Whats so great about Lionel’s pullmor motor. From what Ive seen, they dont run that smooth. Is it just because of their powerful pulling ability that Ive read about? Were they used in anything other than in an electric train? Is there any way to make them run smoother?
The Pullmor name should give it away. Lionel invested considerable advertising into that motor.
Your statement that the motor doesn’t run smooth reflects today’s method of running trains at very low speed. A Pulmor used 3 poles on its armature, todays DC Can motors usually have more. This gives more torque at lower speed.
Remember the Pullmor was around when trains were toys for kids. Kids don’t run them at a prototypical crawl, they want action.
Were they used in anything other than in an electric train?
The same type motor is typically used in power drills, Skill saws and similar devices.Anything that operates on AC and has brushes.
The open frame motors could also run on AC or DC current which was a big advantage in the early days of electric trains where there was no standard for electricity. The open frame motor also has the advantage of the magnetic field being generated by the electromagentic field coil and it varies with the power applied. Can motors have a fixed magnetic field.
I like the old motors, They can still be repaired and 50 years from now still be repaired. New DC motors are nice, and very smooth, quiet, and can run slow. But they are also throw away when they stop working.
The Lionel TPC’s can get older open frame motors to run at slower speeds, not as slow or smooth as a back emf fly wheel equiped can motor, but without most of the headaches associated with the extra electronics and with no modifications to the loco itself. The original horizontal motored F-3’s could also run pretty slow but they had different gear ratios from the later vertical mounted units. BTW, not all can motors are cheap/poorly made.
Its a good thing Lionel had magnatraction back then, so you can run it fast.
What do you have to do keep them maintained? Which parts could wear out?
I’m not sure it was an advertising investment, though. Lionel LLC inherited “PullMor” from LTI, LTI from K-P Toy, K-P from General Mills.
General Mills applied the term to all locos of their 1970 line, their first, in which all traction aids were of the rubber tire traction variety(MagneTraction would not return until 1976). All motors were also of the open frame universal type, indigenous to Lionel trains.
When Lionel produced DC only & can-motored locos, the more expensive open frame motors took on the “PullMor” moniker. I don’t know exactly when this first happened, or even if Lionel started the practice. I have all of the catalogs, but would have to study them to find a first reference to them making a difference between PullMor vs. can motors.
So how did General Mills come up with “PullMor”? Well, Lionel acquired what was left of American Flyer in 1967. “Pull-Mor” was Flyer’s trade name for their rubber tire traction equipped engines.
So your “classic-motored” Lionels now have a decidedly American Flyer descriptor attached to them…!
Rob
Brushes occasionally need replacing. Drop of oil on main bearing. Check gear train for grease. Rarely the commutator needs to be cleaned with a toothpick. It’s outlined in the owners manual for a PullMor equipped loco.
FYI, Lionel advertises that the current run of Post War Celebration Loco, at least in the Virginian and Space Freight, have pullmor motors. Go figure. Would have thought since they took liscense to change other points, that a more modern motor, ie can motor, would have been used.
Simplicity. I have never had one go bad. Cleaning and a little oil is all they ever need.
Earl
this is a great thread! Thanks guys.
One of the few reasons I would purchase a Lionel train is that it has pullmore motors. I love that ozone smell, makes me sentimental. I love my Williams, but the only thing I would like better is an open frame motor.
Give me the groan of the early style postwar motor and that wonderful smell of ozone, heavenly! Brings back memories.
Same here EARL, No Problems with mine.
laz57
PULLMORE MOTORS RULE! They are like GM cast iron small block V8’s. They beg to be abused and you can’t kill them. Pullmore is the name MPC adopted for the old field wound design. Pullmore was origionally American Flyer’s name for rubber traction tires (Lionel bought Flyer sometime in the 60’s). Lionel origionally called their field wound motor the atomic motor in the early postwar days.
Chuck is right. A TPC unit not only puts out lower voltage for slow speed, the TPC unit manipulates the AC sine wave for smoother running of the bullet proof pullmore.
Frank is right about pullmore aroma. Not only do they produce ozone, they heat the grease creating a heavenly aroma of ozone and hot grease. It’s no wonder today’s kids aren’t attracted to trains like they were 50 years ago.
The rough running characteristics have more to do with gear box design which varied with different engines. Early 027 Alcos, early NW switchers (before the cheapy stamped frame design), 726 Berkshires, and 2332 GG1’s for example run smooth as silk.
The guys are right about cleaning. What do you do with a 50 year old pullmore that is filled with baked on airborne crud and lint? You simply pull the brushplate, armature, and bearings, give it all a good scrubbing with mineral spirits and tooth brush, re-lube, install new brushes, and she’s good as new.
I havent read any of the other posts. However, my #2368 B&O PWC F3 has 2 pullmor moters and have no problem with them. I’ll even post a video if you would like. They, to me, run great at slow as well as fast speeds. I guess you might be referring to the older ones, but the new ones run just fine, maybe better than cans.
The armature would be the Archimedes heel of the pullmore, which friction would wear (grooves) at the armature bushings entering/exiting the casing. This would take hours of running in long durations, as what the Mall of America layout operators found, which is why they turned to can motors that can withstand duration. I have a video where they actually show the torn down and damaged pullmore armatures. This obviously doesn’t effect the average user, but someone asked about it’s weak areas. I like pullmores because they can be self-serviced, which I would not attempt with a sealed can motor, and for all the aforementioned reasons [:D]
Stack
Yeah what they said. Those old AC open frame motors are the best, they don’t run too well at a crawl but then they were never meant to but if you take the time to actually drive the loco yourself it CAN be done and that’s half the fun, the challenge of it IMHO. I wish all my locos had them only with a worm gear reduction, not the spur gears. You cannot beat that wonderful smell and the growl, oooh, that’s the best!
Yeah, I have a Wabash Hudson steamer that was made in the 1990’s. It has a Pullmor motor with magna-traction. I like it because it has that classic style motor, and the fact it was made in America!!! It has the Railsounds 2 sound system with a great sounding whistle. This engine is built like an old postwar engine with modern sounds. I love it and its one of my favorites.