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Question on Atlas wiring?

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  • From: ohio
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Question on Atlas wiring?
Posted by rs2mike on Tuesday, July 29, 2008 10:55 AM

I have a frame and trucks for a rs-3 that I got from ebay to complete my roundhouse rs.  My question is simple as I want to verify what I think about wiring the motor.  Right side truck from both trucks to top of motor and left side truck from both trucks to bottom of motor.  Is this correct?  If I wanted to add a light as well how would I go about doing that as well?

Thanks

Mike

alco's forever!!!!! Majoring in HO scale Minorig in O scale:)

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Posted by rs2mike on Wednesday, July 30, 2008 3:07 PM

This motor will be one from mdc from their rs-3.  I got one spare from a seller on ebay who has a ton of old mdc stock that they bought.  It has dual brass flywheels, and has sealed windings but you can see the carbon sticks.

Mike

alco's forever!!!!! Majoring in HO scale Minorig in O scale:)

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Posted by Vail and Southwestern RR on Wednesday, July 30, 2008 4:39 PM
Whichever way makes it run the right way.  Really. 

Jeff But it's a dry heat!

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Posted by loathar on Wednesday, July 30, 2008 6:54 PM
Make sure your motor leads are insulated from the frame if your going to wire directly to the motor.
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Posted by rs2mike on Wednesday, July 30, 2008 9:09 PM
Yeah wire leads away from frame ok.  But I am correct with the wiring and how to hook up a light?

alco's forever!!!!! Majoring in HO scale Minorig in O scale:)

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Posted by TomDiehl on Wednesday, July 30, 2008 10:03 PM

 rs2mike wrote:
Yeah wire leads away from frame ok.  But I am correct with the wiring and how to hook up a light?

There is an NMRA standard on that (S-9). When the right hand rail is positive (polarity), the locomotive should run forward.

http://www.nmra.org/standards/sandrp/s-9.html

The light will depend on what type it is. A 12 to 15 volt bulb should be tied in parallel with the motor. Smaller bulbs or LED's get a bit more complicated, requiring dropping resistors or being tied in series with the motor. I'd need more specifics to answer in more detail.

Smile, it makes people wonder what you're up to. Chief of Sanitation; Clowntown
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Posted by Johnnny_reb on Thursday, July 31, 2008 12:58 AM
 TomDiehl wrote:

 rs2mike wrote:
Yeah wire leads away from frame ok.  But I am correct with the wiring and how to hook up a light?

There is an NMRA standard on that (S-9). When the right hand rail is positive (polarity), the locomotive should run forward.

http://www.nmra.org/standards/sandrp/s-9.html

The light will depend on what type it is. A 12 to 15 volt bulb should be tied in parallel with the motor. Smaller bulbs or LED's get a bit more complicated, requiring dropping resistors or being tied in series with the motor. I'd need more specifics to answer in more detail.

Thank you for post the link to the NMRA S-9 standard. I've always wondered about that.

Johnnny_reb Once a word is spoken it can not be unspoken!

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Posted by rs2mike on Thursday, July 31, 2008 7:50 AM
 TomDiehl wrote:

 rs2mike wrote:
Yeah wire leads away from frame ok.  But I am correct with the wiring and how to hook up a light?

There is an NMRA standard on that (S-9). When the right hand rail is positive (polarity), the locomotive should run forward.

http://www.nmra.org/standards/sandrp/s-9.html

The light will depend on what type it is. A 12 to 15 volt bulb should be tied in parallel with the motor. Smaller bulbs or LED's get a bit more complicated, requiring dropping resistors or being tied in series with the motor. I'd need more specifics to answer in more detail.

Thanks tom, I think a small voltage bulb will be in there for now.  2 if I am going to have directional lighting.  This is going to be  decoder equipped.  Eventually when I get over to the shack I will get some leds or get some from online.  I have resistors already but my electrical merit badge was a looooonnngggg time ago.

alco's forever!!!!! Majoring in HO scale Minorig in O scale:)

  • Member since
    February 2001
  • From: Poconos, PA
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Posted by TomDiehl on Thursday, July 31, 2008 9:37 AM
 rs2mike wrote:
 TomDiehl wrote:

 rs2mike wrote:
Yeah wire leads away from frame ok.  But I am correct with the wiring and how to hook up a light?

There is an NMRA standard on that (S-9). When the right hand rail is positive (polarity), the locomotive should run forward.

http://www.nmra.org/standards/sandrp/s-9.html

The light will depend on what type it is. A 12 to 15 volt bulb should be tied in parallel with the motor. Smaller bulbs or LED's get a bit more complicated, requiring dropping resistors or being tied in series with the motor. I'd need more specifics to answer in more detail.

Thanks tom, I think a small voltage bulb will be in there for now.  2 if I am going to have directional lighting.  This is going to be  decoder equipped.  Eventually when I get over to the shack I will get some leds or get some from online.  I have resistors already but my electrical merit badge was a looooonnngggg time ago.

An early application of constant brightness lighting used a pair of diodes, joined anode to cathode on both ends, tied in series with the motor. This gave a constant voltage drop, and by connecting a low voltage bulb (1.5 to 2 volt) in parallel with the diodes, the lamp would come on before the motor started, and maintain a constant brightness, no matter what the speed. The diode's current rating had to be above the motor's stall current to prevent burnout. By connecting LED's in parallel with the diodes, you should be able to get directional switching as well.

Smile, it makes people wonder what you're up to. Chief of Sanitation; Clowntown
  • Member since
    October 2007
  • From: ohio
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Posted by rs2mike on Friday, August 1, 2008 9:38 AM
 TomDiehl wrote:
 rs2mike wrote:
 TomDiehl wrote:

 rs2mike wrote:
Yeah wire leads away from frame ok.  But I am correct with the wiring and how to hook up a light?

There is an NMRA standard on that (S-9). When the right hand rail is positive (polarity), the locomotive should run forward.

http://www.nmra.org/standards/sandrp/s-9.html

The light will depend on what type it is. A 12 to 15 volt bulb should be tied in parallel with the motor. Smaller bulbs or LED's get a bit more complicated, requiring dropping resistors or being tied in series with the motor. I'd need more specifics to answer in more detail.

Thanks tom, I think a small voltage bulb will be in there for now.  2 if I am going to have directional lighting.  This is going to be  decoder equipped.  Eventually when I get over to the shack I will get some leds or get some from online.  I have resistors already but my electrical merit badge was a looooonnngggg time ago.

An early application of constant brightness lighting used a pair of diodes, joined anode to cathode on both ends, tied in series with the motor. This gave a constant voltage drop, and by connecting a low voltage bulb (1.5 to 2 volt) in parallel with the diodes, the lamp would come on before the motor started, and maintain a constant brightness, no matter what the speed. The diode's current rating had to be above the motor's stall current to prevent burnout. By connecting LED's in parallel with the diodes, you should be able to get directional switching as well.

Thanks tom.

alco's forever!!!!! Majoring in HO scale Minorig in O scale:)

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