well i read all the posts and it looks like everybody but you has plans for your switcher..... i know this is old post but i had to pipe up here and tell you that the early Spectrum 5-pole motor will fit the MDT- all that's needed is some minor grinding on the frame halves where they contact the motor terminals. you'll need to remove the flywheels, cut the rear shaft, and swap the worm. i made a pair of dock bumpers from an old silver quarter, glued them to the pilots and it will now pull a slew of cars. i used long-shank rapidos to clear the bumpers. so, crawls really nicely and moves long strings of cars. its a good switcher just needs TLC and possibly an HOn3 world to operate in as I feel this switcher is TOO BIG for N scale. i have made a stubby F-unit body from a trix shell and use it on my switcher when it goes to my club's layout- turns the snickers into 'gee-whizzes'. good luck.
Just because you are DC doesn’t mean you can’t use a PWM throttle for switching. Far better control than straight DC, it’s the waveform DCC decoders send to the motor. http://www3.sympatico.ca/kstapleton3/851.HTM
Thanks Tony -- I'm a DC guy and just bookmarked that website. That kit looks like fun. I think Kato's newest design DC stationary power pack is PWM as well.
It took 20 minutes for a Kato motor’s flywheel to spin one (!) revolution on our NTrak trial with Ken’s power pack. We had to put a Sharpie mark on the brass to see it was even moving!
Oh, and Kens throttle gets rid of that annoying DCC whine, which comes from having the decoder create the PWM Waveform instead of a dedicated chip. Every so often, the DCC controller has to listen for commands, so it “looks away” for a time, allowing the PWM waveform to loose time sync. You hear this effect on the motor as a whistle. Most controller companies just upped the PWM frequency so your dog howls instead of you. Ken’s throttle makes no noise at 60Hz...
On the other hand the newer Arnold SW1 is super. Smooth operation plus DCC plug and play with traction tires; it will pull alot.
Aha! I thought so! Northwest Short Line makes a replacement axle for the Arnold S2, 2156-2, which replaces the broken plastic gear on the original switcher. The gear has a dimple cast on the side, which being thinner cracks at that point. http://nebula.wsimg.com/fccfcd478cf...EE66B97B387F20C0D&disposition=0&alloworigin=1
I'm pretty sure I heard that NWSL is closing up shop sometime this summer? Might be worth your while to check on parts sooner than later.
NorthWest Short Line March 17 · This is the post I don’t want to make but the time has come. I just can’t do this without Lynda. Following is the notice I sent to all the magazines. ======= After 60 years in business, NWSL will cease operations effective August 30th, 2019. The company will continue to take orders for in-stock products until July 1st, 2019. Closure is for personal reasons and sale of the business is not anticipated, although reasonable proposals will be considered.
