Direction of travel when double heading

[raider409]

Question, when I attempt to double head a pair of Williams BL2's back to back, they each want to start in opposite directions.  Is there a easy fix?  Thanks,  Steve

[phillyreading]

I have had problems with running two F-7 A units back to back, so I am assuming that the answer here is to run the two BL-2's front to rear to get the circuit boards to act properly for you.
The reason for this is the new electronic circuit boards and the position of start up with them, all new circuit boards go into the forward mode upon start up, or if they sit for more then five minutes without power to them.

If you want realistic operation you will have to modify one of the BL-2's to start in reverse or operate in reverse only. And if these are brand new units, you will VOID the factory warrenty.
From personal experiance modifying an engine sometimes increases or decreases the factory speed, so you won't have a set of speed matched motors and this can cause motor failure for long term use.

Lee F.

[jpstrainyard]

JP of Acton MA, USA writes,

one possibility is to disable the direction control board on one of the BL2s - thus, the motors would now be "slaves", install disconnectable wire harnesses (like those by Digital Dynamics) from the direction control board on the forward facing BL2 to the "slave" motors on the backward facing BL2. The "slave" motors would be controlled by the direction control board on the forward facing BL2.

Sincerely: JP of Acton MA, USA

[phillyreading]

JP of Acton MA, USA writes,

one possibility is to disable the direction control board on one of the BL2s - thus, the motors would now be "slaves", install disconnectable wire harnesses (like those by Digital Dynamics) from the direction control board on the forward facing BL2 to the "slave" motors on the backward facing BL2. The "slave" motors would be controlled by the direction control board on the forward facing BL2.

Sincerely: JP of Acton MA, USA

The only problem with that hook-up is wether you will overload the circuit board in the lead unit.


Lee F.

[Joe Satnik]

Dear Raider,

Scroll to the bottom of the following thread:

http://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/board/index.php/topic,14200.0.html

3rail's suggestion of turning around the shell is probably your best choice. 

Second choice would be swapping the blue and yellow wire pins in the front 4 pin motor connector, then also the rear 4 pin motor connector.

You can remove a pin by pressing with a small flat screwdriver in the pin's slot on the side of the connector, then gently pulling on it's wire.

Hope this helps. 

Sincerely,

Joe Satnik   

[raider409]

Thanks to all .  I'll give them a try this week.  Regards,  Steve

[Len]

Actually, you might not want to bother. Aside from being considered ugly by some, the BL-2 suffered from a weak frame, and most roads learned real quick not to double head them at the front of a heavy train unless the shop had done some significant reinforcing work.

Of course the "BL" stood for "Branch Line", so in all likelyhood EMD never thought they'd be MUed at the front of a heavy train. The MU equipment was most likely installed for putting two of them on the front of a relatively light train in hilly country.

Len

[DominicMazoch]

The real BL had most of its support in the "shell", like the EMD F units.  However with the different body shell, I can see the problem.

In the F unit, most of the "framing" was behind the shell.  Very litttle support was founf in the bottom of the unit, unlike the Geep 7/9. 

When the ATSF were converting the F nits to CF7's, they had to build a new frame to place the entire engine on.

[DominicMazoch]

I'm thinking od doing that to my yellow UP 90MAC so I can double head with one of the Heritage units.

[Joe Satnik]

Dom,

You will have to reverse the blue and yellow wires on each motor connector, as the SD-90 doesn't seem to be on 3rail's reversable shell list.

Quote 3rail:

"You can simply reverse the body shell on , SD-45's, FP-45's, FM Train masters, Budd RDC cars, BL-2's and E-60's.  Also on 44 ton, EP-5's and GG-1's, but why bother??"

Hope this helps.

Sincerely,

Joe Satnik

[mike d]

It is very easy. I double and triple head Williams all the time. You'll have to dedicate one to start in reverse. If you have a reverse board with the two and  four pin connectors it is much easier. With the connectors on the end on the board nearest to you, the four pin connector on the left is the one that the truck needs to be plugged into that you want to go forward. If you have an older unit with soldered wires, you can swap the blue and yellow wires as already mentioned or swap them on the board, which is my preference because there is more room to work with.