How to Make A Williams Engine Run Slower

quote:

Originally posted by Chris Lonero:

Agreed! The first thing I do to a new Williams is wire the motor in series and take out the front and rear lights and install new Even's LED's. Big difference in operaition and apperence!

WOW! What a difference, rewired and runs nice and smooth. I agree all Williams should be rewired. I put the Evans LED's in for the headlights, used the 5mm, they looks great.

"Ditto on the rewire. I'm too lazy to search. Which Evan's LED's are you using in your Williams?"                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              I am using soft white 3mm "Generally" for the head lights and have just tried chip lights for the marker lights mounted behind the lens.

Gentlemen,

   I run my big Williams UP via the DCS, with the side receiver, that allows full control

thru the remote, no engineering changes in the wiring of the big Williams conventional required.  Runs like a dream, smooth as silk, even thru the Lionel old time switches.

PCRR/Dave

Hi Dave. I'm not sure what you mean by side receiver? I run conventional off of my TIU via the variable voltage port. The only thing I don't like is the voltage is in 5V. increments which means your starting voltage is 5V. which for some conventional engines is like a rocket ship taking off!  I would like to see MTH change this in the future and I would like even better is for Williams to put a switch in to give you the option of running in series.  

What is odd is that we start the HTOS large portable layout at 8 V with W/WBB.  But we have several large zw's and other transformers on the layout at the same time.  My guess is there is a votage drop, so the "8" on the layout is a lot less,

It's like using gasoline refined in the 1920's in a brand new car.

For my Williams locos, in addition to wiring the motors in series and replacing the headlights with LEDs, I also add some diodes in series with the motors to drop the voltage so that I have a higher starting voltage, and a lower "top end".  As a result, my lights and sound system come on while the loco has not started moving.  Then, as I add voltage the loco eventually starts moving, but the diesel rev sound also increases - a realistic effect. 

I am also installing one or two thermistors, so that the loco gradually increases in speed as the thermistors warm up.  I don't recall whose idea this was, but it was a poster on this forum. 

I just received my new Williams GP 30 with sound system.  Great runner and great sound, but it runs too fast for the diesel revs to change up from idle.  So, I will add the diodes and themistors to this loco as well, and probably replace the headlights with two small LEDs - we shall see.

I have the motors rewired on this F unit and LED's installed for headlight and numberboards.

I am adding diodes in ALL my Williams locomotives to reduce the high end engine speed. Adding diodes in series with each motor also allows me to have "directional" headlights. First I replace the regular Williams lamps with LED circuits.  Then By tapping off either the diode string I can wire to each headlight (LED) separately so that either the front or rear headlight is illuminated depending on the engine direction.

Note 1: I also use a Zener diode to provide constant headlight and marker intensity.

Note 2: Using another diode circuit I allow both headlights to be on (but dimmed) when the E-stop is set to neutral and power is applied to the engine. When the engine starts moving again the correct headlight is turned on (at full intensity) depending on the direction of the engine.

Series wired motors lower the high end speed but I believe adding series diodes to each motor is a better solution for reducing the high end speed.

Note: When motors are wired in series the motor current in each will be the same.  Wiring two motors in series does not guarantee that they each motor will run at the same speed since the efficiency of each motor may not be the same.

Upgrade them to proto 2 and they will run as slow as you want.

Add more cars to the consist.

I have several Williams SD-45's, two sets of F-7's and a GP-9 and GP-38, that I use with either a Lionel post war ZW or an MTH Z-1000. I never had a problem with Jack-rabbit starts unless I did a stupid thing like leave the handle in the full open position and then turn on power to the ZW. Have been using my Williams for over six years this way, never rewired anything. I will admit the GP-9 is quick on the take off!

I picked up a transformer at a flea market that works great with my Williams GP-9, a Troller TAC 2001. The Troller  TAC has different voltage outputs; 0 to 9 volts and 0 to18 volts and has a whistle button. It was in a package deal for $20.00, 2 bridges, a couple of small buildings, and two used K-Line 042 switches.

Lee Fritz

What type of Zener Diode would be best?

Andrew