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Author Topic: is Lionel DC or AC  (Read 1215 times)

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is Lionel DC or AC
« on: August 05, 2018, 01:47:35 pm »
A couple of years back someone told me that Lionel was putting DC motors in the Locomotives and that they were using a rectifier in the loco to convert AC to DC.  Is this correct?  How can I tell if a Loco is DC or AC?

Thanks

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Re: is Lionel DC or AC
« Reply #1 on: August 05, 2018, 04:00:51 pm »
Todays' locomotives by Lionel and other manufacturers use totally enclosed 'can' motors that run on DC voltage. They need a rectifier to run on the AC voltage supplied by the transformer, and the rectifier is on a circuit board that is used to reverse the motor direction.

The AC motors of the past were of the open frame type which could be disassembled for maintenance and cleaning.


Larry

 

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