My WDW Monorail Model

[boBQuincy]

Alkaline batteries (like regular Duracell) have a high initial voltage but it drops off quickly and varies with the load (like a monorail going uphill). Rechargeable NiMH (like Eneloop) start with a slightly lower voltage but do not drop off much until they are almost depleted, giving a steadier output. Aside from saving a lot of $$$ over the long run the NiMH will result in a faster monorail (compared to alkaline) after the first 5-10 minutes.

NiMH are what I use in my radio control monorails, regular batteries would not last long with a more powerful motor. Give them a try and see if it solves at least part of the problem.

http://www.amazon.com/Panasonic-Adv...e=UTF8&qid=1456519948&sr=8-1&keywords=eneloop

 

[boBQuincy]

So far it is working great! But in its climb the current motor is struggling a bit and I am looking to install a stronger motor. As awesome as doing all the other mods like lights and upgraded sound and remote, for now I just want to get it running better. Bob can you direct me to your site for motor upgrades

To more directly answer your question, Yep, I install motors in monorails:
http://monorail.suzieandbob.com/svc_prices.html

Changing motors is not difficult, just a little soldering and swapping the gear. My preference is Tamiya's Torque Tuned motor. The tricky part is changing the motor brushes, which I believe should be done to improve the life of the motor.

 

[ClaudioG]

Good evening.

Found this thread while searching for a circuit board diagram for my Disney monorail. I have the red one from the 90s. The motor was turning on and off, so I opened it up to check it out.

I noticed one of the red wires on the board on the top half of the monorail was no longer connected. That appeared to control the speaker announcement. When I touched the circuit board the motor turned on, then if when I released it.

I was thinking of trying to replace everything or buy a new.monorail.

Any feedback or direction is appreciated.

Thanks.

Claud

 

[boBQuincy]

Claud,

On the monorails I have worked on, the wiring is *usually*:

red from the battery terminal - to the switch (for motor and headlights)

blue from near the battery terminal - to the switch

*this wire is sometimes black

green near the front - to the switch - headlights

black and red (toward the front) - speaker

*these two wires are sometimes purple



One thing is consistent, the wire is not flexible and often breaks after a few bends. I recommend replacing it with more flexible wire, you can find it listed as "superflex model train wire". Monorail wires are usually 24 AWG.

Here are photos of two versions of the monorail circuit board: http://monorail.suzieandbob.com/ho_headlights.html