# lionel dc general / rectifier installed and running on ac



## BENZ TRAINZ (Sep 22, 2017)

i picked the general up with the tender for 40 bucks on ebay. no one wanted it as it was dc only. you can run the motor on a single diode but in this case the motor chattered so ordered a full wave bridge rectifier. just got it installed in the chassis and wired to the motor, runs perfectly, no chatter no buzzing and no obvious change to the locomotive. total cost of the conversion 3 bucks. runs perfectly on any track on the layout...


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## mackerel (Oct 9, 2018)

Very nice! :appl:

I've got the same loco with the same modification. It was the first train I received when I was a kid. Yours is in much better shape. Mine took a lot of 10 year old abuse and as a result many of the plastic accouterments have broken off, but at least it runs well. I also still have all but one of the cars that came with it. 

By the way, one of the modifications of this type that I saw had a switch added to change direction. I decided against it as it just looked like too much effort.


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## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

I liked this video. It solves a problem on how to get that DC engine to run on AC which is the majority of postwar Lionel.

The next logical video is to get that engine to go in reverse with a DPDT switch. Part cost of the diode and switch is still less than the electronic reverse unit. 


With a reverse unit the engine would be compatible with the AC brothers.


Why am I going on about this? I wanted to do the opposite, make the AC motor run like a DC motor that depended on track power reversal to change direction of the engine.I did have DC engines that did this but I wanted one that would run on AC too


I placed the diode like the one shown, a full bridge rectifier to the field coil of the motor. So using DC power , the current flow through the coil was always constant regardless of track polarity. My end result I had an engine going back and forth on DC regulated with a relay and a timer. I did have DC engines that did this but I wanted one that would run on AC too
All that took was to add a switch.

Another completely independent thought is the AC postwar Lionel motor will run on DC. But they cannot use the whistle tenders which activate with a DC pulse.


My last thought on the ac motor with no reverse unit. The AC motor will reverse by switching track wires using AC but will not reverse when using DC. I performed this test once a wile ago. I think I got it right. NO I DID NOT! Please read on
.

Using DC on the motor, the wire orientation will not make it change direction


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## BENZ TRAINZ (Sep 22, 2017)

i dont deal with lionel often, picked up the general cheap as it was dc only. as far as forward and reverse, i did a series on bypassing the e unit in the marx motor and adding a dpdt switch to replace it. works well, have not tried it on lionel.


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## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

Well done. That is it. Marx has the brushes grounded and Lionel has the field coil grounded to the frame. That's the only difference.


I have not seen that video before.

That is a nice engine too!


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## Millstonemike (Aug 9, 2018)

T-Man said:


> ...
> 
> 
> My last thought on the ac motor with no reverse unit. The AC motor will reverse by switching track wires using AC but will not reverse when using DC. I performed this test once a wile ago. I think I got it right.


I must not understand. I don't think any motor will reverse by just switching an AC feed (i.e., w/o some type of e-unit).


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## BENZ TRAINZ (Sep 22, 2017)

Millstonemike said:


> I must not understand. I don't think any motor will reverse by just switching an AC feed (i.e., w/o some type of e-unit).


using a diode on the transformer the dc can motor will reverse by changing polarity of the feed wires, i demonstrate this in the video.


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## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

Millstonemike said:


> I must not understand. I don't think any motor will reverse by just switching an AC feed (i.e., w/o some type of e-unit).




It has been a while so I retested and you are absolutely correct. It will not change direction with the wires switched. I had to review it because it does interest me. So that statement is wrong. hwell: Thank you for pointing that out.


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