Re: Re: [VAL] Rmoving Silicon and other Gunk

["Dr.Gerald N. Johnson" <geraldj@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

There's a chance the 50s vintage brake coils were made for 6 volts. 
We have to cut back on the current with resistors (in the old controls) 
or by modern controllers that cut the current to keep from locking up 
the brakes with pulse width modulation of the current.

The modern brake controller wouldn't work on 6 volts but the '51 car 
would not object to a hydraulic brake controller which can be still had. 
I picked one up last year at a flea market in the original box.

Getting replacement 6 volt coils may be a problem. but I guess I'd try 
the brakes with 6 volts and no resistors and sturdy wiring to see if 
they worked strongly enough before I started changing.

These days, it is possible electronically to convert 6 volt power to 
12 volts for those accessories that need it. And it is possible to make 
the 12 volt alternator put out 6 volts to really charge the 6 volt battery 
better than the 6 volt generator ever did. There may even be 6 volt 
alternators already set on the shelf. At the worst most any 12 volt 
altenator can be made to put out six volts with a 6 volt regulator (but 
it has to be made for an alternator of the same circuit). I've modified 
one years ago. And I've built custom regulators a few times, one is on a 
steam locomotive regulating a 50 volt generator down to 32 volts.

Gerald J.