TTaannggss
Hates T.P.& r1Cur. Retired for 3 after 40 in Hosp.
I am charging up my 9 volt. I have not used it in a few years. It is for a remote control hyper warp dune buggy.
I am almost giving up. I am having a hard time getting my train to run outside so considering battery power.
- Thread starter TTaannggss
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TTaannggss
Hates T.P.& r1Cur. Retired for 3 after 40 in Hosp.
TTaannggss
Hates T.P.& r1Cur. Retired for 3 after 40 in Hosp.
Has anyone ever melted soder into a track connection to make it better conductive?
This is far from the ideal solution. You will need to disassemble an throughly clean the track ends for the solder to attach to the rails. Then you will probably need to clean up the soldered joints with a file. Otherwise, loco and wagon wheels will bounce around and maybe even derail crossing the joints. A much better way is to solder wire jumpers across the rail joints. You still need to clean the rail where the jumper is to be soldered but this can be done with a wire brush in a Dremel type tool. You'll also need a high wattage, 150 to 200 watt, soldering iron/gun. You should practice on some pieces of track to get the hang of it before attacking your layout.
I don't want to discourage your shift to battery power but I suspect you are going to run into a different set of frustrations. These will be born out of your desire to do everything very quickly and on the cheap just as your troubles with track power attest. The FA is a nice loco. It deserves a proper modification to battery power, not something hobbled together.
It is clear to me that at present you lack the knowledge to properly carry out the battery conversion. Or even give track power a fair shot for that matter. This is not a criticism. We all were beginners at one time. I recommend you find someone/group that can guide you with hands-on help. If there is no one locally in Sarnia you might try the Lakeshore Garden Railway Club. They're on the wrong side of the border but not too far from you. I believe they are based in Saint Clair Shores, MI. There is a good chance one of their members is in or near Port Huron just across the bridge.
By the way, I agree with Rhino - the FA's wheels need a good cleaning and possibly an overhaul of the trucks!
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Have you read my post #14?
As for bonding rails yes that will help, you need a high watt iron in the 80-100 watt range to fuse wires to the rail. A better option are track clamps, easier to fit and hold the rails together better. Another help with track power is additional feeds, I tended to do one at the end of each track section when using track power. Massoth and others do clamps but not the cheapest solution.
However if you are certain that you want battery power then go for it. I converted to battery some 3-4 years ago and would not back to track power in the garden. Your 9v battery will be a better bet to make the loco trundle round the line at a steady pace. If not used for that amount of time it is possible that it could be trashed.
Finally have a look at some of the posts in the Battery Thread in this Forum. Lots of experimenting and experience in there.
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We did hint you would have problems with placing your track straight on to the ground. You really need something a lot firmer especially at the rail joints, and you will need to give the track a good clean every time you use it, so you will struggle with track power. Get someone who knows what they're are doing to look at your set up, rather than just blunder on and getting frustrated
TTaannggss
Hates T.P.& r1Cur. Retired for 3 after 40 in Hosp.
Thanks for all the suggestions ....I charged the 9 volt over night and will soon test it on the engine. I will splice the wires off of the connector. ..It is so small I might be able to place it right in the engine. With the 20 volt it would have to go into a box car. ..But the 20 volts charge would last much longer I think??
Revok
Registered
Its not often I feel I have something useful to add, but maybe this time. I'm a relative newcomer to garden railways, and i can understand your frustrations with getting track power to give trouble free enjoyment of your layout.
Knowing nothing, my first attempt was simply laying track on the ground. I think it was a matter of only a couple of hours before I noticed some stuttering, and the track needed cleaning . I wasn't even sure *how* to clean the track so was just spraying water and using a cloth. That I suspect was just throwing up more muck onto the rails, so ever more cleaning was needed.
Next attempt was to lay track on a bed of grit. That lifted it slightly higher than the surrounding dirt, and also allowed me to get track a little more level. It was a big improvement, but it wasn't long before the dirt and grit started mixing, and in places where I had piled grit higher to get a level track, it washed away. Locos still stuttered or stopped fairly regularly.
Following year I levelled the ground the layout was on, then dug a small trench which i filled with grit. I also replaced fishplates with track clamps. That seemed to work well, but again, dirt and debris soon contaminated the grit. Things were much improved from previous but the same underlying problems existed. Wherever there is soil and moisture things will grow. I must admit I kinda liked how it looked, and encouraged the greenery, but the rails don't appreciate it, and in some places I had quite bad brass corrosion.
This year, I had another go. This time I laid the track on paving bricks on sand in the trench, which were raised ever so slightly higher than the ground. Then used plastic lawn edging to separate dirt from track, and infilled grit to soften the look of the brick. So far, its been a revelation. OK, it doesn't look quite as naturalistic as before, but thats more than offset by the trouble free running (touches wood) I am having.
