aristocrat live steam mikado wiring diagram

PhilP

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So what you are saying, is 'as it comes', a manual live-steamer is not 'fit for purpose'? ;)
 

dunnyrail

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So what you are saying, is 'as it comes', a manual live-steamer is not 'fit for purpose'? ;)
Probably not, but RC is not that tricky to fit and costs are pretty reasonable. Well worth it for the added value of Controlled running.
 

Scot Lawrence

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well, *some* people want RC with a live steam locomotive, but in my 15 years as a member of a live steam club, its a minority.
based on what I have seen, about 25% to maybe 40% of live steam locomotives are fitted with RC by the locomotive owner..more than half are run "manually" with no electronics.
I have had two live steam locomotives for almost 20 years..never had, and never wanted any RC control.

Yes, some people did want and enjoy all the electronics in the Aristocraft live steam locomotives..but again, in my experience it was a definite minority.
most people who saw one in person thought "ugh..thats so pointless..a live steam locomotive isnt meant to be fully electronic"

Most live steam loco operators are "purists" ;) they *like* the fact the locomotive runs on only fire and water! :)
and you control them yourself..thats what makes them so enjoyable and special..
Most considered all the Aristo electronics a failed experiment, and I doubt it will ever be repeated to that extent.

Sure, some liked it...but most didn't.

Scot
 

dunnyrail

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well, *some* people want RC with a live steam locomotive, but in my 15 years as a member of a live steam club, its a minority.
based on what I have seen, about 25% to maybe 40% of live steam locomotives are fitted with RC by the locomotive owner..more than half are run "manually" with no electronics.
I have had two live steam locomotives for almost 20 years..never had, and never wanted any RC control.

Yes, some people did want and enjoy all the electronics in the Aristocraft live steam locomotives..but again, in my experience it was a definite minority.
most people who saw one in person thought "ugh..thats so pointless..a live steam locomotive isnt meant to be fully electronic"

Most live steam loco operators are "purists" ;) they *like* the fact the locomotive runs on only fire and water! :)
and you control them yourself..thats what makes them so enjoyable and special..
Most considered all the Aristo electronics a failed experiment, and I doubt it will ever be repeated to that extent.

Sure, some liked it...but most didn't.

Scot
That would be somewhat different in the UK, many 16millers have RC as default though a few do not. In Standard G1 RC is quite rare even more so in G3. But a few are dabbling, as one gets older chasing your G1 or 3 Duchess Pacific at full speed to adjust a headlong high speed dash becomes more tricky, particularly at ground level though few of the G1/3 lines are. Horses for courses I guess. But if you only want to watch a puffer trundling round the Garden with no shunting the RC could be defined as of no use. Not for me that scenario.
 

Zerogee

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An interesting debate - going rather off-topic, although I hope that the earlier posts have already given the OP the answers he needed - while I don't think I would want an electronic soundcard in a live steamer (personal taste), I see no problem at all with fitting RC - after all, fullsize 1:1 locos are controlled (usually) by a human driver in the cab.... surely all we're doing by fitting RC to a live steam model is allowing us to do exactly that, control the loco from the cab just like a "real" one? Because we can't actually shrink ourselves down to about 1:20 size and climb inside the cab, we use a remote method of control to simulate the driver's actions. One could argue that using only manual control on a live steam model is in fact LESS "realistic", because what you're actually simulating there is the driver setting the loco in motion and then jumping out, in the hope that he can jump back in again later to stop it... ;)

I suspect that this one could run and run if it's allowed to, I'll put the popcorn on.....

Jon.
 
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dunnyrail

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Oh of course I forgot to mention that in varying Countries Radio Controlled Shunters are quite common, that have a small number on my chosen Harz line and use them for shunting Trains in Wernigerode. The shutter can be seen wondering about the Station with his RC set driving a great big lump of a Kamel.
 

Paul M

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I personally think RC in a life steamer bis probably a good idea. As Jon said, scampering after a wayward loco heading for an expensive disaster isn't funny. Having a (hopefully) remote brake is a bit less stressful
 

Rhinochugger

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I personally think RC in a life steamer bis probably a good idea. As Jon said, scampering after a wayward loco heading for an expensive disaster isn't funny. Having a (hopefully) remote brake is a bit less stressful
Yer pays yer money and takes yer choice - I've watched a lot of G1 operators who don't use R/C, and they seem to manage OK.

Equally, I don't see the point of putting R/C on a shay, I mean you're never going to have to scamper anywhere with one of them :rofl::rofl:

But as Jon, Dunny says, on the narrow gauge side of things, people tend to play operate in a different mode, so R/C can be beneficial.

So, back to Scot's comment - I don't think he was too far off, you can always have R/C as an option - then everybody's happy >:)>:)>:)>:)>:)
 

beavercreek

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Yer pays yer money and takes yer choice - I've watched a lot of G1 operators who don't use R/C, and they seem to manage OK.

Equally, I don't see the point of putting R/C on a shay, I mean you're never going to have to scamper anywhere with one of them :rofl::rofl:

Well... as a person who has built his line in a garden that puts the Rio Grande gradients to shame, and also track that winds it’s way behind and through bushes etc , I have RC-ed all of my LS shays and Climax as well.
I do, at times, run two LS shays lashed together so manually controlling them, even at the slow pace that they travel, could lead to possibilities of disasters or at least possible problems .
I also like shunting with my LS locos and RC does help here in hard to get to places on the layout.

I have seen people try to manually control LS locos on my line whilst they were hauling some freight trucks and an amusing sight it was as the upped the regulator or used the reverser ( depending on loco) to change the power when going up or down the gradients.
 
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One large factor seems to be where you run your locos... if it's a big waist level loop where you can walk alongside the loco without interruption, it would seem that given a deft hand, manual control is fine.

Run on an actual layout, on the ground, with other trains, shunting, doubleheading, hard to imagine NOT having remote control

Greg
 
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JimmyB

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For my ground(ish) level railway where you cannot walk next to the line, when (sighs) I get my live steamer it will have to be RC.
 
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lkydvl

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I have one of the Aristo LS Mikados I purchased quite some time ago. Previous owner had steamed it just a few times then put it away. Its complete with its fancy carrying case. I am coming to the UK in mid- January and would be willing to bring it along if someone is interested in purchasing it. Have not researched what they are worth nowdays so am open to offers.

Andre`