DD40 Lighting Query


Not adding any flywheels? This looks like one of the 70's versions, no flywheels, and the motors mechanically connected.
No, the motors were, I think, the original ones, I looked at fitting flywheel motors but it would mean taking chunks out the chassis for the flywheels and changing all the drive's to Hex. If I can find some thinner flywheels that won't interfere with the chassis I'll look at fitting them, but they seem rather scarce.
 
No, the motors were, I think, the original ones, I looked at fitting flywheel motors but it would mean taking chunks out the chassis for the flywheels and changing all the drive's to Hex. If I can find some thinner flywheels that won't interfere with the chassis I'll look at fitting them, but they seem rather scarce.
Flywheels are a remnant of the DC days. They were there to prevent a jerky stop when the voltage dropped below enough to keep the motor turning. With a good DCC decoder, I've found you really don't need them. I've done lots of brass steamer re-motors. A few from the early days have flywheels, most don't. I've just begun stuffing the largest motor that will fit in there. Watching the two varieties perform on the layout, you really can't tell if a flywheel is there or not.
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replacement motor fitment.JPG


And lastly, one with flywheel. This was the last one I did. The flywheel had to be painted black because it stuck into the cab. I didn't care for that.
IMG_0319.JPG
 
Flywheels are a remnant of the DC days. They were there to prevent a jerky stop when the voltage dropped below enough to keep the motor turning. With a good DCC decoder, I've found you really don't need them. I've done lots of brass steamer re-motors. A few from the early days have flywheels, most don't. I've just begun stuffing the largest motor that will fit in there. Watching the two varieties perform on the layout, you really can't tell if a flywheel is there or not.
View attachment 156727

View attachment 156728
View attachment 156729

And lastly, one with flywheel. This was the last one I did. The flywheel had to be painted black because it stuck into the cab. I didn't care for that.
View attachment 156730
On my track flywheels seem to run nicer, probably the extra weight in them. Nice Locomotives, I love the brass ones.
 



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