I don’t see anything here on AC wiring for O-scale, so if I’m in the wrong forum let me know.
OK, I used to know the answer to this one, but I have forgotten it over the years. [%-)]
I’m extending a second level of track over my wife’s Porcelain Christmas Village and in an effort to keep her village visible, I decided to use 1” dowels to support Lionel’s 0-27 track without guard rails. I need to limit the train speed around the bend over the village.
I bought some large diodes from Radio Shack a couple of years ago to do this very same project and have lost them. I don’t remember what size they were and I think I bought 4 or maybe 6 of them. Well anyway, I need to buy them again. So, can anyone remind me of what to buy to slow this thing down?
Also, I remember a site that had lots of AC electrical wiring ideas for Lionel’s O trains and if anybody could direct me to that, it would be much appreciated.
My grandson is driving me crazy with his “full throttle” approach to running a train and the wife is giving me “that look” every time the train gets close to her village. [:D]
The 3 rail and tinplate guys generally hang out on the Classic Toy Trains Forum.
Each pair of diodes will drop 0.7 volts. 6 diodes - 2 parallel strings of 3 diodes in series, opposite polarity for each string - will provide drop of 2.1 volts. Diode rating of 5 amps, 50PIV is good. You might get away with 3 amps if the train is single motor, and not too many lights or cars. The parallel diode strings are put in line with the center rail feed for the “slow” section. The slow section has to be isolated from the rest of the loop with insulated pins in the center rail.
Connect the + terminal to the - terminal of each module. Then wire the ~ terminals of all the modules in series with your center rail. Each module contains 4 diodes and will reduce the track voltage by 10 percent less than twice the forward voltage drop of an individual diode, or slightly over 1 volt. (This is the same drop that 4 individual diodes would give you.) If you want a finer control, you can use the + and - connection of one module to get half of that module’s full drop.
If you have more than one area that need this kind of speed control, you can connect one end of the string to the transformer, then tap into the same string wherever you need to, to get the right speed for each problem area.
You don’t specify the age of your grandson, if he is relatively young how about switching out the loco to maybe a Thomas or even a BEEP. Don’t believe they will go fast enuff to derail.
No. Nothing new connects to the outside rail. So remove the blue wire that goes between the bridge rectifier’s rightmost ~ terminal and the outside rail. The + and - do connect together, but not necessarily to anything else. So, for now, remove the red wire to the center rail, but leave a connection between the + and - terminals. Draw that straight across the bridge to make room for the next step, which is to wire one or more other bridges to the right of the one you have, with their ~ corners connected in series and their individual + - pairs connected.
Now reconnect that center rail. If you connect it to the + and - of the leftmost bridge, you will get just over half a volt reduction. If you connect it to the right ~ corner of the leftmost bridge, you will get just over a volt reduction. If you connect it to the + and - of the second bridge, you will get over a volt and a half… To the right ~ corner of the second bridge, over 2 volts, and so on.
If you have more than one place where you want a voltage reduction, you can connect the center rails of those areas to any suitable places on the same string of bridges, to get individually adjustable voltages.
If you want to correct the drawing, I will check it again.
I’m afraid not. Draw the second bridge to the right of the first one and connect the right corner of the left bridge to the left corner of the right bridge. On each bridge, draw a vertical line from + to -.
Then you can connect the center rail to the right corner of the right bridge, or to the point between the bridges, or to the vertical line in the middle of either bridge, depending on how much voltage reduction you need. The farther to the right you connect, the greater the reduction.
He’s almost three now, but I’m not ready to buy another train right now. The train is the Lionel Polar Express and was actually bought for an older grandson that loved the movie and was not able to spend Christmas with us for a couple of years now, so the train has sentimental value.
Here is a video of our Christmas from a couple of years ago. I was ill last year so I didn’t set it up, but this year I’m making a lot of changes. Please excuse the quality because I did not have a movie camera at the time and used my regular camera. It really was made for my older grandson who I have lost contact with.
You’ve got it! That connection will get you 2, maybe 2.5 volts reduction. Add more bridges to the string if you need more reduction, or connect the center rail farther to the left for less reduction.
There is also a super easy answer for this that involves no re-wiring: use a Lionel 1033 transformer with the B-U voltage setting of 0-11 volts to the track.
I run nothing but basic low cost locs that supposedly run like jack rabbits - which they do when you use a normal Lionel transformer like a ZW which puts a minimal 6 volts starting voltagev to the track. Even the more modern transformers like the CW80, which do have lower starting voltages, also go up to 18 volts to the track, which will make these basic trains run like race cars.
That B-U setting of the 1033 is so perfect for many starter types of locos and I have ZERO trouble with kids ever running trains off the layout, even a full throttle. Some locos like the Lionel 4-4-2 steamer actually need full throttle to run at a decent speed, so I imagine the Polar Express loco would be no different.
Well I found a couple of full wave bridges and tested then on another Christmas train with a lot of cars attached. I’m still working on the line in question with the bridge because I got two track pieces with the wrong radius.
Anyway I quickly realized that it’s not going to work, because the kids keep pulling off the cars. The Loco with tender needs 10 volts max to operate at the correct speed and it needs at least 14 volts with all the cars attached.
I mounted the CW80 transformer to a piece of wood with an adjustable stop and I still have the same problem. The only solution is to lock up the transformer if I can’t be there operating it myself.
Sleeper, I guess I failed to mention the postwar 1033 has a choice of TWO voltage settings that can be used for the train. As mentioned, with the U as the common, you can choose the B-U seeting of 5-11 volts or easily change the wire from the B to the A posts, where you will have 5-16 volts going to the track.
No transformer is entirely perfect and your choice of either the A or B setting will also change your secondary voltage, which can effect any trackside accessories operated by an insulted rail. BUT what I like about the 1033 is the choice of two variable voltage settings on one transformer. The modern types of starter locos with DC can motors usually need less power than do postwar or MPC era locos with open frame AC motors. In this respect, the 90 watt 1033 transfromer is a winner and in my opinion, the best transformer for a small layout, bare none.
On my layout, I wired a U-spade to the main wire that is easy conncected via the surface nuts of the top of the transfromer to either the A or B posts, depending on what locos I am running. And when kids are over, that B setting is very handy… no trains flying off the layout.
Used 1033’s can be had in varying condition for between $20-$60. And obviously if you are not comfortable checking it out, you should have someone look it over for you unless you find one in pristine condtion or one that you know has been serviced. A more recent version of the 1033 was made by Lionel during the early MPC years also.
As I understood the problem, he wants to automatically reduce the voltage in the stretch of track that threatens his wife’s villiage. The 1033 can’t do that. And, although the scheme I described for him can reduce the voltage, it can’t also automatically accommodate the changing train length as the kids add and remove cars. It’s looking like direct supervision is the only solution.
Yes Bob, that is correct. So I needed something adjustable and this is my non-tech approach to speed limit control for Lionel trains. What the heck, it’s adjustable and only took a few minutes to build. I just need to put restrictions on removing the cars and hope they are followed.
