Subject:
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Re: lgauge.com update (DCC)
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.trains
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Date:
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Sat, 16 Apr 2005 03:16:11 GMT
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Viewed:
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1578 times
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> Some of my steam engines have 2 train motors, 2 technic gearmotors and 3 > lights in the firebox:
(snip)
> Therefore it is likely that I would exceed the continuous rating of the > decoder.
>
> I like to run the motors at no more than 250mA continuous, preferably 200mA,
> so I try to design the trains around this. All locos with enough room have
> multiple train motors.
>
> Considering that an N-gauge train is so small, have you ever heard of one
> pulling 1 Amp continuously?
Yes, because the decoders are not limited to a N scale engine.
If the 1A current is too limiting, the HO scale decoders are always a
possibility for a external mounted decoder.
> I understand that most DCC enthusiasts have one decoder per loco and then
> group them together for multiple working. The Pendolino could have one
> decoder for each powered vehicle, but they are at opposite ends of the train
> and therefore under different loads as the train travels round the layout. I
> don't want the back end pushing the middle off on a curve, so there must be
> an electrical link along the length of the train.
You do not require a electrical link along the train, except to ensure that if
one end runs into grubby track, the other end doesn't push the train off the
track. It's far easier to have separate decoders in most trains...in this case,
either you have 4 wires running the length of the train, or you have two (either
decoder output or track voltage...if it is track voltage, then you can use it
for lights...)
That being said, I don't have much in the way of problems with my Metroliner,
which is more like a HST train...two sloped nosed engines, two metroliner day
coaches, two club cars and a homebuilt dining/washroom drop centered car. All
up, I use 3 motors to propel it around (and especially up) my layout. No
connecting wires at all, just the natural speed to travel over small dead spots.
> I think the multiple motors (usually 2 per loco) would lead to an external
> decoder being the preferred solution. An alternative would be one decoder
> per motor, but this gets expensive when I have about 45 motors!
It does get expensive. I think I have 20 Lego motors converted to DCC, and
about the same number of OO scale models...plus the box of 12 lego motors which
have decoders, but haven't been reassembled...
I find that it is more 'lego like' to have the motors as much as possible self
contained. It makes it easer to build new models (something I haven't done in a
while...), or change the motor to be under a different model. Not such a issue
with you ( & the 8mm train scale), because of the difficulty of extracting the
motors from the train.
> Do you find that with different locos naturally having different loads, due
> to friction and weight, they run at different speeds with DCC as well as with
> ordinary DC control? As an alternative to DCC, I was considering making a
> closed loop PWM controller that would stop a loco racing down a hill and
> boost its power up a hill, maintaining constant speed around a looped eight
> layout.
Most definitely, that any substantial change of grade _will_ cause excitement
with it being dependant on the train weight. When I run up or down grade, it is
always in hand control, not left to run on its own...otherwise, the train ends
up being a airplane.
James
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Message is in Reply To:
 | | Re: lgauge.com update (DCC)
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| (...) Some of my steam engines have 2 train motors, 2 technic gearmotors and 3 lights in the firebox: (2 URLs) and the Pendolino has 4 train motors and uses the full 1 Amp continuously at about 8 Volts (less than full speed): (URL) Therefore it is (...) (20 years ago, 10-Apr-05, to lugnet.trains)
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