Scrat
Member
- Joined
- Jun 7, 2016
- Messages
- 16
- Reaction score
- 7
Building a 5" gauge battery-electric loco.
Six huge axle-hung motors.
Yesterday I wired the controller, checked if both bogies went the same way and had her roll a few cms up and down the bench.
As the car batteries are quite heacy and had to go in and out several times during the process I used small 7 Ah lead-acid batteries.
The car battery clamps would not fit these so I used alligator clips to connect them.
Running to and fro without load was no problem but then I had the bright idea of checking how much power the loco had.
I leaned against the buffer beam and let her go forward.
*Flash of light*
*lots of smoke*
*electric smell*
The stall current of each motor is higher than 50 Amps.
Six motors vs flimsy alligator clips.
A few patches of melted insulation inside the loco, nothing left of the wires.
Clips were still in place.
Will test with proper batteries this week.
Six huge axle-hung motors.
Yesterday I wired the controller, checked if both bogies went the same way and had her roll a few cms up and down the bench.
As the car batteries are quite heacy and had to go in and out several times during the process I used small 7 Ah lead-acid batteries.
The car battery clamps would not fit these so I used alligator clips to connect them.
Running to and fro without load was no problem but then I had the bright idea of checking how much power the loco had.
I leaned against the buffer beam and let her go forward.
*Flash of light*
*lots of smoke*
*electric smell*
The stall current of each motor is higher than 50 Amps.
Six motors vs flimsy alligator clips.
A few patches of melted insulation inside the loco, nothing left of the wires.
Clips were still in place.
Will test with proper batteries this week.
