How can I slow down my K-line MP-15 dual motor conventional diesel locomotive (built around 2001)? It runs fast on low voltage with a light load of cars. If I lower the voltage to slow it down, I doesn’t have enough power to activate my 0-27 switches. I have been able to slow down my Williams diesels by wiring the motors in series instead of the way they come wired in parallel. To do this, I cut the blue wire of one motor from the circuit board and connect it to the yellow wire of the other motor that was disconnected from the circuit board. I was told how to do this by several technicians familiar with Williams. However, when I tried to do the same to my K-line, it didn’t run at all. The K-line motor connections seem the same as the Williams, but the way they connect to the K-line circuit boards seems different. I checked with Trains America Studios technician and they had no suggestions other than installing Lionel’s expensive Speed Control (which would cost more than 3 time the value of the locomotive). Any suggestions?
Tom, three immediate thoughs/observations:
- Make sure the wires coordinate to the same places. Sometimes the wire colors changed during assembly, or if someone else has worked on the loco. Usually the black and red wires are the ones coming from the roller pickups and from the ground to the loco axles. If you look at the motor trucks, you will see the wires running off the motor, so you can see what color they are.
Providing the wiring is as was as the engine came from K-Line, here’s what you do. Actually what you will want to do is to leave the BLUE wires as was. The YELLOW wires are the ones that get connected: one yellow wire from one motor goes to the other yellow wire from the other motor - that’s it. No need to alter the blue wire. Connecting the blue to the yellow wires may be why your loco does work.
Also, note that wiring the motors in series will reduce the pulling power of your loco, although it will use more power, which might help in your sitution.
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Most of the truck mounted DC can motored locos do not use the same level of power that a loco with either an open frame AC motor, or a loco with larger tranversely mounted DC motors with the added electronics. Locos like the K-Line MP-15 will have trouble automatically operating Lionel 027 switches via the insulated rail. You may want to consider re-wiring the switches to operate on auxiliary power (not track power) and they WILL work much better.
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Most of the types of locos as the MP-15 by K-Line will run much slower and much better with either the Lionel 1033 transformers with the B-U volatage post setting (0-11v) or a modern-era transformer such as an MRC that starts with a zero voltage to the track. The vast majority of Lionel transformers start off with a minimal 6 volts to the track: fine for an open frame AC motored loco, but too much starting voltage for one of these truck mounted DC can motored loco.
The MP-15s are jack rabbits. CTT did a comparison of low end locos and tested an Mp-15. I think its starting speed was around 40 scale miles an hour. I think it topped out at 200 mph! They are geared way high. I dont know if there is a solution. On my inexpensive ( I hate saying cheap) can motor diesels, I lube them up really good. Shoot some wd-40 into the shaft of the motor and lots of grease on the gears. Anything you can do to reduce the drag of the gears might improve the low end speed. And then add weight to every car in your consist. Make that engine work, but dont over do it. Good-luck.
Here are some possibilities:
The motors are already in series. I have never seen this situation, but I guess it could happen.
The motors are in parallel, in which case what you did should have put them in series, but, as was suggested, they are trying to run in opposite directions. You should be able to check this out just by lifting the trucks off the track. In this case, just swap the connections that you now have to one of the motors.
The motors are neither in series nor parallel, but fed by different circuits on the board. In this case, you should be able to completely disconnect one of the motors from the board, then wire it in series with the other motor.
Putting the motors in series should give you the same performance as before, up to the upper voltage limit of your transformer, except that everything will happen at double the voltage setting that you had before. In fact, it might be better if there was any slight mismatch between the motors. In the parallel connection they would tend to fight each other; but in series, they will share the load without any conflict.
“The MP-15s are jack rabbits. CTT did a comparison of low end locos and tested an Mp-15. I think its starting speed was around 40 scale miles an hour. I think it topped out at 200 mph! They are geared way high. I dont know if there is a solution.”
Yes folks, as I said - there IS a solution and that is to run these kinds of locos with any transformer that starts with a ZERO output to the track. I’m sure when CTT tested this loco, they probably used some larger transformer with the minimal 6 volt start to the track. Matter of fact, most postwar and MPC Lionel transformers - large and small - all start off with a minimal 6-8 volts to the track.
Even the no-frills basic K-Line transformer included in most early K-Line sets starts at zero volts to the track, although it does go up to 18 volts which of course, will make these engines FLY!
I’m using the Lionel 1033 with the B-U voltage setting (0-11 volts) and I CAN AND DO RUN THESE ENGINES VERY SLOW! I’ve got no secret solution folks. If I can do this, any one else can by using the 1033 with the B-U setting.
And I do not have one single loco wired in series, and I can STILL run them slow.
Granted, I make a lot of alterations and changes to my locos. And I also run my layout on converted DC power. But heck, even the few locos I have that still have circuit boards in them, and that have not been altered yet, can STILL run SLOW on AC power to the track via the 1033. If I can do this, you can do this.
The Lionel 1033 is the solution in one simple sentance. Buy one, and the problems end.
I’ve always said the Lionel 1033 is without question, hands down, the best Lionel transformer ever made for the money. That B-U voltage setting is a charmer for these truck mounted can motored locos. And it’s easy enough to switch to the A-U setting (6-18 volts) for my older