…On track power. With battery back up of course. Today I finished installing an RCS - PRO-3 into an AC Lil Critter. The job came about because the loco was too small to install a REVOLUTION and the necessary extra parts for powering from constant track volatge. This is the first track powered conversion I have done using the PRO-3.
These are normally designed for battery power only. Even though I don’t like doing it I accepted the commission just to prove to those Doubting Thomases track power can be done. For track power I simply added a bridge rectifier, a suitable cap and Polyswitch fuse. There are only four (not very new) wheels are available for track voltage pick up. So, to be on the safe side I added a diode and rear mounted connector into the circuit so that an automatic battery back up could be plugged in.
The cap can be seen mounted just in front of the motor driver part. I removed the stock pcb and rewired the track pick ups and motor leads . The track pick ups were fed through the existing motor ON - OFF switch so that the system can snap on when track voltage is applied. Then into the bridge rectifier and thus to the ESC pcb. The ESC output was fed directly to the motor block. I mounted the Decoder part and plug in Hobby King RX under the top of the hood. I re-wired the cab and number board lights to the + & - supply. The front and rear head light were wired to the ECL-3r lighting outputs.
I am sorry the pic is out of focus. I would normally simply take it again but I had buttoned up the loco before I downloaded the pics from my camera. I think it gives the general idea of how simple the installation is. There is a 4 x way cable between the decoder and ESC parts.
All buttoned up and raring to go. As usual I am impressed by how nicely the two axle AC motor blocks perform. This little sucker is smooth. My test track is perfectly clean as are the wheels. So pick up is great. For now anyway. It remains to be seen how long the pick up stays good. Hence a connector out the back for a back up battery if needed. The change over is automatic.
