I have an older Rivarossi F 19 Pacific that just sits on the shelf
that I would love to convert to Dcc
Has any one here done one of these
I'm thinking I should upgrade to a can motor at the same time
I wish some one made a Sound/DCC Model that was RTR
TIA
TerryinTexas
See my Web Site Here
http://conewriversubdivision.yolasite.com/
Just because a motor is old, doesn't necessarily mean that it has to be replaced. It just has to have a low enough current draw to be powered by a decoder.
The big thing, actually two big things, that you must/should do is:
1- Make sure that any motor wiring is isolated from the frame when making the conversion and installing the decoder.
2- Know what current the motor draws when stalled.
You should test number -two- first, before taking the locomotive apart, and see if you can use it. This will require you to have a multimeter that can read DC current, and you must know how to use it. (If you are not willing to get one and learn how to use it, leave the conversion to someone else. When you start getting into DCC conversions, you are entering the realm of electronics, and you should know at least a little of what is going on.) Once you know what the motor draws when it is stalled, you will know what size of decoder you will need. If the motor draws more than one amp, replace the motor.
Then you can go forward with the conversion, and making sure that item number one is met.
Elmer.
The above is my opinion, from an active and experienced Model Railroader in N scale and HO since 1961.
(Modeling Freelance, Eastern US, HO scale, in 1962, with NCE DCC for locomotive control and a stand alone LocoNet for block detection and signals.) http://waynes-trains.com/ at home, and N scale at the Club.
CnO Fan wrote:I have an older Rivarossi F 19 Pacific that just sits on the shelf that I would love to convert to Dcc. Has any one here done one of these.
Has any one here done one of these.
Texas Zepher wrote: I wish some one made a Sound/DCC Model that was RTRHuh? Do you specifically mean an RTR Pacific painted in C&O?
Yes
i have installed many decoders in rivarossis what gandy said pretty much what you got to do the main things is amp draw and isolating it .as for rods and valve gears never had to replace them. just make sure
they don't bind up & are lubed. tsumunsi seem to work best for these locos i have installed decoders with open frame motors without much problems.i own several old rivarossi pre 1970s with decoders in them they all run great.
Raised on the Erie Lackawanna Mainline- Supt. of the Black River Transfer & Terminal R.R.
gandydancer19 wrote: 2- Know what current the motor draws when stalled.
Why?
If the loco stalls while running and the motor draws more current than the decoder is rated for (can handle) you run the risk of frying the decoder?
(or so I've been told)
Icould be wrong though.
Eric
mechanic wrote: If the loco stalls while running and the motor draws more current than the decoder is rated for (can handle) you run the risk of frying the decoder?(or so I've been told)Icould be wrong though.Eric
Eric, you are correct. The stalled current value of the motor is critical to the safety of the decoder's motor circuit. For example, if a gear cracked or a some foreign matter locked up the drive mechanism, the motor's current draw could damage the decoder before you realized what's happened and remove the locomotive from the track.
Several failures of decoders (directly or indirectly) are caused by overlooking this critical issue and using the decoder without testing the motor's stall current.
In regards of the original Rivarossi locomotives (motors with one mesh commutator brush), the motor should be replaced. Later versions have improved motors, but should be tested as aforementioned.
Carl in Florida - - - - - - - - - - We need an HO Amtrak SDP40F and GE U36B oh wait- We GOT THEM!
A "hard wire" decoder installation isn't all that hard. On a DC engine, the engine and/or tender pick up power thru the wheels, with the pickups from one side going to one motor lead, the one on the other side going to the other motor lead. You remove the wires coming from the track pick ups and connect them to the decoder. Then two wires from the decoder go to the motor leads. Two more wires are connected to the headlight. (Your decoder's instructions will tell you which wires are which, though most follow the NMRA standard of color coding.)
If the motor is isolated from the frame, that's about it. If not, you'll need to do that, but that isn't hard. I haven't done a Rivarossi but I've done Mantua, there you just unscrew the motor mount, put down a piece of thin tape or thin plastic sheet, and put the motor and mount back on (only now using a plastic screw as available from your LHS).
I have converted a lot of old Rivarossi steam engines and all run very well. The one big let down with older Rivarossi steam loco's is poor electrical pick. On all of my conversion I have added phosphor bronze wiper pick-ups to all drivers (that do not have rubber tyrers) I have also added pick-ups to the wheels on the tenders, left and right hand. I have converted a Big Boy and re-motored it with a P1K can motor. I did not need pick-ups on the tender with this one due to so many drivers. I've converted a Y6B Mallet. I used the original round motor mounted in the cab and believe it or not this runs very smooth on DCC. I've also converted one pacific (round motor in cab) and two Hudsons. One hudson has the original can motor in the boiler. This runs OK but I have found these can motors and gears don't mesh that well and are a little noisy. My second Hudson I have upgraded with a NWSL recommended motor and gearbox. Although this is very quiet and smooth it is also very slow. Top speed with the new gearing would only be around 45 - 50 smph. One thing I found that made all these loco's run even better was to fit Lenz Gold decoders with the Power 1 Module. With my digitrax system all these locos will creep around the track at speed step one. The only motors I have had to insulate electricaly are the "round motors in the cab" type. They sometimes have a silver metal strip from one of the brushes down under the motor. This just needs to be snipped off. I have also converted them all to LED lighting. This is very easy to do once they're apart. The time consuming part of the whole exercise is fitting the wiper pick-ups. None of my loco's drew anywhere near 1amp at stall so just about any HO decoder would do the trick. Oh! just one more thing. While they were apart I added a little more weight (lead).
Try one and see
Aussie Jim.
Old thread, but good question. You might not need to isolate the motor. I don't know this model in particular, but the Rivarossis I have seen sit on isolated frames. You just need to clip the wires that go to the motor. You can check with an Ohmeter to make sure the motor does not short with the frame.
Some here will probably join the conversation and suggest that you change the motor. I will leave that to them. How old is your model?
Simon
I have converted dozens of Rivarossi Articulateds to DCC. It’s been so long since I did the first ones I can’t remember it being difficult. I remotored every one of my Rivarossi locomotives, early on I went with Faulhaber 2224RS motors and they work extremely nice. I have used single Canon EN22 motors in several Y6Bs and Dual Canon EN22 and Mabuchi SF266 motors in Cab Forwards.The only Rivarossi diesel I’m familiar with is the Krauss Maffei and the single powered rear truck doesn’t do anything for me.
I wouldn’t spend anything on that arrangement at all. I bought two Krauss Maffei because they were different. I wanted the pair for my SP layout so I kept the shells and tossed the chassis.
I modified a couple of Athearn PA1 frames to fit the Rivarossi shells.The Athearn chassis is about ½” short so I stretched it with some K&S Brass. Mel My Model Railroad http://melvineperry.blogspot.com/ Bakersfield, California I'm beginning to realize that aging is not for wimps.
The brushes are isolated, but the motor shell is connected to the frame. Does the shell have to isolated as well as the brushes?
The rivarossi motor I have has connections for the 2 brushes, plus a third connection separate from the brushes and the motor shell. What was the use of this connection?
It has to go to either the power pickups on the wheels or the headlight. Are you you installing DCC? If yes, it doesn't matter, that wire needs to be cut. Once cut, check with an ohm meter where it goes to.
Yes well, up to you to see if you want to reuse that wire. I think most of us would say to rip it out and go fresh (LED and new wiring).