I picked up a n-scale Con-Cor powered RDC-2 at a train swap last weekend. When I ran it on my DC layout I noticed it ran the opposite direction of my other two Bachmann locos. When the RDC-2 goes clockwise my other locos go counter clockwise around my oval layout, and vice-versa. I can run my two Bachmann locos at the same time and they will follow each other around my oval, but I can’t run either with the RDC-2 because they will collide. Changing facing of the locos or its controlled direction made no difference.
1.) Do different locos and/or different brand locos typically run different directions or is there a standard direction?
2.) Is there a way to tinker with the loco to reverse its direction without going DCC?
Whoever you bought it from has taken it apart and didn’t put it back together the right way. As Jeffrey said, take it apart and turn the motor over and it should run the right way.
As Bill Clinton would say, “That depends on what you mean by forward.”
In the DC world, as described, “forward” is with respect to the right-hand rail, not with respect to the direction the locomotive is facing. So, if you’ve got a steamer on the track and applying a positive voltage on the right-hand rail makes the steamer move away from you, tender end first, that is still “forward.” Take the steamer and tender off the track, rotate it 180 degrees and put it back on the track. Now, it moves cowcatcher first, but it’s still going “forward.”
In the DCC world, a locomotive has a front and a back, and “forward” is always the direction the front of the engine is facing. If you’re running DCC and you pick up the engine and rotate it, it will now go in the opposite direction with respect to the track, but the same direction with respect to the engine.
I turned the motor upside down. The two wires that were connected to the top (now the bottom) were in the way of one of the drive shafts so I disconnected it and connected it to the new top (what was an empty connector on the bottom). I tested it and it did work and move the right direction, for a while. By the time I put the whole thing back together its not running at all anymore.
1.) Could I have fried the motor?
2.) Or could I have missed re-connecting something?
3.) Do I need the empty connector (no wires attach to it) that connects to the bottom of the motor?
No light unfortunately. I’m figuring I pulled one of the two wires out of its soldered connector. I pulled the wire out the rest of the way and I stripped it some. I tried to just touch the exposed end to the connector it came from, but got nothing. Perhaps my fingers are just too big and fat for n-scale.
Flipping the motor over will only work if the motor makes electrical contact with the frame. Since there are wires connected to the motor, the wires need to be removed or unsoldered and then reversed, and the motor reinstalled with its original orientation. You’ll have to be very careful using a soldering iron on the back of the motor.
Flipping the motor actually did work (for a short period of time). There are identical contact points on the top and bottom. One contact had a clip that did touch the frame. The other clip attached to two wires. After I flipped the motor I switched the two clips so the wires still were attached to the top. My test without the shell worked. It moved the appropriate direction for the first time. Once the shell was added it didn’t work again. While attempting to diagnose the problem I broke one of the clips and likely need to re-solder another wire. I guess I was too rough for this small scale model.
I did notice Con-Cor offers “motor mounts” for $3 as a replacement part. Could these clips with a “U”-shaped attachment and a extended tale be “motor mounts”?