Question about Lionel Engines with ODYS and Coasting

I have that engine and it acts the same. Of course all my flywheel equipped Lionel steamers also react the same if the direction button is pushed when the engine is moving. They come to an abrupt stop. The flywheels in today's O gauge engines don't have enough mass relative to the friction of the drive train components in order to provide much if any coasting action. Flywheels work great in HO engines, however with the Legacy system, Lionel has provided excellent momentum control which eliminates much of the need for flywheels.

I would be curious to know how well flywheels work in O scale 2 rail engines as for the most part they have better geared/higher quality drive trains.

Ken

Thats just the nature of earlier tmcc electronics, which has since been engineered out with newer electronic and gearing. I really couldn't tell you if any of mine do this however as I usually slow the locomotive down and bring it to a stop before I change direction,just seems like a good practice.

I can't say if any of my TMCC or Legacy engines are like that, I wont intentionally ABUSE my locomotives by hitting the direction control before they come to a complete stop. It would seem to me though that reversing the locomotives motor, while still in motion is very likely going to result in rather abrupt stops, instead of a coasting action.

Doug

I seldom use TMCC but have had a much different response than mentioned above.After engaging reverse,my locos stopped and change direction when the large red wheeel wsa used again.?

I think you're usually supposed to stop the engine before hitting the direction button anyway.

I use brake to slow mine, is this wrong?

Hasn't seeemed to hurt anything yet.

Rod

quote:

I use brake to slow mine, is this wrong?

that's what brakes are for.

ODYS (odyssey)is used to maintain constant speed regardless of load or grade.

momentum is what provides realistic getting underway and stopping actions. when stopping, using brakes or reducing speed (big wheel on the CAB 1 or 2 or speed control on CAB 2) will engage momentum.

hitting the direction button will cause an immediate stop.

i usually have my momentum set to 7.

When you hit the direction button, all power is removed from the motor until you open up the throttle to go in the other direction. I can't imagine how this would damage the motor, not sure where that idea comes from.

Thank you for the responses. Must say that I never heard or saw a warning about using the direction button. I always use it on my TMCC engines.

Some of my early locos both TMCC and Conventional with fly wheels do coast a little more. If this is normal for the larger Lionels OK. Just caught me off guard how quickly it stopped.

I never really played with momentum on my engines, I guess I will have to experiment some. Is momentum still engaged when using the direction button like on MTHs DCS? G

Using the direction button is just fine - like the brakes, it's there for just that. A sudden stop may
not look terribly realistic, but that's a different conversation.

The "quality" of flywheels and gearing in Lionel (and others) locos is just fine. I can argue with
the actual gear ratios in some (some) of them, but the flywheels do what they are supposed to do.

My MTH PS2/DCS locos come to a gradual and braked stop when I hit Direction, which is nice unless you
need to stop RIGHT NOW. (I'm not speaking of the red "oh s**t!" buttons.) The Lionel system simply
follows your command and says: Oh, you want to stop. I stop. Your decision.

I have an early set of Weaver NYC E-8 diesels - A-A, four motors, and not a one of them has a flywheel.
Better slow them down before hitting direction, because, to quote Yosemite Sam: "When I say Whoa,
I mean Whoa!". Spills everybody's coffee.