Battery power and radio control using Cliff Barker components

[yb281]

I wasn't really looking forward to the coming Autumn and Winter months as every running session would have to start with cleaning the track. I've got an LGB track cleaning loco, but I've been warned off from using it on wet track and, as our garden is on the north side of the house, my track will seldom be truelly dry in the coming months. The other problems are that I use analogue control (which I'm convinced needs cleaner track than digital), I prefer to use smaller 0-4-0 & 0-6-0 loco's and I'm quite fussy when it comes to scale speed. Don't get me wrong, if I'm going to have a good day's running I'm more than happy to give the track a good clean (during the warmer months the track seldom needs much cleaning anyway as trains are run almost every day), but if I just want to run something for an hour or two, having to clean the track often puts me off.

Over the last few months I've had several goes with the battery powered / remote controlled kit that Bram has fitted to some of his LGB locos, both on my own track and on the West Mids G Scale Society test track. Bram uses Cliff Barker products for these conversions and I was very impressed.

http://www.cliffbarker.talktalk.net/index.html

We came up with the idea of installing the receiver/controller and battery pack into a coach with the power being taken to the loco's motor via leads with plugs and sockets. This would allow any (easily) modified loco to be plugged in for battery running. What I had in mind was to modify my small fleet of 3 0-4-0 trams with control and batteries being carried in the Kiss coach that Mike kindly gave me some time ago (known as the ex Bolton Corporation Coach).

This Hartland tram was a particularly poor performer as it only picks up from it's wheels (no skates).

 

[yb281]

So I made a shopping list and gave Cliff a call. As Bram had told me, Cliff is a very nice chap and couldn't have been more helpful when I told him what I wanted to do (bear in mind that I am a total dunce when it comes to electrickery).

A few days later this little lot arrived in the post.

Pretty much everything I would need, right down to the nut and bolt to mount the receiver. Also note that this includes a battery charger / discharger which many may already have. Total cost was a few pence over £160 including p&p.

 

[yb281]

So now came the hard part, putting it all together in the hope that it might work.

Well it was actually an absolute breeze. Get things where they will fit, drill the odd hole and solder a few wires in place. The instructions provided with the kit are comprehensive and well illustrated. I know everyone says this, but honestly, if I can do it, ANYONE can.

I made a small bracket for the on / off switch, battery charger socket (the charger is plugged in) and power on warning light from a piece of right angled plastic. The battery pack contains 10 AA batteries giving a total of 12 volts - not maximum power, but enough to run nice, slow trams.

The combined receiver / speed controller is bolted to the coach compartment partition. This is linked to the control handset when it arrives, so you don't have to faff about linking devices etc., just charge the batteries and you're ready to go. Please note that Cliff has since advised that I insert a piece of brass to protect the plastic partition from possible heat build-up.

The wire running along the top of the partition is the aeriel. I wasn't sure if it would work like this, but it works a treat.

 

[bigjack]

Nice work Mel

I'm in the process of putting battery power into a couple of Stainz First one done today

This could be the year of the battery loco

 

[yb281]

The controller / handset is really simple to use. You can probably see that there is an emergency stop button and buttons to go forwards and reverse. The button with the little chain motif is an accesory feature which has been designed for an automatic uncoupler, but can actually actuate any accesory up to a max of 1 amp (I haven't utilised this feature ......... yet).

There are basically two ways of driving a train. You can either;
Set it running to the speed you want, then press the "halt" button and the train slows to a gradual stop. If you then press the "resume" button, the train will gently pull away and return to the speed that it was running before the stop.

Or, you can just use the forward and reverse buttons. Control is fine right down to less than scale walking pace - something that would be almost impossible with an 0-4-0 on anything but the most spotless track.

 

[yb281]

Having completed the control coach it's quite a simple job (about 40 minutes) to convert a loco to plug into it. As I wanted to be able to run my loco's when others are running on track power, I removed all of the pick-ups (skates and plungers). Then it's just a case of soldering the "jump leads" to the two wires from the motor. Toughest job is finding a route for the leads to exit through the bodywork.

Here the leads are connected to the coach. They look a bit obvious in this pic, but I had to leave the leads quite long to traverse my R1 curves and I think a spot of paint might make then look a little more "railway like" in the future.

