I have never had a bad Williams engine. Maybe one without a horn or sound unit but never anything that didn't work, or one that went too fast when hooked up to a ZW.

As for converting to TMCC, have you looked at the cost of the units? They used to be near $300 or better just for the electronic parts to upgrade to TMCC and another $70 or better to have it installed. Not trying to totally discourage you on TMCC upgrades but trying to let you know about cost!! Also TMCC is now considered obsolite, as Legacy control has replaced it.

A better way to go to gain control that is way less expensive is to use TPC-300 or TPC-400, you are able to control voltage to the engines better with a TPC unit, works with most engines, would be similar to variable voltage output with either TMCC or DCS. I think that Lionel used to make the TPC units.

Lee F.

The worst problem I have had with any Williams engine was going too fast!
One of my Williams engines is missing a hand rail on the cab of an SD-45.
As for quality I have found Williams to be more dependable than any other brand.

MB425; do you buy your engines new or used?

I had one problem with a used Williams, and with that one I put in a bridge rectifier to the motors instead of a circuit board and it works great, just forward only!

Lee F.

I think that putting the parts on-line would be a great help for us in the O gauge model RR.
Will that include parts from the Williams only days or parts from Williams by Bachmann only?
There are a few parts I would like to get if I can from the Williams only days for the SD-45's.

Lee F.

I can't say what the case is with your engine & the motors and circuit boards getting hot. However with larger size motors(120 volts and higher) the motor will get hot and burn out because it doesn't get enuff voltage and/or amps to it. If you use an electric grass trimmer or tree trimmer and use more than four extension cords this has the same effect as not getting enuff voltage.
Have you checked your track and power hook-ups? Everything must be clean. If you are using old track or old power hook-ups and/or old wires(too small a size of wire as well, but the wire should get hot), this can all be part of the problem.
When all trouble shooting tips fail, it is possible you got a bad engine.

Lee F.

Just looked at the product section for Williams and saw the new transformer, but it leaves me with a question. What kind of power cord does it have and how long a cord?  Also didn't see what kind of terminal connections it has to the track.

Lee F.

To help you with track sizes, 027 will need about 30 inches for a curved half circle area and 031 will almost 3 feet for a curved half circle area. Fastrac's 036 track will need about 4 feet or more for a half curved circle, need to include the overhang of the plastic roadbed.
When it says in a catalog that a certain track size is needed, that is the smallest track size that can be used, 031 will run good on 031 and larger track like 042 but may cause derailments on 027. If it says 027 track it will run on almost any size curve above 027 minimum.
As for switches if you do use any, Gargraves switches work very well with 027 track and will allow any size passenger or freight car to go over the switch as their switch is low profile and out of the way, more realistic also.
Lionel 027 switches have clearance problems with 027 sized passenger cars as the cars scrape the switch because the motor housing is about 3 inches above the track heigth.


Lee F.

What size transformer are you using?
A 75 watt or better will not have that problem just in case you don't have enuff watts to the engine. But don't use a CW-80 from Lionel with any Williams engine that has a horn or other sound system.
I use either an MTH Z-1000 or postwar Lionel 275 watt ZW with my Williams engines, nothing ever slows down or gets hot.

Lee F.

As for running the GP-9 cab forward or not, the Pennsy ran the GP-9's and similar diesel engines with the cab at the rear like a steam engine normally did. Most other railroads run the GP-9's and others with the cab forward to be able to see the signal lights or track obstructions better.
FEC (Florida East Coast RR) runs all their engines cab forward that I have seen, one exception might be when they double or triple head smaller diesel engines to pull a load of 80 to 90 triple-bay 100 ton sand hoppers.

Lee F.

Take off the IR remote control, totally take it out of the circuit and see what happens with just the Z-750.
I have several Williams engines, some with True Blast-2 and others with just the horn or QSI sound system. All my Williams work well with an MTH Z-1000, nothing else hooked up, so I am thinking that the IR remote with the Z-750 is putting something to the track that the engine or sound system don't like.

Lee F.

Tiffany,

There are a few companies that used to make aftermarket horn kits and I think that Electric RR is one of them that is left. The cost would be around $50.00 for the horn kit. Maybe somebody over at CTT(classic toy trains) website on the forum knows.

Lee F.

It may help to lower costs by allowing people to choose from catalog stock rather than do a special run for a clubcar. Williams before Bachmann allowed you to do that.

Normally I would not want fantasy names(that includes cars made just for the holidays!) on my rolling stock either but Plasticville is about the only non realistic car that I would buy.

Lee F.

Quote from: tomplatten on August 23, 2010, 07:24:18 PM
What can I say My FM, PA, and SF GP-9 all start in neutral!

Tom,

I don't know what to tell you except that all my Williams engines start in forward other than the F-7's I have, they start in reverse.
It is possible that you have some older Williams engines, made before 1994?

The only engine I have that starts in nuetral is an MTH 4-6-2 steam engine.

Lee F.

I would say that at least a 40 watt transformer is needed for the streetcar, you don't have much for a motor load, because it is by itself & not pulling other cars.

Lionel has made about three runs of the CW-80 from what I understand and the newest CW-80 will work with most locomotives except MTH's PS-2 & PS-3 engines.

Lee F.

Quote from: 3rail on August 21, 2010, 11:02:08 AM
SD-45 diesels have been in our product line for many years and these had QSI boards in the early versions.  GP-9's did not they should all start in forward.

Regards,

3rail

While not trying to dispute the fact that some SD-45's may have the QSI circuit board, none of my SD-45's have that one.
My F-7's have the QSI circuit and sound board installed and act like it starts in reverse, the headlight forward should be the way it should take off but my F-7's seem to go in reverse from a standing start.
None of my Williams start in nuetral.

Lee F.

Tomp.

Another option, but this is up to you! You will lose direction control and void any warrenty if one is left.
Remove the circuit board and install a 6 amp bridge rectifier from Radio Shack, you must have either a circuit board or a bridge rectifier as the motors are DC in the Williams engines. The output wire with the + (plus sign) goes to one motor wire and the output with the - (minus sign) goes to the other motor wire, the wires without any markings get the track power hooked up to them. Remember you won't have direction control if you do this!

Lee F.