When did Lionel start making the DC engine trains?

[KRM]

I want to buy a starter set for my grandson who is 7 but I don’t want to get something he can't run on my postwar AC layout. If he brings his trains over to my place.

Thanks,

Kev.

[rtraincollector]

Starter sets today have a dc motor in them but it runs on ac as it is converted from ac to dc in the electronics in it.

for a while in the 70's lionel did do some cheap sets that were dc and some were ac/dc

[sir james I]

RT is correct, if in doubt just skip the early MPC cheap set's. The engine's Lionel imports these days will run with your PW AC trains just fine.

[KRM]

Thanks guys I did not know the new ones would run on AC so that helps me out a lot.

I am just still old school.

Thanks again, New things scare me.

Kevin.

[SantaFe158]

The new ones run on AC ONLY, don't even try to run them on DC. A few of the 4-4-2 starter sets of the 90's could run on either, but the new ones don't have that feature. Postwar and some of the MPC era locomotives can run on DC or AC. As somebody said below, some MPC era locomotives (the real cheap ones) ran on DC only. Sounds like you run on AC so any of the more recent starter sets will run fine with your postwar trains. If you're using a postwar transformer you should install some sort of quick acting circuit breaker or fuse in the line going to the track. The old transformers have circuit breakers built in, but they don't trip fast enough for modern locomotives and you'd end up frying a circuit board and they cost a lot to replace (nothing to fry in postwar locomotives which is why you probably don't have issues with it right now) I know this isn't your question, but if you want a trouble free set for a postwar layout why don't you get him a Postwar Lionel 2037 (2-6-4) set. They run well and are just as rugged if not more rugged than the newer locomotives. They don't break the bank either.

[KRM]

Thanks SantaFe158,

I got him a LIONEL PENNSYVANIA FLYER O GAUGE TRAIN SET 6-30018 It has everything he will need to get started and he can store in under his bed on a sheet of plywood.

It comes with a 1615 loco 4-4-2 so sounds like it will work. It was only $86.00 on FleaBay looked good so I will see.

Any advice on where or what kind of quick acting circuit breaker I can get? Or what size fuse I should put in line.

 I have a 1950 Scout set # 1113 with an 1120 engine that is his train for my place but I know he will want to bring his here too.

Thanks again,

Kevin

[lionelsoni]

Forget the circuit breaker.  If the new locomotive draws enough current to trip it, it is already toast.  Get a transient-voltage suppressor, like the 1 5KE36CA, from a distributor like Mouser and put it in parallel with the transformer, to suppress voltage spikes, which are the real danger to electronics in locomotives.

[KRM]

I take it the transformer he got with the set already has what is needed to protect the new engines. I will look into what you have suggested for mine. Tks,

 Kevin

[SantaFe158]

Yes the transformer from his set should be fine for the set on it's own, probably not much more. As for the circuit breaker or fuse on your transformer, I honestly don't know what type to use. It's just something I learned about on the OGRR forum and don't know the specifics, you can do a search on that forum and Im sure you'll find the information about it. I use modern transformers for all my stuff and have a 1033 postwar transformer and a small 35 watt postwar transformer as backup power. It's great that your getting your grandson into the hobby. I got started by my grandpa the minute I could crawl and 16 years later I'm still in it. I think I've passed him up in the number of locomotives and cars I have, though he's got G scale and I have a mix of O and G (little bit of HO too). I still have fun going to his house to run trains with him.

[KRM]

Hey Bob I looked them up and they don't cost too much but can you give me better instructions on how you wire them in? By paralle to transformer do you mean wire them off the transformer poles then connect the wire to the lockon to it?

 Not much on this kind of stuff but am looking to get some newer stuff and don't want to burn it up. Newest thing I have now is an old GP 7 from 1983 that I got for my son when he was 4.

Thanks,

 Kev.

[ADCX Rob]

KRM

I take it the transformer he got with the set already has what is needed to protect the new engines. I will look into what you have suggested for mine. Tks,

No way.  The transformer can protect itself, but without surge/spike protection, the trains are in jeopardy.

[krapug1]

 

Just to answer the original question, Lionel, during the MPC era first made a DC only engine in 1973, a version of the industrial switcher,

Through the early 80's a number of low end starter diesel and steam engines were DC only, and operating them with AC power would quickly burn the engines out.

MPC liked the DC engines as they were cheaper to make, had no e units, and a DC powered engine will run for hours and hours and hours with no issues.

That said, in the early 80's, MPC made several "better" DC only steam engines. These included the first use of the PW K-4 mold, and the result was the 8007 NH and 8007 Nickel Plate plastic 2-6-4's. These engines had the unique feature of a red light in the engine area to simulate "fire box glow".

MPC also issued a 8008, 4-4-2 Chessie, die-cast, DC only engine, the only die-cast DC only engine.

MPC had planned to use the DC engine in may more engines, but around '82 or so, the DC engine with a small rectifier was perfected to allow universal DC/AC operation.

The DC only engines were phased out by the late 80's.

Here is a picture of the 8001, NKP, soon I will post some better pics of these engines in the DC Only Picture folder on the Lionel/MPC Yahoo Group site.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[lionelsoni]

What Rob said.

One lead to each of the two transformer terminals that are connected (and remain connected) to the track.  In other words, wire it up just as you would wire a lamp to be powered by the track voltage.  (Unlike a lamp, it won't draw any current, except during the very brief times when it is protecting your trains from voltage spikes.)  You can put it at the transformer, inside the transformer box, at the lockon, or even inside the locomotive.

Be sure you get one with the "CA" suffix.  Those are the ones that work on AC.

[Penny Trains]

I have a Chessie 8008 atlantic.  Ir runs very smoothly and looks great pulling the Chessie Steam Special heavyweights.  One other set I have that's DC only is the James Gang General.  Not sure if all MPC Generals were DC though it would make sense if they were.

Becky

[KRM]

Thanks everyone, almost TMI. I will be looking at the things you have suggested.

Kev.

[cheapclassics]

Good evening all,

I am sorry I am late to this discussion, but I can contribute one bit of information.  The last year for DC only sets was 1991 with the 2-4-0 Santa Fe set.   I have several DC only engines, and they all work well for the most part.  Some of my favorites are the James Gang, the New Englander, the LASER set and the Black Cave Flyer, most of which have been featured in CTT at some time or another. 

Keep on training,

Mike C. from Indiana

[Boyd]

I had a DC James Gang set but that engine could't pull much at all. I sold it years ago when I was low on money. I got a DC switcher engine from the LASER set from Trainworld in the 80s. It can't pull much either but I once had it setup so I could run it radio control from a Mountain Man RC truck I once had. I wired it so the RC power came through a 1/8" stereo plug. Plus I had a dpdt swich so I could power if from the track like normal. My 8158 DM&IR GP9 engine can run on AC or DC. I myself don't care much for ACDC as I don't care for their music.