QUESTION ABOUT MTH WATER TOWER

Hi Alex,

 

I have the exact same water tower and it works the same way for me. It is very very fast going down and very very fast going up. I have the button mechanism that triggers the tower and it is very touchy. Just a little release of button causes the arm to swing up. 

 

Maybe someone who is electrically and mechanically advanced could pick the mechanism apart and figure out how to have a more prototypical movement. 

What voltage are you putting into it?

Thanks Mike and Paul for your help

 

Paul the voltage is 14 its hooked up via the DCS and of course the AIU

and I press the on button on the DCS remote and the action is very fast

same if I press the off button.

 

THANKS, ALEX

Have you tried using a lower voltage? How does it operate at say 6 volts?

Hi Paul I'm going to give that a try and I'll let you

know.

 

THANKS, ALEX

Hi Paul I just tried 6 volts and it wasn't enough power to move

the spout. Then I tried 8 volts and still didn't work. Then I moved to

10 and 11 volts and the action of the spout was the same like 14 volts

I guess this is the way its works.

 

THANKS AGAIN, PAUL AND MIKE FOR YOU HELP

ALEX

It was a thought. I can make some of my Lionel and K-Line operating accessories work more realistically by reducing the voltage.

Yes Paul I've done that in the past with some other accessories

 and it worked. I'm stumped to can't figure that out. You should

see how fast it jumps very unrealistic.

 

I THANK YOU PAUL FOR ALL OF YOUR HELP

ALEX

 

 

Hey Alex...  Thanks for posting this.  I have been thinking about getting a water tower and this will be useful.  Did you try a Google search for "MTH Water Tower Slow" or something like that?  You might get hits from this and other forums.

I had one and it was suggested to shorten the spring inside by a few turns, this did slow it down. Mine lasted about five years and worked great. Recently the plastic gear split and would no longer grab the motor shaft. Nothing I did would fix it (glue).

THe whole thing is now in my parts box.

Sorry I couldn't be of more help. I have the water tower on my layout and it does go way too fast I agree, I had planned on lowering the voltage to it at some time but hadn't gotten around to it yet. Thank you for saving me the time lol! I actually do not use it as an operating accessory although it is hooked up. I put it on the layout after painting and weathering it more for the aesthetics then operating it so for me it's not a problem.

HI everyone I thank you all for your help and input.

Kevin yes good idea I was looking at that spring earlier

and I felt that it had a lot of tension on it, so I'm going to

shorten the spring tomorrow and see if it slows it down.

 

Paul and Eric, and Kevin I'll get back to you guys tomorrow

and let you guys know

 

THANKS, ALEX

Kevin I'm looking for a project water tower for a smoke fluid loader. Do you want to part with it?

One way to slow it down may be to pulse current to it,would have to think about it.

 

Dale H

Is it motor-driven or solenoid-driven? If it's solenoid-driven, you might be able to change it's actuation using a Tortoise turnout motor.

I plan to do a project with it myself someday, so i will keep it.

Thanks Dale and Matt for your help.

Matt it's motor driven, I'm going to shorten the spring tomorrow

morning and see if that slows it down. If It does I will take a quick

video of the before and after.

THANKS AGAIN, ALEX

If you visit Hobbyengineering.com; you will find all sorts of small gear reduction motors that could be adapted to this mechanism.

 

Some have gear ratios of 216:1 and 336:1.  That would move the spout nice and slow.  

 

Google hobby gear reduction motors. 

Hi everyone thanks for all of your input.

Mike N thanks I will take a look at that website

 

I took the tension spring out today and shortened at about 5

turns and it slowed the movement a little. I'll try to post a video

later. But I think Mike N has the right idea putting a reduction motor

in. Anyway thanks to all again.

 

THANKS, ALEX

A little paint Alex and you can make it look pretty good. It moves so fast that one time recently the counter weight, behind the spout, came flying off almost like a launched rocket.

 

 

 

 

Wow Mike that looks really good.

Mike just cut the spring inside about 5 or 6

turns and it will move a little slower. Cut A little at a time

and try it. When I first tried it it did the same thing the weight

shot like a rocket also.

 

THANKS, ALEX

Here's a picture of mine after weathering with alcohol and India ink before I installed it on the layout.

 

 

Wow Paul another beauty what a great job.

 

THANKS, ALEX

I have one. One day it just stopped working.  Have replaced all of the parts inside the tank (new solenoid and gears) and it still does not work.  Looks great though.

I just picked upa new motor for mine at York, the gear split at the bottom of it. Cool accessorie.I havnt had time to play with the voltage yet.This is on 13 volts.

 

Gets ya in and out in a hurry!

 

Yeah the ting plastic gear split on mine also. I replaced it with a brass gear and got it running again. You may be able to slow the arm going back up by putting a smaller counterweight on the back. The weight that is there is fairly heavy.

Hey Patrick. H I just watched your video is that a light I see that turns on

when the spout goes down. I would like to know how you hooked that up.

By the way the layout looks awesome.

 

NJJOE I'm going to play around with it today see what happens.

 

THANKS TO ALL FOR YOUR INPUT,

ALEX

Mine broke down a long time ago. Since then it has got run down and some hobo's are using it as a spa!

 

 

Not sure if this is an option, but a couple of years ago I think there was an article in either OGR or CTT about powering with DC power some accessories that were originally stated for AC power.  The result was smoother and more quiet operation.  Cost was low because the power was from an old cast off tyco HO DC train transformer that you adjust the voltage with the control handle.  I think the article targeted some postwar Lionel accessories, like the gateman, but it might be a workable option to get smoother operation from the MTH water tower.

Chris that's such a great scene, really cool

 

THANKS, ALEX

Thanks Keystone for the info.

 

I installed mine today and did some scenery work around it

still more to do.

 

Hello Joe,

Do you have any details on the brass gear you used; where I can get a replacement.  This looks like a common problem with these units, I have 2 with the same problem.

 

Regards,

Rod

The suggestion for using a VDC Tortoise motor operated via an on/on toggle at less than its 12 VDC maximum voltage rating seems to me a permanent solution.

You could use an VDC 8 volt or more wall wart transformer to power it directly and operate or, if using VAC and the handheld remote use inexpensive diodes to rectify VAC to about 8 volts VDC.