PC: Re: MU Compatability

["Garrett Rea" <Garrett.Rea@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Thanks!! confirmed a lot of guesses I had, esp lighting....

GR

-----Original Message-----
From: Price <eprice -AT- skantech.net>
To: penn-central -AT- smellycat.com <penn-central@smellycat.com>
Date: Tuesday, March 23, 1999 3:24 AM
Subject: PC: MU Compatability


>Hi All,
>  Couldn't help but notice Garret Rea's Mu Computability statement about
the
>C-628.
>  Several things factor into MUing various manufactures locos with each
>other.
>  1.  Gearing
>  2.  Motor Speed
>  3.  Electronic circuits(bio directional lights, light bulbs, decoder
>plugs, etc) all add resistance to the circuit, which in turn slows down the
>loco.
>  4.  Lack of nickel silver wheels.  This applies to athearn and some of
the
>early P2k.  These manufacturers use/used either sintered iron or brass
>wheels.  These wheels pick-up dirt much faster that nickel silver wheels
>which in turn will disrupt a good electrical circuit.
>  5.  Motor quality and fly wheel quality(Noteabably athearn)  I was
curious
>as why the P2k motors seemed to be better than an athearn as they appeared
>to be identical.  A friend of mine who owns a machine and turning shop put
>an athearn motor to some precision micrometers.  We found out that the
>flywheels are not turned true.  The flywheels miced out  as a measurement
>for standard stock which is not machined hence truely round to machine
>standards.   Apparently who ever produces this for athearn simply drilled a
>whole near center and bored out the other end for the flywheel coupling.
>Slop in the armature was evident and the list goes on and on.  I decided to
>scrap the athearn motors and replace them with can motors from A-line.  My
>buddy produced some flywheels for these motors but A-line also produces
>them.  The moral of the story is there is a reason why an Athearn cost
>around $30 and a Kato $100 plus.
>  Any way, I had to come up with a solution to getting all of these locos
to
>mu with each other.  (repowered athaern, kato. atlas-china, P2k, front
>Range, Alco models brass and Bachman)
>  I found that by adding resistors to some of these I could get ALL
>locos(except Atlas-Roco) to mu with each other.  There is about a 30 ohms
>difference between them all.  I installed 1/2 watt resistors from radio
>shack between the electrical pick-up and the motor.  These resistors have a
>high defect rate but are only 50 cents a package.  Also these things do get
>hot so make sure that they do not touch the plastic shell.
>  I'm not sure as how this will effect DCC as I run my stuff on a layout
>which is standard DC block control.
>                                      Hope this helps
>                                          Ed
>
>
>