Bridge Rectifier Questions

You can use any bridge rectifier, a 5A or 6A unit from RS with at least a 50V rating will do fine.  Connect the track pickups to the ~ connections and the motor to the + & - connections.  If the locomotive runs in the wrong direction, reverse the +/- connections to the motor.

Bridge rectifiers convert AC to DC, not the other way around.  However, AC to DC is what you need in this case.

Here's a Radio Shack 10A one that will do fine, and it's just over $2.

Thank you very much! I am off to Radio Shack. Have a great day--- Jim

Another option for dual motored units is to use 2, 6 amp diodes. The roller wire is connected to the + of one and the minus of the other diode. The 2 remaining leads go to each motor. The outside rail wire also goes to each motor. One motor receives the top half,and the other motor the bottom half of the sine wave. This is about the same as series wiring the motors and does not have the drawbacks of unequal power distribution.

Dale H

That will reduce the top speed and pulling power, but it is a clever way to equalize the motor loads.

Does it actually equalize?  I would think they would be alternately carrying the load no?  G

Yes,60 times each second,half waved pulsed DC,not enough to notice,and it would always be equal distribution with good low speed performance. A small capacitor on each motor, maybe 470 uf could smooth things out a bit if it were a problem without the loosing the benefits compared to series wiring the motors.

Dale H

I doubt the motor's momentum slows much in the 120th of a second it's not receiving power.   After all, you can run the engine on a single diode that does that to both motors, it'll run fine.  You won't notice that it only gets power half the time.