Garden Railway Forum

I'm not certain that it is the same Rod, you might need to contact the seller or check with the LEGO website about part number etc.
Also, if you read my description I said it is not an easy conversion and needs to be stripped down, re-wheeled and re-built to fit the narrower track of 32mm gauge. I haven't yet fitted it to a loco either so unsure how it will perform.... I did say it was experimental!

Now after Mrail (Rob) gave me two powered bogies that he made some years ago. I have been able to fit one to the Railcar. It now runs

Although it does run a tad bit fast. I have put 4 cell AA battery box in, but it's easy enough to change to a 3 or 2 cell for a more easy run ( And so I don't have to chase it to stop it)...


This is one of the bogies that Rob gave me..

And this is it running. Sorry about the wind noise, not a lot can be done when it's blowing a gale...

Well done Rod, that has certainly cured the problem but it is much too fast as you said. A speed controller (I.P Engineering do one) would do the job without altering the batteries.

You could try one of these no idea how good they are but I would give it a go for the price
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Mini-DC-3V-3 ... 3100313242
you probably need a separate reversing switch.
Alternatively Rik's aruino/nRF24Lo1 controller could do the job with a receiver/aruino+motorshield in the railcar
Don

I've mentioned to Rod, that as I said when we met, the bogie is built around a Tamiya car motor.
This is rated at 3V, and ought to be powered by two 1.5V battery cells.
Possibly three NiMH at 1.2 V would be OK.

Peter Butler wrote: ↑Thu Sep 05, 2019 9:22 pm Well done Rod, that has certainly cured the problem but it is much too fast as you said. A speed controller (I.P Engineering do one) would do the job without altering the batteries.

I have found out from Rob, that it's Tamiya 3v motor..... ..So it's no wonder it's running fast Peter. It's a flipping good job I didn't connect the battery pack that was in it originally....It has 8 cells in....Told you I am not very electrically minded.....

I would have been completing with Usain Bolt trying to catch up with it..

MRail wrote: ↑Fri Sep 06, 2019 8:26 am I've mentioned to Rod, that as I said when we met, the bogie is built around a Tamiya car motor.
This is rated at 3V, and ought to be powered by two 1.5V battery cells.
Possibly three NiMH at 1.2 V would be OK.

Our posts have just crossed Rob.

I will put a 3 cell in. I tried a 2 cell just before the rain came this morning and it was struggling a bit. I think it may be the weight of the Railcar possibly...

How would the speed controller work. Does it keep the torque in the motor the same or will it just slow it down.....

DonW wrote: ↑Thu Sep 05, 2019 11:39 pm You could try one of these no idea how good they are but I would give it a go for the price
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Mini-DC-3V-3 ... 3100313242
you probably need a separate reversing switch.
Alternatively Rik's aruino/nRF24Lo1 controller could do the job with a receiver/aruino+motorshield in the railcar
Don

Hi Don,

It has a reversing switch already. So it would just be a case of connecting it to the motor wiring wouldn't it. But if I put 3 cells in would I still need a speed controller....

Hi Rod

the device is a speed controller it works by Pulse Width Modulation. Whatever battery you are using it will apply to the motor but by switching the power on and off (at about 10kHz) the motor acts as though it only receives part of the voltage. That means at 50% on 50% off it will act as though half the battery voltage was applied., at 75% on 25% off it will act as though three quarters was applied.
As I say I haven't tried it but at the price I would give it a go. I assume you have either a centre off reversing switch or a separate on off switch already.
One issue is whether the controller pulses cause a whine in the motor but that may not be a problem running outdoors even if it does cause a slight whine.

Don

Thanks Don for the info. I may well give it a go, not much to lose really.....