We see people like "harmonyards" Pat swapping out the original Lionel motors for Pittmans. Since the Mabuchi #555 works so well, wouldn't that also be an option, as Pittmans are getting harder to find...?
Mark in Oregon
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Well, you certainly can use them, but it's still possible to find suitable Pittman motors.
@Strummer posted:We see people like "harmonyards" Pat swapping out the original Lionel motors for Pittmans. Since the Mabuchi #555 works so well, wouldn't that also be an option, as Pittmans are getting harder to find...?
Mark in Oregon
If you like the performance of a 555, your jaw will hit the ground when you swap one out for a Pittman,…..there’s just no comparison,….it’s night & day difference ,..
Pat
For one thing, I think the seven segment armature helps a lot, and the Pittman will have gobs more torque.
@gunrunnerjohn posted:For one thing, I think the seven segment armature helps a lot, and the Pittman will have gobs more torque.
All of what you said, and darn near zero cog,….
Pat
Go for a Pittman! :-)
Okay then! 🙂
Having used Pittmans before, I know how good they are; having said that, my recent experience with the Mabuchi 555 was a real eye opener as well... 👍
Mark in Oregon
@Strummer posted:Okay then! 🙂
Having used Pittmans before, I know how good they are; having said that, my recent experience with the Mabuchi 555 was a real eye opener as well... 👍
Mark in Oregon
Mark, nothing wrong with a 555, or even some of the other large can motors,…but where a Pittman really shines for us is under command and cruise functions,…….there are others that work fine in command, but it’s hard to beat that low rpm grunt that a Pittman provides when creeping around the layout at 5-6 mph ……..that’s where the Pittman shines,…….I believe you’re referring to that latest work piece of yours where you swapped in a 555 for the 550?..so if that locomotive is conventional, yeah, it can’t help but to run better since the 555 is a step up from the 550,……now, if you were too add command and cruise to that locomotive, the Pittman would walk the dog around that 555,…..at low rpm, the 555 will cog a lot more than a comparable Pittman,…..hope all of that makes sense,..
Pat
Mabuchi 555s are easy to find but they come in hundreds of windings and finding one suitable for our uses in O scale trains is the problem. Most of the 555s in early Williams and Weaver brass were just thrown in to get the locomotive out the door they are crap. Many having a static resistance around one ohm which will fry most solid state e-units as well as TMCC driver boards if you happen to stall it. If stalled they pull 1 amp for each volt and at 12v they will pull 12A. Stalled for much more that a second and kiss your motor driver board good bye. Both Williams and Weaver sold some Samhongsa locos with 42:1 gearboxes and those one ohm 555s would rev up just short of slinging the windings off which allowed for operation at scale speeds at the expense of screaming like a banshee (Irish for screaming female spirit) and violent vibrations from an out of round flywheel. For our uses in steam locos your looking for around two ohms static resistance 1.7 ~ 2.5 ohms should be OK for most steam locos with gearing in the 16~24:1 range. Installed in a loco with those 42:1 gearboxes and you have to settle for about 30smph top speed. As is the case with the Pittmans also. Another fault of the hi-reving one ohm motors is the current draw, when running, loads up our powersupply (transformers) and causes wheels and pickup rollers to arc which pits the railhead. Running conventional we lived with it but in a command control environment it plays havoc with the signal. Till recently the big advantage that Pittman had over Mabuchi was the magnets. Now in their premium motors Mabuchi is using Neodymium magnets and ball bearings which will level the field. If you can find them outside of ordering from Mabuchi. I don't know their policy on selling directly to the public and have not spent the time on eBay or AliBaba to see if anyone is selling them. My solution for the Samhongsa 42:1 gearbox is to use a Mabuchi 385 motor. The smaller motor naturally revs higher than a 500 series motor with less whine. The 500 series has more torque but with a 42:1 gearbox the gear ratio will supply more torque at the wheels than we need so the 385 fits the bill just fine. For the $$ Mabuchi makes a very good motor and most, if not all, of our diesels with china drives use Mabuchi 365-385 motors We do not moan when someone mentions the name Mabuchi in connection with diesel locos. Now let me say, I pick up Pittmans when ever I can find ones suitable for use in my steamers and now have seven of them buried in a water tight chest on a uncharted Caribbean island. j
"... and now (I) have seven of them buried in a water tight chest on a uncharted Caribbean island. "
I believe, if you check, you only have six. (There are very few "unchartered" islands. Bwa hahahaha.)
@Arthur P. Bloom posted:"... and now (I) have seven of them buried in a water tight chest on a uncharted Caribbean island. "
I believe, if you check, you only have six. (There are very few "unchartered" islands. Bwa hahahaha.)
I believe, if you check you will find "Unchartered" means not having a Charter. An island or place which is not on a map is "Uncharted" indeed there are very few of them on the map. Just checked with my telepathic cat Claire Voyant sure enough the chest is unopened with all seven of it's treasures inside. Oops Claire says it has grown by one since we buried it. That's a very special island. j
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