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80'S POWERMATIC THROTTLE

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  • Member since
    January 2023
  • From: N.E. Ohio
  • 1 posts
Posted by Bilbo_Baggs on Monday, January 9, 2023 11:42 AM

Hello, I have five of these Trainpower Pacematic Throttle PMT-1 units that I used to use with a fairly extensive HO layout. The throttle worked well with the older open motors of PFM or hobbytown units as well as with those smaller closed can motors.
I believe that they could be purchased in kit form or as built units. I soldered 4 of them together.
They had a rotary throttle, 1-switchable momentum, 2-direction, & 3 brake /quick service brake. & I'm pretty sure that it had low speed pulse that faded out at about 50% throttle.
It has literally been since about 1985 since I hooked them up though and I can't seem to find the instruction sheet for connection info. 
There are 5 colored wires in the cable, Black and White are for the output to the track. But my issue is that there are three other wires for the input end. It is able to be hooked up to AC but mine was setup for fixed DC input. Red, Orange and Green.

Any help would be appreciated.
Tom / Bilbo_Baggs

  • Member since
    September 2003
  • 21,669 posts
Posted by Overmod on Friday, February 5, 2021 10:42 AM
  • Member since
    January 2017
  • From: Southern Florida Gulf Coast
  • 18,255 posts
Posted by SeeYou190 on Friday, February 5, 2021 12:47 AM

What a blast from the past. I had one of these kits. I never assembled it. I was given an MRC Cab Control 55, and lost my need for it.

I wonder what happened to it.

-Kevin

Living the dream.

  • Member since
    February 2002
  • From: Reading, PA
  • 30,002 posts
Posted by rrinker on Thursday, February 4, 2021 9:31 PM

 Now that I found. Trainpower Pacematic throttle

Trainpower pacematic throttle model pmt-1 type 2 kit-needs soldering & assembly | Sportscards.com

Looks like a fairly simple early transistor throttle. Does seem to be a commercial kit of the Thorne throttle in his book. This hshould operate anything HO scale or smaller. Not sure what the specs say but with limited heatsinking on the main transistor, definitely under 1 amp.

                                    --Randy

 


Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's

 

Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.

  • Member since
    May 2002
  • From: The Netherlands
  • 26 posts
Posted by dredgeboater on Thursday, February 4, 2021 12:17 PM

To All,

Could be the Pacemaric Throttle, descrbed by Mr. Peter Thorne, published plans etc in a Kalmbach book, Electronic Projects for Model Railroading...

 

Just a thought,

Dredgeboater

 

Better to be roughly right, than to be exactly wrong...

And when you do what you did, you'll get what you got!

  • Member since
    May 2010
  • From: SE. WI.
  • 8,253 posts
Posted by mbinsewi on Thursday, February 4, 2021 11:29 AM

csxer
trainpower powermatic throttle

I've tried all different terms and wording trying to find this, nothing.

I have no clue what your talking about.

Mike.

  • Member since
    February 2002
  • From: Reading, PA
  • 30,002 posts
Posted by rrinker on Wednesday, February 3, 2021 10:29 PM

 Never heard of it, and can't find any - can you post some pictures? It doesn't help that Powermatic is a brand of woodworking tools, and Trainpower is a model of MRC's power packs.

 If it's transistoriezed, it's usable today. If it's just a rheostat - it's not going to work well with modern locos with low current motors. A good clue to that would be if it says anything on it about HO or N scale, because back in the day, an HO rheostat power pack could not control N scale locos - they drew too little current compared to HO and just ran away. If it specifies a scale, it's likely not transistorized. 

                             --Randy

 


Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's

 

Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.

  • Member since
    February 2021
  • 1 posts
80'S POWERMATIC THROTTLE
Posted by csxer on Wednesday, February 3, 2021 9:10 AM

Knew here today; not sure if I am in the right discussion group but...

Came across this trainpower powermatic throttle that dates back to the '80s. Anyone familiar with one of these or in hooking one up to track to power n scale?

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