 

[yb281]

Finally, the proof of the pudding. One of the trams on a mixed service on the WGLR. Anyone who uses smaller locos like this will realise how difficult it is to achieve slow, reliable running like this with track power at this time of the year - especially when you realise that the track had not been cleaned. Particularly notice the way it crosses the R1 point at Castle Halt in the last sequence.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vYHlj1LDHIU

 

[MR SPOCK]

[align=center]Neat looking job there , I like the simple control fob much better than what I use,
[/align]

 

[Elliott]

nice video mate i do like the mixed waggons it will be great to use in the winter with the snow and ice

 

[3Valve]

Another cunning plan from the WGLR. Top job Mel.


Elliott is that yer new motor in yer avatar?

 

[Elliott]

yh my passion waggon

 

[yb281]

Made a couple of mods today.

First, Cliff advised me to put a small brass plate between the mounting bracket for the receiver/controller and the coach partition as this bracket is formed from the heat sink and he was a little concerned about it being mounted directly to the plastic.

I also frosted the glass in the compartment with all the control stuff in it using a method that we used for simulating smashed windscreens in my car modelling days. I cut a couple of pieces of perspex the same size as the windows, smeared them with plastic cement (as used for Airfix kits) and dabbed the wet cement with my finger. The more you dab, the more frosted it gets. I then glued the perspex in place with Bostik general purpose glue.

Finally, another short video showing the other two trams in action.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Ica4IWjV2A

 

[Gizzy]

Good work there Mel!

I was talking to Bigjack only last night about his recent battery conversions.

I believe Fred also has a U class and a 2095 fitted for battery operation....

 

[Bram]

Well done matey, easy to set up aren't they and you can get the slow running spot on. You can also set the halt/resume delay down to 5secs from 10 secs which suits slow running and you don't have to clean the track to run....bonus

 

[yb281]

Well done matey, easy to set up aren't they and you can get the slow running spot on. You can also set the halt/resume delay down to 5secs from 10 secs which suits slow running and you don't have to clean the track to run....bonus

Spot on mate. Thanks for all the info. I'll bring them to the next GSS meet.

 

[Dtsteam]

Thats great, Mel. A neat conversion and a good write up.

I bet if you broke into the track to motor connection on one side only, and used a shorting jack socket, then you could have the best of both worlds: track power by default, then one side isolated when the battery lead is plugged in.

 

[yb281]

Thats great, Mel. A neat conversion and a good write up.

I bet if you broke into the track to motor connection on one side only, and used a shorting jack socket, then you could have the best of both worlds: track power by default, then one side isolated when the battery lead is plugged in.

Cheers David, there's another advantage too. I can run them on that track you gave me for the engine shed diorama .

 

[Gizzy]

Thats great, Mel. A neat conversion and a good write up.

I bet if you broke into the track to motor connection on one side only, and used a shorting jack socket, then you could have the best of both worlds: track power by default, then one side isolated when the battery lead is plugged in.

Now that's a good idea?

Saves the bother of a switch.

Hope Bigjack is reading this, as it was something we were discussing on the 'phone only last night....

 

[bigjack]

Thats great, Mel. A neat conversion and a good write up.

I bet if you broke into the track to motor connection on one side only, and used a shorting jack socket, then you could have the best of both worlds: track power by default, then one side isolated when the battery lead is plugged in.

Now that's a good idea?

Saves the bother of a switch.

Hope Bigjack is reading this, as it was something we were discussing on the 'phone only last night....

I certainly have mate, an interesting read.

But, I'm going for something different, as I have three loco's to do, I'm going for this system http://1stclass.mylargescale.com/DelTapparo/Simple_Critter.htm . I'd like to go for radio control, but, this will do nicely as it's the same as the system in St Cyprian

BTW, I'm converting some loco's for the same reason as Mel. Saves the hassle of cleaning a wet track during the winter.

 

[yb281]

Although David's idea is very good (and others have made similar suggestions), I can't see me wanting to go back to track power, at least as far as the tram fleet is concerned (my six coupled locos will certainly be staying with track power for a while yet) if for no other reason than that they are soooooo much more free running without the plunger pick-ups and skates. This is very noticable if you just push the locos along the track.

It reminds me of the results that Peter (Whatlep) came up with when he tried removing the skates from his double headed Bo-Bo's - and my trams have even less drag without the plungers as well. Honestly, it's unbelievable how much difference this lack of drag makes. I'm convinced that this is helping when it comes to battery charge life. I've now been running the trams for 4 days pretty much constantly (with a re-charge each night) and I still haven't had to stop due to flat batteries, or even noticed a drop off in performance.