Slooooowing it down

some one once told me that if you run them with DC instead of AC you can run them, slow,

But I know nothing about that because I run em fast and furious!!!!!!!!!!

All with Post war Lionel ZWs full throttle ahead baby!!

Sounds like something wrong with the boards. I would expect the speed curve to be the same in either direction. A simple bodge would be to reverse the wires to the motor(s).

Pete

Popi posted:

some one once told me that if you run them with DC instead of AC you can run them, slow,

But I know nothing about that because I run em fast and furious!!!!!!!!!!

All with Post war Lionel ZWs full throttle ahead baby!!

I'm not sure that'll work.

I asked a similar question over in the S gauge forum a while back; if you type in "Universal" Motors: AC vs. DC, you can read why I say this. Let me know how it goes...

Mark in  Oregon

Their newer starter sets all seem to have jack rabbit starts. Seems like it happened when they put the Bluetooth option in.  If it's Bluetooth you can adjust the momentum / speed with the app.    Other than that there's ways of slowing it down such as installing diodes.

I don't have a LionChief anything, but, honestly, the best thing to do is get a better locomotive. Many - not sure about all - of these things simply belong in the Wheee! railroading environment.

eBay. Used TMCC/Odyssey USRA 0-8-0. (NOT the train set loco.) 4 chuffs. Accurate, realistic, tight curves, under $300 sometimes.

You could do it with diodes in parallel to reduce the voltage going to the motor as train nut indicated. Also are you running it off an AC transformer or the DC power pack from a starter set?

You could do it with diodes in parallel to reduce the voltage going to the motor as train nut indicated. Also are you running it off an AC transformer or the DC pack from a starter set?

  As long as it doesn't mess with the board in some unforeseen way, two regular general purpose diodes paired back to back, + to - & tie the leads. Take that and insert it onto a motor lead.  Each pair will eat about .75v before the motor sees it. You use two opposing so despite polarity one diode is actively passing power at all times. The mod works for ac or dc.  Need more drop? Use more pairs in series. (bridge rectifiers can also be used as they are just 4 diodes in a neat package)

I think this would be easier than chasing motors as that could (as in maybe) increase draws even more, giving the board amp issues.

Before the more extensive approaches listed above, take these steps:

— Make sure the locomotive is properly lubricated, especially the gear that transfers power to the wheels.

— Allow the locomotive to break in. Run it for a half-hour at a moderate speed, then throttle back a bit. If it is still running too fast before coming to a stop, run for another half-hour. That’s adequate break-in time to evaluate its slower-speed potential.

— For slow-speed operation after breakin, run it at the crack of the remote speed dial. Forget about the dial setting of your other LionChief locomotives. They all vary on how fast they run at a given setting.

— Once you have broken it in, use the app via Bluetooth to set the maximum speed you would like it to go. You can also set the momentum to smooth the speed changes.

I tried all of this with my new Christmas Express set last month. It included a locomotive that ran way too fast even two notches past the neutral setting on the remote. I got the train moving at a decent speed at startup, albeit still only at the crack of the throttle. (See video below.)

Jim R. posted:

Before the more extensive approaches listed above, take these steps:

— Make sure the locomotive is properly lubricated, especially the gear that transfers power to the wheels.

— Allow the locomotive to break in. Run it for a half-hour at a moderate speed, then throttle back a bit. If it is still running too fast before coming to a stop, run for another half-hour. That’s adequate break-in time to evaluate its slower-speed potential.

— For slow-speed operation after breakin, run it at the crack of the remote speed dial. Forget about the dial setting of your other LionChief locomotives. They all vary on how fast they run at a given setting.

— Once you have broken it in, use the app via Bluetooth to set the maximum speed you would like it to go. You can also set the momentum to smooth the speed changes.

I tried all of this with my new Christmas Express set last month. It included a locomotive that ran way too fast even two notches past the neutral setting on the remote. I got the train moving at a decent speed at startup, albeit still only at the crack of the throttle. (See video below.)

WOW  you hit the nail on the head!   I have 3 LC engines that at first were just like discussed.   Run it for a while and it will loosen up.   I have a basic LC Polar Express engine that after it was broken in will creep like a legacy!  And no I am not kidding!

Jim

  I was taught to run PW new for about 4 hours or more then flush the bearings and inspect worms.  Though it isn't PW I'd likely do the same today and kinda assumed it's "a given" .....oops