Series Wiring Mods for dual motored Williams and WBB locos.

Started by Joe Satnik, May 27, 2012, 08:00:45 PM

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Joe Satnik

Dear All,

If you want to install a switch to go back and forth between series and parallel, skip down to 3.)

Assuming you have safely removed the loco's shell;

Look at the wires attached to each of the two electric motors.  

Each motor should have a "dot" where one wire attaches to it and no mark where the other attaches to it.

Trace the "dotted" wires back to the Molex connectors plugged into the reversing board.

Note the plug's orientation to insure that it gets plugged back in properly in later steps.

a.) Remove one (2 pin) plug at a time.

b.) Using a small nail or Xacto-knife blade tip, depress the small tab on the back of the "dotted" wire's metal connector pin, and pull it out of the back of the plastic Molex plug.  

c.) Plug the plastic molex connector in its proper orientation back into the reverser board (with only one metal pin).  The dotted wire should be loose.  

Repeat a, b, and c for the other dotted wire.

Double check that the 2 loose wires are indeed from the dotted side of each motor.

Join (connect) the two dotted wires together, one from each motor:  

1.) You could lay the two loose pins next to each other and wrap them with electrical tape or heat shrink tubing.  This would make it easy to return to stock parallel wiring, but may not be a trouble free connection.  

or,

2.) For a more permanent and trouble free connection;

Move back one inch from the metal pins on each dotted wire and clip them.  

Strip 3/8" insulation from each wire, slide a 1" long heat shrink tube on one wire, then wrap the bare ends around each other and solder.  

Slide the heat shrink tube over the soldered portion of the joined wires, and shrink with heat.

Save the 2 clipped ends to return to stock parallel if desired in the future.

3.) If you would like to make your motor switchable between parallel and series,

You will need a DPDT switch rated at least 3 amps and at least 20 volts.

Radio Shack 275-636 is one of at least 3 that would work from RS.    

The back of the switch has 6 terminals (T1 thru T6):

1 2
3 4
5 6

Assuming you have safely removed the loco's shell;

Look at the wires attached to each of the two electric motors. 

Each motor should have a "dot" where one wire attaches to it and no mark where the other attaches to it.

Trace the "dotted" wires back to the Molex connectors plugged into the reversing board.

Do not remove pins from connectors.

Cut and strip the 2 dotted motor wires (leaving 4 ends) at a convenient location for the switch,

or add wire length to any or all of the 4 ends to reach wherever you mount the switch.  

Shrink tube any wire to wire solder connections.

Connect (solder):
 
T1 to T2.
T3 to front motor dotted wire (from motor).
T4 to rear motor dotted wire (from motor).
T5 to front motor dotted wire (from reverse board connector)
T6 to rear motor dotted wire (from reverse board connector)

Check the back of the switch to assure no shorts. (Solder globs, stray strands of wire, etc. touching a terminal it shouldn't.)

Exception, T1 and T2 are connected together, so appear as a short.

Check any extended wires for proper insulation.    

Hope this helps.

Sincerely,

Joe Satnik

Edit:  Significant clarifications, please re-read.  10:25 am EDT 5-28-2012
If your loco is too heavy to lift, you'd better be able to ride in, on or behind it.