Question about locomotives with atypical electric motors

giga,

What you call an "atypical" open-frame universal motor was actual the standard motor used on all electric trains from the early 20th century on up to about the late 80s when the DC can motor came into use.

In fact, some current production "conventional classics" locomotives made by Lionel still use the open-frame motor, sometimes called the Pull-mor motor.

Currently, two distinct types of electronic reverse units (and command control boards) are available - one for the DC can motor locos and a different one for the open frame motors.

I don't know of any other motor types that have been used, although there is a variation of the open frame motor which uses two different field windings on the same core to allow reversal of direction. These were used for several years in some of the less expensive Lionel engines beginning in the mid to late 60s.

Hope this helps in your planning. IMO there is always room for another well-designed motor control board.

Jim

gigasaurus has one of these - his 8111 DT&I from the Yardmaster set.  They first appeared in diesels in 1957.

Thanks, Rob. It didn't register with me at first that he indeed did have these "unique" ones.

Jim

We should note that when Jim says the "open-frame universal motor was actual[ly] the standard motor used on all electric trains from the early 20th century on up to about the late 80s when the DC can motor came into use," this is true of O scale, 3-rail AC trains (e.g., Lionel, etc.) and American Flyer S. HO has used DC permanent magnet motors since before WWII, as has N since its origin in the early sixties.

Most model railroading outside of 3-rail O is DC powered, with open frame DC motors standard until maybe the late '70s, with a steady move in the '80s to so-called "can motors", which have largely taken over. The 2-rail branch of O scale today also uses DC power and can motors, though in the early days, especially before and just after WWII with outside-third rail, universal open frame motors were pretty standard, sometimes with AC power, though DC pretty much took over by, say, 1960. (I don't think my generalizations here involve any serious mistatements.)

Martin

Martin,

That's a good assessment of motors in various gauges and scales.

I made the generalization about universal motors because the original poster's opening statement was "I am working on a project for 3 rail locomotives...."

Jim