American Flyer 405

The Gilbert American Flyer will run on both AC and DC. If your DC is from aa HO power pack there may not be enough amperage to run the motor.

Ray

Thank, is it ok to run it a Lionel transformer? Sorry but I have ran old Lionel but do not know anything about American Flyer

They have an upper operating voltage of around 16 VAC, so you would need to check the max voltage for the Lionel transformer.

Thank you for your help, I will look into an American flyer transformer

You worry too much, AF can take up to 18, even 20 volts. A "Big L" transformer will work just fine. The 405 is a single unit motor, so not a LOT of power in it. It can pull 3 aluminum streamline passenger cars, that's what it was designed to do; can do more plastic cars though--the aluminum cars are heavy!

Thank you, it runs great with the lionel transformer

 

I have it running with three cars, 661, 502 and 963

 

can I run the 660 with it?

You should be able to, as the 502 &963 are plastic cars. You'll know when you have too much train on it as the wheels will just spin--there are no pull-more wheels on the 405 (unless it's been modified).

@Former Member posted:

<snip>  --there are no pull-more wheels on the 405 (unless it's been modified).

Not quite. There are 405's fitted with one Pull-mor wheel ... the forward wheel on the left ("fireman's") side. There was a late run of 5205W sets and 1953 style rubberized wheels made it onto 405, which is the first single motor PA to benefit from the improved traction. The 5205W sets (particularly the late 5205WCX's) came with three of the new plastic streamlined cars in chrome or frosted chrome plating. I own a LN/OW/OB sample fitted with said traction wheel. Hope this clarifies.

Respectfully,

Bob

I have a 405 with a traction tire as well. Of my three 405's one has the traction tire but I think the sample size is too small to say 1/3rd of them have it.

Well I think I am learning, I have some post war Lionel that I have run for years.

This 405 looks like it has two traction  wheels on the front truck. Black Rubber on the wheels, if I am correct.

8 had the e unit replaced at train store in Bristol. PA which has recently closed. When I run the four cars, I think the e unit overheats i have to take off the cover and move the e unit by hand a few times by hand. I don't have the problem when I run just three. I know the answer ks run three but....

Thanks

An e-unit coil shouldn't get hotter under load unless maybe you aren't supplying enough power (small transformer). 

A big amp drawmdraw might heat the contacts on the e-unit though; when motor amp draw is higher (weight loaded).

There are some AF dc only motors fyi. (I don't know #s)

One way to know is motor magnets are normally for dc.

A universal brush motor can run on AC or DC.  (Ac is dc+, pause, dc-, pause, dc+) 

So even an AC"only" motor is safe to try DC first. It may not run, but won't burn up in testing.

A dc motor will burn up fast on ac. It may chatter and try, baulk, freeze, etc. I.e. not smooth and will burn up very soon (say 2 seconds to about 10min max on a good one)

Now while this is fresh lets make DC from AC. A bridge rectifier (electric component) literally corrals AC + & - push/pull waves into 2 of 4 "pen doors" where the pulses go in or out at will (2 tabs ac wave marked ~), and sends each +/- wave type past an exit only door #3(dc+ tab) where only +pulse are let into a waiting hall, which leads right over to another corral 4th door where the pulse is only choice is to go back into the corral pulled (dc - tab).  (4 diodes are inside a BR. It is simply a convenient packaging of them.)

Goofle's Ajtomatic spellwreck removed some words randomly.  (yep, it's off too)

There are no DC only motors in any Gilbert diesel. DC permanent magnet motors were only used in some 0-8-0's and some 4-8-4's. Also, an irrelevant technicality, Gilbert engines do not have E-units. They have reversing units that are sometimes also called remote control units in Gilbert literature. E units are electrically different as they are used with motors that have double wound fields.

By cover I assume you mean the shell. The reversing unit should not ever overheat with a single motor engine, they are used in dual motor diesels with no problem. I wonder if the replacement unit was not correctly serviced before it was installed. It sounds like the pawl is sticking and then the drum does not rotate. The current drawn by the motor does not affect the current drawn by the small solenoid that moves the pawl.