Batteries, R/C and sound onboard a Bachmann Climax

[Tony Walsham]

I recently installed RCS battery R/C and MyLocosound in a new version Bachmann Fn3 Climax.
I have done a few of these excellent locos since they came out. This is the first one where I have been able to have everything on board. The Australian Sanyo distributors made me a special 2 part 4s 1700 mah Li-Ion pack with wiring between two parts so they could fit up under the Climax roof.

The specially made pack fits neatly either side of the ventilation hatch in the roof.

I made a lead up to the ON - OFF switch.

Styrene spacers were glued to the back of the regular Live Steam R/C ON - OFF switch so that it could be glued under the Left hand cab seat.

I didn't want to have too many holes drilled in the body. So, for the charge circuit I left the regular charge lead of the switch floating in the cab.

Replace with the # PnP-ADAPT

There is enough room to fit the RX, OMEGA-3v7 ESC and MYLocosound in the underside of the coal load. The fit is tight and all the wiring must be done with the ESC before gluing it in place.

What a fantastic loco. Beautifully detailed and extremely well made. A pleasure to work on. Operationally it has really smooth low speed control.
I think the run time will be at least 2 x hours.

 

[beavercreek]

Excellent Tony.
I have two of the newer Climaxes with DCC sound and two of the older version ones which are DC at present. One has a phoenix sound system and I was contemplating making that one RC.
Have you done a RC conversion on the older version, keeping everything onboard and with a sound system?

 

[Tony Walsham]

Thanks Mike.

Not since they first came out.
The only one I did used AAA NiMh batteries which gave a 45 minute run time.
A specially made cast resin oil bunker was needed to hold the RX, ESC & Sound system.
Putting batteries up under the cab roof will free up the tender space somewhat.

If you know about replacing the rear drive shaft in the old version Climax well and good. If not it will need to be replaced with the slip drive shaft Bachmann had available.

 

[beavercreek]

Thanks Mike.


If you know about replacing the rear drive shaft in the old version Climax well and good. If not it will need to be replaced with the slip drive shaft Bachmann had available.

Yep done that on both the older ones.

There is precious little room in the older version's bunker. The Phoenix sound system, back-up NiMH battery and associated wiring is a cosy fit let alone also shoehorning esc as well. Your idea of AAA batteries could be the solution but as you said, it would limit the running time. Perhaps a small Lith-ion battery would be better?

 

[Tony Walsham]

Mike.
The solution is above. Li-Ion battery pack up in the cab roof.
Unless Bachmann changed the tooling on the cab roof, a suitable split pack could easily be made for the old version as well. Then there would be plenty of room for the electronics in the coal bunker.

 

[dunnyrail]

Mike.
The solution is above. Li-Ion battery pack up in the cab roof.
Unless Bachmann changed the tooling on the cab roof, a suitable split pack could easily be made for the old version as well. Then there would be plenty of room for the electronics in the coal bunker.

Tony lovely job, would love to see a Vid of her running?
JonD

 

[Tony Walsham]

Hello Jon.
The locomotive owner tells me it is very good. Great chuff that apparently replicates the chuff on the preserved and operating Climax at Puffing Billy very well.
Unfortunately I have no idea how to make videos. My regular 16 yo Fuji Digital camera is still shots only.
I have a more modern Fuji camera that does do videos but I have no idea how to make them.
Maybe one day when someone shows me how to do it.

 

[dunnyrail]

Tony, why not try asking the Shop that sold you it if it was a proper Camera Shop. Then you will need to learn how to use YouTube. If I can do it anyone can.
JonD

 

[spoz]

Just done one of these using the stuff from Tony - easy. I'd been dreading it a bit but once I got stuck in, only took a couple of days. Thanks Tony!

 

[Tony Walsham]

That was a fairly old installation.
As soon as I get asked to do another one I can show how much simpler it is with the latest Fosworks made ESC's.
Whilst the switch under the seat idea works OK it is a bit untidy.
I would revisit that idea and neaten it up a bit.

 

[dunnyrail]

That was a fairly old installation.
As soon as I get asked to do another one I can show how much simpler it is with the latest Fosworks made ESC's.
Whilst the switch under the seat idea works OK it is a bit untidy.
I would revisit that idea and neaten it up a bit.

With something like a Shay it ought to be possible to have a Small Box or a Tube to represent something or other to hide both On/Off Switch and the Charging Socket. I did just this on my Piko 25 Tonner Conversion. Of course on a Puffer with an opening Smokebox Door you have a dream Location for these items.

 

[Tony Walsham]

You mean something like this I did to a Bachmann Lyn 2nd edition?

ON - OFF switch, charge jack and MyLocosound IR sensor.
A bit of cutting some plastic to accept the 3d printed pcb replacement panels i had made.

Wired like this.

I am just not game enough to access the inside the boiler of the Climax.

 

[Tony Walsham]

Made a mistake when editing.

 

[spoz]

Yes, I thought about going into the boiler but funked it. It’s certainly one complex little beast.

 

[tim stevens]

Hi Tony. I realise this post is rather ancient now but it’s the closest thing I could find which covers what I would like to do. I recently converted a Bachmann anni 7 th generation to dcc using a zimo chip with fosworks 5A dcc radio receiver unit and Omni transmitter control, all running off a 14.4v battery pack. It’s runs really well and was very straightforward as I was starting from scratch so to speak.
I also have a modern Bachmann climax with stock dcc tsunami sound which I would like to convert the same way ( ie battery rc dcc) Opening the tender there are a very scarey looking array of wires all neatly organised which I am loathed to start chopping up. I am happy to add an oil tender to house a battery pack and I think the rc dcc receiver will probably fit in the tender but could you suggest how to connect the rc dcc receiver output to the existing wiring without too much chopping! It needs to be connected in place of the track pickups ideally switched so I have a choice of track or battery. I would like to keep all the functionality of the original climax tsunami chip if possible. Thanks in anticipation. Tim

 

[Tony Walsham]

Hello Tim.

Sorry, but I have no idea how a Fosworks DCC adaptor could be fitted. Or any DCC equipment for that matter.
Perhaps Steve Foster could help you.