fast

Hi,Don..I gotta totally agree with you. I thought of the same thing.All my engines are the same way,even the HO units.The only way to slow them down is to put quite a bunch of consist on them.I got one rated to pull 25 cars. So figger,I duess.I`m anxoius to hear what the forum has to say.

Have a good evening,Everett:thumbsup:

 

I think you have to factor into the mix a full load of cars and some grades. If you were running 15-20 cars behind that locomotive up a 3% grade, I doubt full throttle would be that impressive.

FWIW, that's why they made command and cruise control. You can set the maximum speed you want a locomotive to run and have at it.

 

I think you have to factor into the mix a full load of cars and some grades. If you were running 15-20 cars behind that locomotive up a 3% grade, I doubt full throttle would be that impressive.

FWIW, that's why they made command and cruise control. You can set the maximum speed you want a locomotive to run and have at it.

maybe thats why TMCC was invented? because my TMCC/Legacy,or MTH PS/2,PS/3s never fly off the track,how's that go, ...mother of invention
...........Mike

 

Because, after the kids put the track together loosely, it needs the extra power. Actually I agree Don. Especially when the e unit suddenly slips into gear when I have the zw throttle at full while cycling through the forward, neutral, reverse. Yes I did pick it up from the basement floor! Live and learn.

 

My thinking is that it would take an extra gear and that would add to the cost. Most of the locos i have looked at have only 2 gears, one as small as is practical and one as large as can be without hitting something. It would require another gear to run slower at full throttle. Don

 

For conventional AC O, you can wire in some diodes to the loco ... a few in series pointed one way, in parallel with a few in series pointed the other way. This will induce an AC voltage drop, essentially castrating the loco a bit.

TJ

 

Well, I've managed to have a TMCC fly off the track...

It's my brother's ATSF Atlantic 1491 from 2001. It was our only TMCC locomotive without Magnetraction, and apparently that makes a difference. I'm also convinced that there is something wrong with it because sometimes it feels like "I'm just gonna charge ahead at full throttle to make them all jump". Then it goes around an O-31 curve and that's it.

I haven't looked into limiting its speed through TMCC, maybe I should do that...

 

Why so Fast!!!

Gents:

One of the reasons that the older engines run fast is the fact that the drive motors are all 2 pole AC motors which gives them a high full voltage speed. Secondly there is a very limited space in which to accomplish the required gear reduction so the driving wheels will turn at a porportionatly high speed. There is nothing to be done to change this short of a totally customized drive which will ruin the value of any older locomotives. The solutions for running on the rails lies in reduced throttle, a speed control system and on perminant layouts bank the rails just like the prototype railbeds. Does wonders at keeping the Center of Gravity of the loco within the rails, thus keeping the loco on the track.

 

spring cleaning

Hey,fellas.. While looking thru my treasure trove of junk today,I came across this. It says lionel 95 controlling rheostat for lionel electrically controlled locomotives.On one end it says low speed and on the other high speed.

Is this a speed controller,if so, do I connect it to the transformer and then the track or straight to the track.

Another question is the coil is worn slightly across it. It looks like the coil can be rotated very easily so it would not be worn,on the contactor.

I`m just looking to control a marx engine as I`ve got my 10 year old girlfriend coming for a visit when school is out. I know,from experence how she operates,I let her fly my airplane last time and can still hear her laugh as it went into the ground.

BTW,I also found uncouplers,bell.whistle blowers, ,some else I have no idea what,transformers.Whatta life,Everett

 

railroad days

Hi,once again. In the last post,if you enlarge the pic,I happened to see a note I left myself. For those interested: July 20 at pike lake state park there will be a railroad days,All types of rr stuff,new and old.dealers and running layout,all gauges.It is south of chilllicothe,ohio about 10 miles. I went last year and had A blast.Maybe I`ll see you there.

Tnx,and cheers,Everett

 

I never had one but it is a speed control. I think it was originally used to reduce speeds on downgrades. I also think some operating stations( lionel) had them in the building so that a train would automatically stop for a period and then continue on its path without manually stopping and starting the train. I suppose if used in line with the transformer it would limit the speed. I assume in the other instances it would be connected in an isolated section. Just speculation on my part though. Someone else may have experience with these. I always wanted to tinker with one.

