Repowering Balboa Gas Turbine ?

[RacerAMX]

   I want to re power an old Balboa Gas Turbine  that has with twin open frame motors with some that are DCC friendly.
I was looking at these http://www.electronicsurplus.com/ItemView.aspx?ItemID=2878. At 3.75 a piece the price is right, but I'm not sure if the torque  would be enough.
I can go  1 and  1/16  wide and 3.5 long  on both motors. I would like to add flywheels also.
I would like some with the rare earth magnets
Any suggestions  ?
  Thanks,
       Dave














Flywheels would be nice

[Doneldon]

Adding flywheels won't be a problem if you have a 3+" space for your motor.  Go for the largest diameter flywheel which will fit.  These motors, at under four bucks, won't have anything fancy like rare earth magnets.  I'm pretty sure, however, that they will work.  You will have a tremendous mechanical advantage when you reduce that 1250 RPM to what you'll have going onto your drive axle gear.

[Nigel]

Hi Dave;

A big issue with the motor you are asking about for application in HO model trains is the rpm range.  Most "diesel" types like your turbine have 40" or 42" drivers and stock gear ratios in the 10:1 to 14:1 range, which with a 10000 rpm motor (@12V) results in a top speed in the 85 to 120 mph range.

The motor you are considering with result in a top speed in the 10 to 15 mph range with typical gearing.  Most of us would want a turbine to be capable of much higher speeds.

I looked through the website you listed, and could not find a suitable motor.  You may want to look at:
http://www.allelectronics.com/make-a-store/item/DCM-339/6-18-VDC-MOTOR/1.html

NWSL and others offer flywheels and driveline parts for 2.0mm shafts.

I am not positive, but I believe that KTM made your model.  Give NWSL a telephone call about replacement axles and gears for much smoother running.

[richg]

If you do not have one, get a digital caliper to measure shaft sizes. Brass stuff is always measure in Metric. NWSL has their shaft, gear, motor shafts in Metric.
Today a lot of model railroad locos come from overseas and are Metric. Many motors you find now have Metric shafts, quite often, 1.5mm and 2mm. You can get small can motors out of old CD drives that have 1.5mm shafts. I have a couple like that. RPM matching could be an issue like that though.

Micro Mark has a good assortment of calipers.
Get a Puller also.
Below is a link to NWSL for a lot of gear, motor, parts for re-motoring and re-gearing.

http://www.nwsl.com/

You can also find a larger assortment of motors on ebay.

Rich

[RacerAMX]

Thanks for the help.
I didn't notive that the motor  I had looked at had such low rpm.
I ordered some of the ones Nigel recomended.