converting english loco

[daan]

You could get a problem with rounding curves. Those european machines have flanges on all axles. Mostly the middle axle can move a bit sideway's, but it's not enough for something small like 042..

[lionelsoni]

Brian, this is Bob Nelson. Am I the "other bob"? If so, I did answer you, but on the forum where you first asked questions about the locomotive and where everyone can see the answer. The topic is the one I tried to point you to in my posting above:

http://www.trains.com/community/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=42900

In any case, this is what I posted:

Brian e-mailed me for more detail about a conversion. I looked at the auction, which seems to indicate that the locomotive is not powered, as Brian mentioned in his earlier posting: "I bought this loco arround a year ago on ebay, intending to repaint and motorise. this loco used to run on an outdoor layout ahead of motorised carrages."

So the first problem is to be sure that it does in fact have a motor already. Then it is necessary to be sure that the flanges are deep enough to work on toy-train track. There may also be a concern about the gauge. If it is 32 millimeters or 1 1/4 inches that is fine. If it is 33 millimeters, it might be necessary to regauge it for American tinplate track.

Assuming that all this mechanical stuff can be resolved, the next step is to convert from DC to AC. (I am obviously assuming that a two-rail locomotive would run on DC.) This is the relatively easy part.

A three-rail locomotive is powered from the outside rails as one side of the circuit and the center rail as the other side. A two-rail locomotive's power circuit is simply the two rails. So the existing connections to the wheels can be wired together to make one side of the circuit. But a pickup must be added for the center rail. This can probably be improvised simply by mounting a Lionel or other brand pickup under the locomotive or tender (or, better, both).

Next wire the two sides of this circuit (wheels and pickup) to the AC inputs of a bridge rectifier. Radio Shack sells a 4-ampere 50-volt bridge that would be suitable. The AC terminals are marked with "AC" or the ~ symbol. The DC then can be taken from the + and - terminals.

A Lionel e-unit has two terminals. One of these is connected both to the coil and to the contact fingers, sometimes with a red wire. This is one side of the input circuit; connect it to the + terminal of the rectifier. The other side is the frame of the e-unit. If you want to use the switch built into the e-unit, connect the frame to the - terminal of the rectifier. If the built-in switch is inconveniently located for the new locomotive, you can connect the - terminal of the rectifier instead to the other e-unit terminal, either directly or, if you still want a switch, through a single-pole-single-throw toggle or slide switch mounted in a more convenient place.

Wire the DC motor to the blue and yellow wires of the e-unit. Connect the green wire of the e-unit to the - terminal of the rectifier.

[Anonymous]

wrong bob the other bob :)

[Bob Keller]

Hi,
Didn't receive an e-mail from you - but if it was sent after 4 pm Central today, it is sitting in my computer at work.

[Anonymous]

bob...

yes we did and i tried emailing you to get a little further detail from you but you never replied :(

[Bob Keller]

Your best bet might be to first find a UK dealer with a motor that will fit the shell. You can add a rectifier to convert the DC to AC (we've done that with both Ace and Corgi locomotives).

If you use scale-like rails (i.e. Atlas O, RealTrax, or GarGraves with more of a flat head) you may find the scale flanges on the locomotive will (with a big qualification) generally run okay. The Princess Elizabeth, with scale flanges, ran fine on my Atlas O and RealTrax, but could be quirky on Lionel tubular.

I think that if you found an American six-sheel motor set that fit, you'd have a functional, but pretty weird looking locomotive. So I'd try finding a UK motor to run the UK wheels. British O gaugers are far more into the "make it yourself" side than we Yanks, and locating the product might be easier than you think.

[lionelsoni]

Didn't we already talk about this?

http://www.trains.com/community/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=42900

[Anonymous]

hello,

i am thinking about buying this loco http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=5992513672&rd=1&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT&rd=1
and i would like to get some imput on converting it to US. It will need a motor and a cleaning/painting but i have no clue when converting to US. I will be running off a ZW..

thanks
Brian