 

I believe these were used on old transformers that had a constant voltage output. You'd hook them in series with the rheostat to control the voltage/speed.

 

Maybe it's not the locomotive's fault. Maybe the transformers put out too high of a voltage at the top end?
Look a 1033 for example, it has two variable voltage ranges, which I wish more transformers had. Most people just automatically hook up to the high range (A-U).The lower range (B-U, 0-11 volts) is great for Marx and smaller Lionel locos with short trains. Lots of transformers start at around 5 to 8 volts and run up to what, 16 or 18 volts (like the A-U posts on the 1033)? Even my Lionel 2020 turbine runs off the track on a curve at full throttle (on the A-U posts) and it weighs a ton! Unfortunately the weight is in the boiler casting so it's top heavy anyway.

Like the old joke where the guy says to the doctor, "It hurts when I do this!" and the doc says, "Then don't do that!" maybe we should just not run full throttle unless we have a long heavy train to pull?

 

Makes sense tj,
Handy Andy, you are probably right, but since I have the power I'm going to push it a bit! ( I never learn!)

 

The old Lionel are toys from a different era. They were for kids and parents. Slow was a term meaning old. Fast was in. Faster was better. Like Jets and Rockets. The AC motors are inefficient and require 5 plus volts just to start.

It takes an adult who wants scale not a toy to notice that slow is good and that is why they are considered fast. Slow needed the tecnology for small diodes and the DC motor. They can be run on DC but I have no idea if it would be better. Never ventured there.


That's my spin on it.

 

One of my benchmarks for a locomotive is it's slow speed performance. If it can't do 2-3 scale MPH smoothly, it's a loser IMO. Any of the locomotives can go fast, it's slow speed performance that separates the herd.

 

Lions and tigers like the slow moving ones that get separated from the rest of the herd too! :laugh:

I can't run my trains that slow, but I do agree that slower moving trains look better. Even postwar trains seem to have more realism when run at way less than full throttle. They even sound better too. If you listen close you can hear the individual clunks as the wheels run over the joints in the rails.

 

If you watch a real train start out, they start out VERY slow and accelerate very slowly. I like to be able to emulate that realism.

 

fast or slow

Hey,fellas,I gotta agree with John. I like slow trains.I got that controller cleaned up and rotated the coil.I`m gonna try to test it this weekend.

Bty,I had a bultaco racing bike about 30 years registered for 170 mph.This old boy never took it over 70 mph and was scared to death. My youngest son took it for a ride and bragged that he hit 160mph with it.I told him he was a very foolish. Both boys liked speed.

I`m using cw80 transformers on my new trains and can control speed really good.I got on my marx a old marx transformer.Some day I`ll get another cw80 for it.I`ve never tried to run really slow on my trains.I`ll have to try that,john and see how slow they`ll go.I sold my tach,like a goofball,so I`ll have to save up for another.I used it for fine tuning airplane motors.You could get the rpm with it.

Have a good weekend,Everett:thumbsup:

 

it works

Hi,all I got it hooked up and that reostat works like a dream. You can set your top speed and that is all you can get out of the engine.The only thing you have to watch is what you have your transformer set on. Now that being said,it has a red button to over ride the reostat,supossedly bring everything back to the transformer.

I think the transformer is more powerful with it off than with it on.Hope this makes sense. I set transformer about 1/4 on,then using the reo I start at low end and advance to about halfway[halfway on the reo is about 1/8 of transformer speed at 1/4 supposedly,disengage the reo and it seems like the engine is running about 3/4 throttle.

My question is : will the coil on the reo step up the voltage on the rail when it is disengage but still hooked to track,leaving the one rail with a coil tied to it. I have a stepup transformer I used on my shortwave radio to boost voltage up above 120 house volts. It could only be used on tube type radios as they would burn out after about 5 minutes,but boy did that sucker work.Transisters just wouldn`t make a minute.

Many thanks for your help,sanepilot,remember you mom tomorrow

Kick your wife[I`ve already had dinner] and pet your dog,cheers,Everett:laugh: