forward and revers on lionel 8632 engine

[Model A]

Hi GUYS
On my layout I can run two trains on the same track. I have a Lionel 027 1960 trains and a new 8632 steamer train with an electonic direction control. I run the old trains in one direction only and the new engine so i can stop and start it to let the other trains pass. Is it possible to change the wiring on the engine using the direction switch on the engine to go forward and stand by only, but still be able to run that train forward and reverse if I run it by itself?

[1688torpedo]

Hello Model A! & [#welcome] To the forum! On your 8632 there should be a switch that can lock your engine in forward only. And it can also be set to let it go in neutral or reverse as well. Is your older Engine a Lionel 1060? as they never made a #1960 Engine or Train Set. Also, you do not need to change the wiring on your 8632 in order to get it to go forward or reverse. Hope this helps.

[lionelsoni]

As I understand it, you want to modify one of the locomotives so that it cycles between forward and neutral only. It should be possible to rewire the postwar one easily to do this. The e-unit simply reverses the polarity of the motor armature, while leaving the field winding alone. You can disconnect the field winding from its present location and wire it in series with the armature. The reversal of the polarity of the voltage will then have no effect on direction.

If the modern locomotive has a traditional universal motor, the same trick should work for it. If it has a can motor, you can put a bridge rectifier just upstream of the motor, so that the motor will always see the same polarity of DC voltage and always run in the same direction.

[Model A]

HI lonelsoni
Thankyou for the reply . I will try your way . sound like it will do what want
trains to do
MODEL A

[lionelsoni]

On second thought, it might be better to disconnect the armature and wire it in series with the field. Either way will work, but the field winding usually has a more permanent connection to ground (the locomotive frame).

Another thought: If you want to be able to switch the modification back out easily, you could do it with a 6-pin connector. Wire the female plug to the two wires that normally go from the e-unit to the armature (often blue and yellow), to the wires to the armature, and to both ends of a cut in the wire from the e-unit to the field. Then make up two male plugs, one setting up the new arrangement, the other restoring the original connections.

You could do a similar thing for the can-motor scheme. You could also use a single-pole-double-throw switch for the can motor, since the motor just needs to be transferred between the input and output of the bridge rectifier, without shorting the unused circuit as in the other case. (The rectifier can stay connected on its input side without any harm.)