I’m currently converting a PW 2046 to AC Commander and Railsounds from 3RD Rail. I’m using a 5 wire connection from the engine to the tender which contains the circuit boards and speaker. Brush, brush, field, hot and common (motor frame). Can this be accomplished using fewer connections?
Thanks in advance for your input,
AC
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To answer your original question... no.
You might even need a sixth connection for the smoke unit heater.
Royboy,
Thanks for the reply! I was hoping the AC Commander could use the Hot and Common from the tender. I’m running the original smoke unit off the engine’s pickup rollers.
AC
Just note that the spacing of the tender pickup rollers may cause issues with certain track configurations. It would be beneficial to bond the pickup rollers between the units.
Remember that the engine did not run on 18 volts when it was new. 18 volts would launch the loco across the room the first time it hit one of those neck snapping O-27 curves.18 volts will likely damage the postwar smoke heater.
The smoke output from the AC Commander runs the smoke unit half wave in command mode. If you want to run the original smoke unit from the rollers, you might consider putting a single diode in series with it.
Roy,
Will do. Suggestions as to diode specs?
AC
Anything with around a 2 amp rating should do the trick. The In400X (x = 3, 4, 5, 6, 7) are rated for 1 amp, but usually handle much more than that.
Any electronic supply store or eBay will have them. Here's 50 of them for $2.50.
I use MTH 10-pin tethers for conversions, they have enough connections for all the stuff I want to do. I like to be able to have command control of smoke and lights as well as the motor. If you want synchronized chuffing, you'll also need a chuff wire going back to the tender.
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