Here is a report I received from Peter Vanvliet. His latest run time from a 2 AH battery in an S-scale loco is remarkable and demonstrates the benefit of a good motor and mechanism.
Earlier this year I installed the S-CAB system with double-battery into my S-scale American Models FA-2 engine. It was very hard to control the speed. I subsequently had Dave at NWSL install a new motor in the frame. He used a "20x32" motor.
I converted the loco back to S-CAB. I then fully charged the battery and over the past two days I have given the engine my endurance test. I ran it back and forth my layout, about 20 feet each direction. I just kept flipping the throttle's direction button at the end of the line. I had momentum set up in the decoder. Over the past two days it has run for a combined total of six hours and 15 minutes. I have grown tired of having to watch the engine and flipping the throttle, so I am stopping here, but I would imagine it can keep going for a while longer. My layout has no track power on it at all.
So, for my three engines, to sum up, running light on unpowered track, I have these results:
950mAh = 1.5 hours (NWSL motor)
1000mAh = 3 hours (S-Helper Service unbranded motor)
2000mAh = 6.25+ hours (NWSL motor)
1000mAh = 3 hours (S-Helper Service unbranded motor)
2000mAh = 6.25+ hours (NWSL motor)