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Reply to "Dallee tech service - need answers 1991 MP Alcos"

Hello All - thanks for the replies.   Okay, so the Dallee tech service guy told me this was the style of board I needed for a two-motor engine, as I said previously, I'm not sure he really listened to me when I said I had a Lionel American Flyer Alco from 1991.  Some folks here suggested the conversion was trivial, it's not - I also replaced the headlights.  SO YOU ARE SAYING THE TWO PICKUP DESIGN IS GOING TO FRY MY MOTORS?

1) Remove 7 screws plus 2 screws that hold on heat sink - disassemble engine, remove board, cut all wires to leave max length (cut near solder on board)

2) Dallee Tech said to mount board vertically on angle bracket, I don't think there's room for this, had to mount horizontal, so take off trucks by removing small "C" clips (push out with small flatblade) leaving flat frame and small slide switch for engine direction still attached to bottom

3) take to small block of wood so can hammer without damaging slide switch, use hammer and punch to made a drill hole pre-punch right next to existing hole since if you mount the Dallee board in existing holes it's situated for failure -it overhangs and you can't re-assemble engine (learned hard way of course).  Drill out "half a hole" and then take paint off for heat transfer - used recommended "heat paste" from Dallee instructions, attach Dallee board to frame, tighten, put trucks back on.  Push clips on with straight edge screwdriver.

4) run 4 wires from each truck through frame holes to board, remove original Christmas bulb headlight, we're going to use the headlight frame.

5) Jumper winding pins 5&6

6) Make short connector wires and attach them to pins 1-4 - this is so min of wires runs from side of board next to side of engine, too many/thick of wires means you can't re-assemble the engine.

7) FRONT: run 2 motor wires front  motor and 2 motor wires from back to pin 1-2  jumpers (in parallel).  Later double check that both wheels spin in same direction (I can't remember if it's red to black or red to red - I think its the black wire from one and the red wire from the other)12345

8) connect 2 track power from each truck to jumper wire into pins 3-4 on Dallee. Also connect new circuit board for headlight to this junction.  Using care insulate the "circuit board" (cut from wooden frames found in craft store meant to use with thin yarn) using electrical tape and electrical shrink wrap sleeve as needed.  Cut short lengths of brass tube to hold LED - you can see I had to take what I could get for front alignment sticking out old headlight hole, I'm not good at this kind of stuff, I can live with how far this sticks out because when it's on you can't see the slight imperfection      I super-glued the electronics on the inside (LED and brass tube) with superglue, there's still a little play of what sticks out but after all this I'm happy it works)

I converted 2 of these powered engines, so I only had to reverse the motor leads at the board (pin 1-2) to make one run always backward all the time  and the other always pulls forward - they pull beautifully together.

 

 

Attachments

Images (5)
  • 1: frame holes need to be enlarged
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4: fold over leads and solder - 2 leads sticking up are the 2 power leads
  • 5: brass out a bit too far, still is mostly front-directed and so bright you can't notice it!

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