Starting and reversing

[daveklepper]

Whrn last I had contact with AC -Gilbert AmericanFlyer, and Lionel products, both uaed "Universal" comutator coil-field motors that would work on DC or AC house current redeced in voltage.  Applying power, the train would run forward. Stop and start a second time, the train would run backward, sequence reversal.

Is this true today?  Or is control more sophisticated?

[Flintlock76]

Great to see you here David!

The "forward-neutral-reverse-neutral" sequence you remember from O and S gauge trains is still the same, but it's accomplished differently now.

Years back, the sequencing was done with a mechanical "e-unit," and I'm sure you remember that wonderful "buzz" they used to make.  Now it's done with circuit boards, and the motors on the current production trains are all DC motors. AC current rectifying is done through the circuit boards. 

I own both types, the old e-unit post-wars and the current versions of O gauge, and it's hard to say which ones I like best.  The new ones have features like sound effects the old ones didn't have, BUT the old post-wars are a LOT easier to fix when something goes wrong!  

For a full view of the current state of the art click on the "How To" section on the "Classic Toy Trains" homepage.

Again, great to see you here!

 

[daveklepper]

Thanks.  I've always been interested in all aspects of the railfan hobby, but today, "resurecting" old memories and photographs of the trains and trolleys of my younger days is my important participation.  I'm 89, and I don't want them to be wasted, because others find them useful and interesting.

I  think the American Flyer HO Hudson had the same technology as its S-Gauge cousins.  Ditto Lionel's OO-gauge and its O-gauge cousins.  Anyone involved in OO gauge today?

And I even remember when American Flyer had S-Gauge "scale" on O-gauge track!

 

[Flintlock76]

David, as I understand it OO is very popular over in Britain but virtually non-existant here.  There are collectors of Lionels pre-war OO trains, the survival rate of them is apparantly quite good, and many of those collectors do run the trains. 

In fact, here's a video of Forum participant "EMDMike's" Christmas OO gauge layout.  Amazing how well that 80 year old locomotive runs, they sure built 'em good back then!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNgkRuezHlw  

S gauge is still very popular and strong, as is vintage American Flyer collecting. 

[lionelsoni]

British OO is a sort of hybrid.  It is OO in scale (1/76.2 or 4 mm/ft) but runs on HO track (6.5 mm).

[daveklepper]

Is not Maerklin also like that?

[Flintlock76]

I just did some checking.  Maerklin builds HO trains but not OO, at least not anymore.  They may have in the past but I can't find out much about it.

Here's the current status of OO.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OO_gauge 

[daveklepper]

thanks

[Laurastom]

Gilbert American Flyer Pre-War HO trains (the Hudson) used universal motors and included a directional remote control unit. They operated the same as the O gauge Gilbert pre-war engines. Post-war all the Gilbert HO engines were made with DC permanent magnet motors and required DC track power. Direction was set by track polarity.