Slow Down, You Move Too Fast

Bill,

The solution to your problem has come up many, many, many times on the forum but your specific problem, as you've stated it, hasn't.  The solution involves, not resistors which will generate the excessive heat that you're trying to avoid, but diodes, in the form of diode ladders.

Start with this post:

   Diodes to slow down | gptom

Mike

Mike

Thanks for the quick reply. I looked at the post you gave me but I don't think it is applicable to my situation.  In that thread  a diode ladder is attached to the center rail , thereby reducing or increasing volts (speed) to the locomotive.  I failed to include but I also run TMCC and DCS  trains, so I'm looking for something to placed inside the shell.

@third rail posted:

Mike

Thanks for the quick reply. I looked at the post you gave me but I don't think it is applicable to my situation.  In that thread  a diode ladder is attached to the center rail , thereby reducing or increasing volts (speed) to the locomotive.  I failed to include but I also run TMCC and DCS  trains, so I'm looking for something to placed inside the shell.

What you say is indeed true.  However you could also put the ladder inside your locomotive.

Now, it has to be physically smaller in order to do that, but there are smaller diodes and bridge rectifiers available.

For your conventional locomotives this provides the voltage reduction you're looking for.  Obviously for your DCS or TMCC/Legacy locos you don't need it at all.

Mike

Thanks again! I think I will need to find some bridge rectifiers and wire them according to the diagram,  maybe 3 or 4 will do it.  Hopefully this will also spread out the speed profile.

I think a lot of forumites will find this helpful for their speedy trains.

Bill.  When you get one of those locos retrofitted, let us know, and tell us if it makes you "feelin' groovy."
Dennis

You could also try placing two hoppers with fishing weights as a load to slow them down.

Paul

@Railrunnin posted:

You could also try placing two hoppers with fishing weights as a load to slow them down.

Paul

I've tried that.  I had to put 6 Weaver boxcars each weighted to NMRA  standards to slow it down.

As someone trying to learn more about electronics, I hope you'll post a small tutorial if you go ahead with this.

Is your title the lyrics from Feelin' Groovy?

@BillYo414 posted:

As someone trying to learn more about electronics, I hope you'll post a small tutorial if you go ahead with this.

Is your title the lyrics from Feelin' Groovy?

I will after I find the proper converters,  I'll document the conversion. 

Yep!  Simon and Garfunkel , 59th street bridge song.

Much appreciated! I'm working with controlling a small motor at the moment. I don't know if our solutions to slowing the RPMs is the same, but I think this would help me get an understanding of the bigger picture.

I had no idea that was the real title!