I am almost giving up. I am having a hard time getting my train to run outside so considering battery power.

Thanks for the thumbs up. It was a bit of work. Now I have to shovel earth then hose it down to give the tracks a foundation. Then nail the new tracks into the ground. Then get my battery steamer to clean the tracks.
 

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Yup. You really notice on the roads. When I am in Florida the roads are awesome because it very very rarely goes below freezing if ever. When I was in Newfoundland I noticed the same thing. Cus once the roads freeze up it probably stays like that till mid March as a guess. In Sarnia the roads CAN go below then above freezing daily from mid October at night to end of April. And from July to August when the clay dries it cracks and turns to dust....Being retired I have the time to maintain the rails. Going totally battery power is still an option. Having my battery steamer track cleaner now should make life a lot easier eh.
 

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Yup. You really notice on the roads. When I am in Florida the roads are awesome because it very very rarely goes below freezing if ever. When I was in Newfoundland I noticed the same thing. Cus once the roads freeze up it probably stays like that most till mid March as a guess. In Sarnia the roads can go below then above freezing from mid October at night to end of April. Being retired I have the time to maintain the rails. Going totally battery power is still an option. Having my battery steamer track cleaner now should make life a lot easier eh. Jim
 

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maxi-model said:
Nice try GAP. This "time is money" formula only works if you are going to supplant your recreational time with actual paid work. It is something I used to bench mark the "cost of sale" when trading on Ebay (to pay for this hobby), while I had a job that offered some realistic overtime opportunities. I'm not sure what the UK government's Department of Work and Pensions might say when I put in a request for time and half uplift of my state pension for time spent building and running my line. But as I said, nice try. Though it could be a solution, for us retired folk on fixed incomes, who now face of paying massively ramped up energy bills - getting paid for playing with trains. I'll suggest that to my sitting MP. Max.
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Wasn't really thinking time is money, more like time spent outside cleaning track is time taken away from other modelling tasks eg I can monitor my batteries charging while working on a scratchbuild and watching a 3D print, concurrent actions.
If I was out cleaning track that time would not be available for modelling time (note trains are not running in both scenarios).
 
GAP said:
Wasn't really thinking time is money, more like time spent outside cleaning track is time taken away from other modelling tasks eg I can monitor my batteries charging while working on a scratchbuild and watching a 3D print, concurrent actions.
If I was out cleaning track that time would not be available for modelling time (note trains are not running in both scenarios).
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I like to clean my tracks using my steam engine battery powered track cleaner. I might rig it as a light snow plow for the winter.
 
I am adding concrete as a blast to give the track more grip. Especially around the curves...Ya I know it will crumble in no time in my climate but ya got to do what ya got to do eh.
 
Ya ballast as in track bed. Looks like I missed a letter ..My track cleaning steam engine does not like the r1 curved track. As well. Does anyone know if I can charge my battery while the battery is still connected to the train,?
 
TTaannggss said:
Ya ballast as in track bed. Looks like I missed a letter ..My track cleaning steam engine does not like the r1 curved track. As well. Does anyone know if I can charge my battery while the battery is still connected to the train,?
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Depends if there's a charging port in the engine
 
No charging port. It is one of those old toy Christmas trains. I am hooking up the rechargable battery to where the regular batteries were supposed to go. So I will not then. It seems to be doing an ok job cleaning the tracks. I am kit bashing it to stay on the tracks better. I almost do not want to show you but will when the modification is complete.
 
TTaannggss said:
Ya ballast as in track bed. Looks like I missed a letter ..My track cleaning steam engine does not like the r1 curved track. As well. Does anyone know if I can charge my battery while the battery is still connected to the train,?
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There are possibilities to use the track to provide power for battery charging providing your motor is entirely disconnected from the track. You would need to hook up the battery from track pickups to the battery. But that brings you back to your original issue.

Back in Model Railroader there was a DCC HO battery conversion that had track pickup which charged the onboard battery whilst running but the loco could also enter dead rail sections. There was a lot of expensive tech shoehorned into not a lot of space. But I do not think you would wish to go that route.
 
Yup keep it simple. I am just hooking up wire to wire now. I will have to get connectors. It is all good.
 
The 9 volt rechargable was too much of a pain. So using 2 C batteries now. Makes it go much slower and does not derail as much. Goal is no derail.
 
Ok I am not one for giving up at all. I once cycled from Kitchener to Sarnia and back in a day....that was around 255 miles. But I am at the end of my rope on this one. Like seriously!!!
 
Ok so next step.... Can I unscrew the bottom screws of my f unit. Take the shell off. Then cut the wires going to the front wheels? Attach them to the battery??? Then put the shell back on the frame. One more more advantage to battery power.....you will live longer. Have less grey hair. ha ha.
 
How is your transformer connected to the rails? I zoomed in and cannot see any rail connecters for the power leads. Not even the standard LGB screw on type that come with starter sets. Ann Arbor has the same climate as Sarnia and I've been running with track power for years with hardly any issues. Clearly there is something you are not doing right.
 
I think Ann Arbour is close but not the same. You are inland. I am on a cold mega lake. As a guess I think your springs and winters and summers might be warmer. Plus you are like 60 miles south. I have it hooked up to variable DC. I am using 10 gage wiring. I have the bare wire touching the rails but not fused. What is the best way to hook up the 9 volt battery to the engine.
 
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TTaannggss said:
I have the bare wire touching the rails but not fused.
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This is at least part, and probably the major source of your trouble! You need a solid connection of some type either mechanical or soldered. You can't get by with them just "touching"!
 
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