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I've been playing around with a Weaver 4-6-0 chassis I got from Ed Rappe last year. I modified an old MTH 2-8-0 boiler by extending it to fit the chassis. At the same time I was building a Vanderbilt tender for future use for a Seaboard Q3 Mike. I finished up what I wanted to do to them this past week, only thing is all I have installed is the original DC motor and the 4-pin connector. I have the QSI F/N/R unit, but didn't want to use it and go back to strictly old-style conventional operation.  I've even been thinking of going battery-operated RC.

 

The 4-pin connector on the back of the engine has 2 pins that go to the motor, the other 2 pins are connected to the drive wheels and center rollers and when the QSI module is hooked up it works like any other 3-rail engine.

 

I decided to try running it with just the DC motor (and my old Troller Transamp 1 DC power supply from my HO days) so I scrounged around and found 2 of those jumpers you see on the back of computer hard drives. I inserted them in the connector on the back of the engine (to connect one side of the motor to the drive wheels and the other side to the center rollers) and presto...when I turned on the power and cranked up the knob the engine started down the tracks!!!

 

THEN I had a brainstorm, I also have an old Aristo-Craft Train Engineer (TE) from my HO days. I pulled it out of storage, re-read the instructions (hasn't been hooked up in 15 years), put some fresh batteries in the transmitter and started running the engine. I couldn't believe it still worked, and with an O scale engine no less.

 

Right now I have 6 pieces of rolling stock and a caboose hooked up behind the engine and it seems to be running fine. Has some decent slow speed, but a little jerky towards the bottom and when reversing direction.

 

The TE receiver has a switch for Linear or Pulse Width Control (Modulation), but I didn't see any difference when I moved the switch. The transmitter has 5 buttons to press if you want to change the momentum times for reaching top speed and full stop (5 to 30 seconds). The receiver is good for up to 10 amps.

 

Funny, I don't miss the sounds of the engine as much as I thought. The sound of the train going down the track is plenty fine.

 

With what I have now, I can run an engine with only a DC motor in it on my 3-rail layout, no TMCC, no DCS, no F-N-R to worry about.

 

PLUS, to go 2-rail, all I would need to do is to insulated one side of all the wheels, do away with the center rollers, and get some 2-rail track. Then when the time comes install a true, battery-operated RC system.


Will this line of thinking get me banned or are there more folks out there who are risk takers

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Not quite sure why you think this would get you banned.  Who cares if you run sound or not.  Personally, I like it, and that is why I'm converting my whole HO locomotive roster gradually to sound.  It is one of the reasons why I play with three rail.  Some people like it, some don't. 

 

Do what makes u happy.

 

Regards,

GNNPNUT

I think one of the reasons I decided to try this was because I can't see the purpose of the current philosophy of STILL using AC power to control DC motors   The mere fact that it could possibly free up more room inside our locos should be incentive enough.

 

I know, most will say it's because of the tradition, the existing stuff on layouts, yadda, yadda, yadda.  But I see it as costing more $$$ to keep it in production.

 

Battery-powered RC is going to be even better I think and it's past time we started using it.  I'm looking real hard at the Stanton S-CAB that's available on the NWSL site.  Their new battery should be good enough for O scale.  Heck, the even have a Yahoo forum for it now:

 

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/S-CAB/

 

I don't mind sound either, but if I didn't have it it wouldn't be a show stopper.

Well, I've been running the engine around for a good while now and so far things are fine, not Command Control but not as bad as I remember running DC in my HO days.

 

I did manage to throw the tires on the Weaver 4-6-0 chassis, but they were old and brittle.  I ended up leaving them off and the groove in the wheels are so shallow I don't see any need to replace the traction tires.  I contacted Weaver some time back and they don't have any anyway (35mm diameter).

 

If any of my PS2 or TMCC engines die I'm going to rip out the guts and just leave the DC motor, just like I did this one, and maybe go towards installing the Stanton S-CAB in all my engines for battery powered RC control

Bob I've got a K-Line starter set where I did the exact same thing. I pulled the board out and wired the light and smoke unit as well as the dc motor directly to track power. I used a small Kato power pack. With my MTH premier diesels this power pack goes into mode right as am engine just stats to move so it is a very low amperage pack. With the converted engine it'll take the whole 4 car train up to top speed with room to spare. I can creep the engine along at speeds only command control systems could ever hope to. For me personally ac power is dead on anything other than the Christmas tree set. I'm a dcc person anyways so all I'd have to do is install a decoder in it.

Fred,

 

I think there's a few more folks on the forum that run straight DC with their 3-rail engines besides the two of us

 

Another benefit of having DC can motors in new engines is if you have a shelf queen with dead command control electronics, you can gut it, leaving the DC motor, and at least run it if you have a DC power pack.  I tried to measure how many amps it was pulling around the layout, but all I have is an elcheapo Radio Shack meter.  It says it measure current, but all I saw was the needle fluctuating all over the place.

 

Next thing I have to do is put a light in the headlight.

Bob, you joke but I am building a 2 Rail Hi Rail layout this year. Maybe we do need a new sub forum. I'm using Gargraves 2 rail track so I don't have to do anything to the wheel-sets and I get the benefit of operating in the exact same footprint as 3 rail. MTH Proto 3/2 engines are a no brainer and I am working on battery power for TMCC and Legacy engines. If you are starting a new layout, as I am, and don't like the third rail (like me) you don't have to put up with it. I could be perfectly happy if I only ran MTH Proto 3/2 engines with hi rail wheels on Gargraves 2 rail track. In the same footprint as if I did 3RS no less

ALRIGHT!!!  That's 2 of us, now where's the rest???  Someone get the Admins please

 

If I can convince myself into getting the Stanton S-CAB I may be taking my Dremel to that 3rd rail!!!

 

I get the benefit of operating in the exact same footprint as 3 rail.

 

That sounds like the way to go. Gargraves needs to advertise that 2-rail track a little better, I believe a lot of people would go that route if they only knew ahead of time.

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