(ET) E8 power control

["Ken Muldrew" <kmuldrew ucalgary ca>]

I have recently aquired an E8M that is in need of (and will be receiving) 
resuscitative measures. I had been looking for a golf-cart graveyard to 
find an electric vehicle that might be returned to health for simple 
transportation needs between a lake and a cottage (about a quarter mile). 
Instead I found myself going back to the future when I came upon an old 
Electrak that was for sale. What a remarkable experiment GE undertook with 
this machine.

In browsing through messages in the archives as well as the documents at 
electrak.org, it seems that throttle control on the larger electraks was 
accomplished by successively increasing the current in the field windings 
through a set of contactors. On the E8, with a permanent magnet motor and 
no throttle, I'm wondering if jackrabbit starts are simply controlled by 
allowing the belt to slip when the clutch is let out. Does the E8 motor 
run full-out whenever it is on? If one was to reduce the size of the 
pulley on the rear axle (to increase speed), would it be a good idea to 
convert to a PWM motor controller (and if so, does anyone know what 
current one would have to switch on the E8)?

Thanks for any help,

Ken Muldrew