bob2 posted:Either way, that appears to be an AC/DC motor. The simplest thing is to stick a two dollar bridge rectifier in there, and run it on DC.
The only reason Lionel and 3-rail is still AC is tradition. Most motors are now DC, so converting the transformer to DC could be done once at the transformer, or multiple times at each locomotive. If you do it at the locomotive, you also need a complicated E-unit. Makes no technical sense.
Wouldn't they need some form of reversing unit to change the polarity? If they are running off an a/c transformer, they assume the unit will respond to the power off/on as cycling direction. If they simply put a bridge rectifier on there, they would need some sort of reverse unit to change the polarity, or it would work in whatever direction they had the hot and return side wired on the engine.
