05-08-2013, 12:12 PM
Les in the old days all the Lionel and American Flyer stuff had AC track power and AC motors so there was no problem.
Now adays three rail toy trains or American Flyer still use AC track power but DC motors so you need to have the bridge rectifer in the engine to convert the AC to DC. If your circuit board goes bad you can cut it out and install a new rectifier and continue to make laps however with no circuit board you only have forward (or reverse depending on which way you wire it} and stop so ops aren't possible. As far as lights go they care about voltage but all the ones I've run across will do just fine with either AC or DC. Switches and signals will depend upon the manufacturer but most modern transformers/power supplies have a AC and a DC side so you can use either one depending on what you need. As far as getting a DC current from the track unless it's 3 rail toy trains (Lionel/MTH/ect,) or American Flyer it should already be DC.
Now adays three rail toy trains or American Flyer still use AC track power but DC motors so you need to have the bridge rectifer in the engine to convert the AC to DC. If your circuit board goes bad you can cut it out and install a new rectifier and continue to make laps however with no circuit board you only have forward (or reverse depending on which way you wire it} and stop so ops aren't possible. As far as lights go they care about voltage but all the ones I've run across will do just fine with either AC or DC. Switches and signals will depend upon the manufacturer but most modern transformers/power supplies have a AC and a DC side so you can use either one depending on what you need. As far as getting a DC current from the track unless it's 3 rail toy trains (Lionel/MTH/ect,) or American Flyer it should already be DC.
Mike
Sent from my pocket calculator using two tin cans and a string
Sent from my pocket calculator using two tin cans and a string