maxi-model
UK/US/ROW steam narrow gauge railways 1:1
So, next up to get a track to battery conversion is a heavy metal Accucraft C&S 2-8-0 loco. Bought 2nd hand about 4 years ago from a member of this parish. It has appeared previously on this forum, about 10 years ago. It has a Phoenix 2K2 sound card fitted already, that has relied on a battery "stay alive" to function in its current configuration.
What extra is required to convert ? - A 16 cell AA NiMH battery pack, split in two x 8 cell packs, ordered from RCTrains (not got my head round Li-Po's). As a change from my usual Fosworks rc setup, on larger locos, I'm going to have another one of RCTrains compact RX65c RX/ESC's. It's to go with the TX 22 I have, that I use to control my Accucraft RGS Geese #7 & #2, and shortly the OcCre Madrid tram I am in the process converting.
Adding RC & battery power to OcCre tram The TX22 can operate up to 9 "locos" at a time. Might as well make use of it
Finally the usual switch, charge socket, polyfuse and wiring harness. Got some nifty sub miniature cable ties too to keep it all tidy tidy ! Sound card and speaker are already there. Nearly forgot, there's Wodland Scenics 3 man crew ready and waiting to go to work on the footplate.
Quick short video of C&S 2-8-0 on the rollers with my trusty old Train Engineer supplying the power. Had the multimeter on it to check power draw. Yes, its one of those with a "Bear trap" spark arrestor and the big air tanks atop the boiler. Distinnctive, eh. Love it. Sounds all appear to be voltage operated, apart from the chuff. However.........
Little look under the loco. Quite a few current pick ups to isolate. I want to avoid total removal incase it's moved on and a future buyer wants to return it to track power (unlikely, I know). Connectors to tender on left I will probably leave alone. A little conundrum though, didn't look before the video was made. The middle of the 3 axles shown in the picture, has 4 tiny neodynium magnets attached and the familliar Phoenix reed switch fixed over it. So that's chuff sensor. So far so good. But there is another over the axle to its left. What's that doing ? Traced wire to board and its on a whistle trigger. So a magnet on track job. Do I leave alone or repourpose ? But thats not all.........
So now to the tender - Front end on. Look carefully at the top of the picture. Didn't notice it till I was spec'ing up for conversion the other day, another reed switch. Hidden away under the arch on the tender, next to the cab, what's that doing there ? Traced wire to 2K2 sound card.......water filler sound position on card. I like the thinking. So, I will have the RCTrains RX65c's supplied with standard 3 function activating wires (using more than 3 gets a bit befuddling for me on the TX22). But I have 2 more available functions if I wave a magnet at them ! What to do ? Then there are all the voltage squenced sounds incorporated into the loco. Got me thinking now. (Rare occurence
)
Into the tender. There is the 2K2 card, to the left, for which I have manual to refer to for setting up. Can't be much harder than a Sierra, can it ? To its left is the soon to be redundant white "stay alive" battery pack. On the right is the loco's power distribution board, which I am not familliar with. I cannot find a manual on-line and have had no responce yet to a shout out on the US based LSC. I'm sure I can work it out. Out of shot is the volume switch, in the water hatch, to be retained. Battery packs, 2 x 8 AA cells will sit either side of the tender's water tank. The speaker can just be seen in-situ below. More pick ups to disconnect on tender's trucks.
Enlargement of that Accucraft power distribution unit. Anybody familiar with it or have an Accucraft factory manual/schematic that describes is functions and operation ? I just don't want to make any silly magic white smoke creating mistakes. Your advise would be most welcome.
Just for the hell of it. Sub miniatue ties. Regular 2.4mm on left, sub miniature 1.8mm on right. It makes all the difference to me. My cat is eyeing them up, I pity any mice in the house if she gets her paws on them. The horror ! The horror !
That is all for now. Thanks for getting this far
Max.
What extra is required to convert ? - A 16 cell AA NiMH battery pack, split in two x 8 cell packs, ordered from RCTrains (not got my head round Li-Po's). As a change from my usual Fosworks rc setup, on larger locos, I'm going to have another one of RCTrains compact RX65c RX/ESC's. It's to go with the TX 22 I have, that I use to control my Accucraft RGS Geese #7 & #2, and shortly the OcCre Madrid tram I am in the process converting.
Adding RC & battery power to OcCre tram The TX22 can operate up to 9 "locos" at a time. Might as well make use of it
Finally the usual switch, charge socket, polyfuse and wiring harness. Got some nifty sub miniature cable ties too to keep it all tidy tidy ! Sound card and speaker are already there. Nearly forgot, there's Wodland Scenics 3 man crew ready and waiting to go to work on the footplate.Quick short video of C&S 2-8-0 on the rollers with my trusty old Train Engineer supplying the power. Had the multimeter on it to check power draw. Yes, its one of those with a "Bear trap" spark arrestor and the big air tanks atop the boiler. Distinnctive, eh. Love it. Sounds all appear to be voltage operated, apart from the chuff. However.........
Little look under the loco. Quite a few current pick ups to isolate. I want to avoid total removal incase it's moved on and a future buyer wants to return it to track power (unlikely, I know). Connectors to tender on left I will probably leave alone. A little conundrum though, didn't look before the video was made. The middle of the 3 axles shown in the picture, has 4 tiny neodynium magnets attached and the familliar Phoenix reed switch fixed over it. So that's chuff sensor. So far so good. But there is another over the axle to its left. What's that doing ? Traced wire to board and its on a whistle trigger. So a magnet on track job. Do I leave alone or repourpose ? But thats not all.........
So now to the tender - Front end on. Look carefully at the top of the picture. Didn't notice it till I was spec'ing up for conversion the other day, another reed switch. Hidden away under the arch on the tender, next to the cab, what's that doing there ? Traced wire to 2K2 sound card.......water filler sound position on card. I like the thinking. So, I will have the RCTrains RX65c's supplied with standard 3 function activating wires (using more than 3 gets a bit befuddling for me on the TX22). But I have 2 more available functions if I wave a magnet at them ! What to do ? Then there are all the voltage squenced sounds incorporated into the loco. Got me thinking now. (Rare occurence
)
Into the tender. There is the 2K2 card, to the left, for which I have manual to refer to for setting up. Can't be much harder than a Sierra, can it ? To its left is the soon to be redundant white "stay alive" battery pack. On the right is the loco's power distribution board, which I am not familliar with. I cannot find a manual on-line and have had no responce yet to a shout out on the US based LSC. I'm sure I can work it out. Out of shot is the volume switch, in the water hatch, to be retained. Battery packs, 2 x 8 AA cells will sit either side of the tender's water tank. The speaker can just be seen in-situ below. More pick ups to disconnect on tender's trucks.
Enlargement of that Accucraft power distribution unit. Anybody familiar with it or have an Accucraft factory manual/schematic that describes is functions and operation ? I just don't want to make any silly magic white smoke creating mistakes. Your advise would be most welcome.
Just for the hell of it. Sub miniatue ties. Regular 2.4mm on left, sub miniature 1.8mm on right. It makes all the difference to me. My cat is eyeing them up, I pity any mice in the house if she gets her paws on them. The horror ! The horror !
That is all for now. Thanks for getting this far
Max.
