bunch of members using paper clips or wire to connect them, which looks crappy, but what can ya do? That's what I did.

I have Legacy and Lionel Allegheny 2-6-6-6, N&W Class A 2-6-6-4,Virginian 2-8-8-2 . I have ran these in a lashup or a triple header on Fastrack 072 curves and switches without any problems.I switched to the larger usable coupler that came with these engines.