I recently acquired a 332 Northern that has a Flyer DC motor in it. Since all of my other flyer engines and transformers are AC, I'm considering what to do. I've looked at various options, like installing a Dallee electronic E unit that would permit me to also install a sound card and keep the old DC motor. I've also thought about getting a DC can motor for it. Although I'm a long-time flyer guy, I've only recently retrieved my Flyer stuff from the attic (my wife's to blame for that...) and a few things have changed in the past 30 years, like the new electronic controls, sounds etc. I've looked at Carl T's site, along with Doug Peak's and others (very helpful sites, thanks), and find there are a number of options like getting Lionel electronics or Electric RR, etc. I don't think I want to run TMCC or DCC, but I am willing to 'trick out' the 332 at bit. Any opinions/suggestions etc. would be welcomed.

I believe Frank Timko puts can motors in old Flyer engines. Pretty much just screw in place; then you could put a electronic eunit in the tender and a sound card from electric railroad with a small speaker. I have put Command in my two Flyer engines and they run very smooth and quite...

Marty

The Dallee #400 Reverse unit is very reliable and works well. I put one in my 336 and love how it runs. Dallee Reverse Units Dallee makes some very good products, but I do not like the way some of his sound systems require a 10-button Locomatic box to be activated, and how many of them are super sensitive to illuminated cars/caboose, or other power units in the same train. Great reverse units though.

Another option is to run the loco "as is" with DC power. You can build an AC-DC converter circuit with a bridge rectifier and two DPDT switches. One switch selects AC vs DC. The other switch reverses the polarity of the output when it's DC.

CTT had an article about this with a wiring schematic, probably 1-2 years ago...

AC AF equipment will run on DC as these engines have universal motors. Get an old Gilbert #15 Rectiformer from Ebay to run your Challenger on DC, it will work with any AF transformer. This was a big selling point for AF in the early 50s, the "electronic" engines such as your Challenger.

I was just reading some items on this forum and have a suggestion for you. I have been installing TMCC for about 4 years in a lot of it in S gauge trains. You can get the Lionel version of the E unit for about $13.00 versus $45.00 - $50.00 for the Dallee unit. You can also install just the sound card from ERR and you will get the electronic chuff, Horn / Whistle, Bell
- Coupler Clank (activated by Bell button in conventional mode)
- Air Release (activated by Bell button in conventional mode)
- Steamer - Idle steam, compressor pump

Check out their web site---www.electricrr.com

Ed

Try this experiment on a bench first to see if it works. Wire a small bridge rectifier between the AC track power and a conventional ACG reverse unit. See if you can find two nodes from the reverse unit that will reverse polarity when the reverse unit cycles. If it works, stick it all in the tender and run the two leads to the armature. The field is a permanent magnet, so it does not take leads.