For our Lionel, MTH, Williams and other locos with can motors, what is the DC voltage range fed to the can motors? Older Williams Alco PA can motors are my immediate interest but info on others welcome. Searching Forum hasn’t yielded answer so far.
Want to be able to test pair of locos for speed for MU purposes using battery power where old boards are already removed (ERRCo conversion planned.)
Thanks, Don
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Typically, it's between 12-15 VDC max. I'm sure some of the basic reverse boards may allow even higher voltages, but I think that's pointless. Obviously, it rarely reaches those values as the train would be flying down the tracks!
Thanks, John, that’s what I needed.
I think 12V is max. MTH used 12V pittmans and the Mabuchi cans would be similiar. Lionel did use some 15 volt motor but I do not think they did that for the voltage rating.
Other trains like williams and such probably did use a higher rated voltage. These were not PWM controlled. But as John said they would never get to that voltage. G
Thanks both of you. Will test for speed match in 8-12v range then.
@cnwdon posted:Thanks both of you. Will test for speed match in 8-12v range then.
Actually, for much of your running, I'd be thinking more in the 3-6 volt range for 90% of any actual operation. By the time you get to 8-9 volts, the train is moving pretty swiftly. 
We’ll start low then:-)
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