Change motors

[tatans]

Nothing surprises me on this forum, people do "odd" things, But does anyone buy new locomotives then install new, more high-tech, more powerful , faster motors?? or have the manufacturers of locos provided the absolute ultimate motors available????.  Am I to believe when purchasing a very expensive loco that I am getting the latest technology there is ??  

[twhite]

I can't answer about 'today', but I can sure tell you that back when brass importing changed from Japan to Korea, the can motors that were coming with the locomotives were often grossly underpowered.  I remember replacing 'factory' cans with better operating cans from NWSL in several of my locos. 

But then I also remember having to re-weight and re-balance the same lokies, LOL!   But I don't know whether it holds true, today with the more 'mass-marketed' detailed locos.  I know that the ones I've bought lately are more than adequate for the job at hand as far as the motors go.  

Tom

 

 

[jeffrey-wimberly]

 I've remotored several Athearn diesels and a Bachmann diesel with new can motors. I used Mashima motors in the Athearn's and a proto Power West motor in the Bachmann.

[Texas Zepher]

tatans

But does anyone buy new locomotives then install new, more high-tech, more powerful , faster motors??

short answer is, "yes".    There are two long answers.  First is that I've never replaced the motor with a faster motor.  I usually one go for one with more torque.  Especially more torque at lower speeds. 

Second is that the motors used by most locomotives are good enough that one should not need to / or let alone have to replace them to get acceptable performance.  Some of the cheaper locos could do well by up grading to a precision motor that many call a "can" motor.  The term "can" motor has degenerated into a generic term for any enclosed low current draw motor, but what is called a "can" motor todahy can be many different things (coreless, brushless, internal stator magnets, etc.).    

or have the manufacturers of locos provided the absolute ultimate motors available?

I don't think ANY manufacture provide the ultimate motors available.  The motor alone would cost more than what someone would pay for the model.  I would say the manufacturers (assuming the higher end - Atlas, Kato, Proto-2000, type) use the best motors that are good enough for the application. 

Am I to believe when purchasing a very expensive loco that I am getting the latest technology there is ??

Absoluetly not.  The latest technology is probably 10 years from economically reaching the toy train market.