Repowered a Weaver Alco RS3 3 railer to a deadrail, 2 railer using one powered NWSL Stanton drive and LocoFi. Locomotive operated better than expected. Pulled a 9 car consist with no wheel slip plus took videos which are on You Tube. Only major problem was that when operating locomotive on club layout using only phone to communicate with locomotive it went out of range. Added router and locomotive operates perfectly. Envy of other conventional 2 railers because, club does not have DCC, I have the only locomotive that has all the "bells and whistles" operating like a prototype without the need for conventional track power.
Now working on second phase of repower. Adding second NWSL Stanton drive and dual power source to use either battery or track power. Will control with ON-OFF-ON switch plus change speaker to 4 ohm 3 watt to have higher volume.
A friend and I tried installing LocoFi to 3 railers and it did not work. DC motor(s) drew more power than HO LocoFi board could deliver. We were able to get the motor to move by nugging with your finger to overcome high starting power draw. Have advised LocoFi of our findings and gave recommendations for a true O gauge system.
Will update this post when my second phase is complete and operational. LocoFi is going to be the best thing for us old guys who want to have "smart" locomotives without having to rewiring there layout.
Old Guys Rule !!!!!
I had a brainstorm (someone asked if that meant it was raining in my head?).
The plan below (which I had planned to implement in a G gauge GP7) could instead be used for a simple ‘one-train at a time’ layout for running various locomotives.
Without installing a LocoFi™ module in a locomotive, but by feeding its power-input and the power-input for the H-bridge from the track-power supply (instead of from the locomotive’s track-pickups); the ‘motor’ output of the H-bridge could feed the track (no need for the bridge rectifier and capacitors). With it, any one of several locomotives (even some too-small or too-cute to house LocoFi™) placed on the layout would then be LocoFi™ controlled. The LocoFi™ sound could also be used externally, and maybe input to a speaker-system. An automatic ‘back and forth’ controller, that does interest me, between the H-bridge and the track connection, might be workable with it, too.