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440 volt seems reasonable. I read a discussion on an O scale forum where they were trying to identify the truck used for it. It’s shorter than a GP or SW truck and the best guess they came up with was some type of interurban.I’ve never seen a photo of it with the cord attached but judging from the burn marks on the paint maybe it clamped to the lug on the side?
It’s from a C Liner
I have read, but can't swear, that this ran on 440V DC. It certainly didn't use 3000V+ trolley voltage.
Probably not a rectifier. I'd assume they used a motor-generator set, just like the big substations, and plugged into the shop's 440 AC. Any shop that could rebuild electric locos could easily build such a thing.I have also read that it was built from an FM diesel truck, and that it was built from a streetcar truck, from nearby Anaconda. Either would be possible, so I won't speculate on which it was.
I am suitably impressed, sir! I never thought those pager motors would have enough torque to move ANYTHING without massive gear reduction, even with two of them, and even on a decoder. From what I could see of the "PowerKeeper", it really doesn't look like it's anything but a big capacitor with some overload protection circuitry. I can see it helping keep the decoder alive, but I doubt it's actually doing much for the motor. Does your decoder have BEMF enabled on it? I would bet THAT is the "magic" that is keeping that motor going at a reasonably steady speed.One thing to beware of... and I really think what you did is brilliant and I am not trying to throw a wet rag on it...Those pager motors may be able to move the engine. But they might be quite overloaded while they are doing it. After you run it for a few minutes, do they feel hot? Or warm?
If you could get those tiny stepper motors figured out you could power anything.