That's not to say don't convert to battery, I just thought I'd say that several times I too thought this garden railway lark was more pain than fun, but with a few changes to the track bed I'm now getting good results from simple dc track power.
Knowing nothing, my first attempt was simply laying track on the ground. I think it was a matter of only a couple of hours before I noticed some stuttering, and the track needed cleaning . I wasn't even sure *how* to clean the track so was just spraying water and using a cloth. That I suspect was just throwing up more muck onto the rails, so ever more cleaning was needed.
Next attempt was to lay track on a bed of grit. That lifted it slightly higher than the surrounding dirt, and also allowed me to get track a little more level. It was a big improvement, but it wasn't long before the dirt and grit started mixing, and in places where I had piled grit higher to get a level track, it washed away. Locos still stuttered or stopped fairly regularly.
Following year I levelled the ground the layout was on, then dug a small trench which i filled with grit. I also replaced fishplates with track clamps. That seemed to work well, but again, dirt and debris soon contaminated the grit. Things were much improved from previous but the same underlying problems existed. Wherever there is soil and moisture things will grow. I must admit I kinda liked how it looked, and encouraged the greenery, but the rails don't appreciate it, and in some places I had quite bad brass corrosion.
This year, I had another go. This time I laid the track on paving bricks on sand in the trench, which were raised ever so slightly higher than the ground. Then used plastic lawn edging to separate dirt from track, and infilled grit to soften the look of the brick. So far, its been a revelation. OK, it doesn't look quite as naturalistic as before, but thats more than offset by the trouble free running (touches wood) I am having.
That's not to say don't convert to battery, I just thought I'd say that several times I too thought this garden railway lark was more pain than fun, but with a few changes to the track bed I'm now getting good results from simple dc track power.
TTaannggss
Hates T.P.& r1Cur. Retired for 3 after 40 in Hosp.
Last Friday I was able to get the engine to do the loop with no stopping but far from perfect. Last Saturday I added the Spadina Extension and Sunday was not a good run. Sooo I charged the 9 volt over night and it works... Yaaa! I spliced the wiring and hooked it to the engine. I want a not fast.. meandering through the garden freight train. Is this enough power ? Next step is to take the shell off the engine and find the proper wires to splice
Rhinochugger
Retired Oik
9v may be a bit light on an Aristo loco.
However, the big drawback will be that it will start with a slight jolt and, long term, this will not be good for the drive train.
But, I get it, that you want to watch a train running - I do too, I sit and watch them for ages.
So, once you get it running simply, then you can think about installing a controller (ESC and Receiver) just to allow for smooth starting and stopping.
However, the big drawback will be that it will start with a slight jolt and, long term, this will not be good for the drive train.
But, I get it, that you want to watch a train running - I do too, I sit and watch them for ages.
So, once you get it running simply, then you can think about installing a controller (ESC and Receiver) just to allow for smooth starting and stopping.
TTaannggss
Hates T.P.& r1Cur. Retired for 3 after 40 in Hosp.
Can I get a very small dimmer switch? ..plus I want to pull rolling stock and that will slow it down as well. I used the 9 volt on the battery steam engine and it worked. I wanted to use it as a track cleaner. But it makes a racket...chugs and bells... I will not do that to my neighbours. I will probably dismantle it.
Madman
Registered
If you are going to make the switch to "The Dark Side", consider G Scale Graphics systems. I've been using his fine products since converting to battery power around twelve years ago.
G-Scale Graphics
Custom Vinyl Lettering and Electronics for Garden Railroading
www.gscalegraphics.net
TTaannggss
Hates T.P.& r1Cur. Retired for 3 after 40 in Hosp.
Rhinochugger
Retired Oik
There are manual speed controllers available often on Ebay, but you need to establish the operating voltage that is going to work best with the loco first.
The other secret with the manual controllers, is finding a suitably inobtrusive place to site the control knob.
TTaannggss
Hates T.P.& r1Cur. Retired for 3 after 40 in Hosp.
Yes. I can also have different voltage batteries to vary the speed. I dismantled the steam engine. I got rid of the bell. Chugging sound and clicker. I can hear the motor. It says 1986 on the bottom. I was 26 then. Back then I loved to go on long day trips for something fun and adventurous to do. Often further than Ann Arbour.....I might have to alter the steam engine even more to fit around the r1 curves. Onward and forward.
Greg Elmassian
Guest
All I will say is that it is cheaper to go track power than battery. It seems that your posts have had priority on cost.
Bonding a copper wire on adjacent track sections will give you PERFECT continuity, even if the track flexes. Your only investment is a large soldering iron and time.
Dc power from a transformer will give you (with a single train) the cheapest remote control.
Everything else is more expensive.
Bonding a copper wire on adjacent track sections will give you PERFECT continuity, even if the track flexes. Your only investment is a large soldering iron and time.
Dc power from a transformer will give you (with a single train) the cheapest remote control.
Everything else is more expensive.
A compacted sub-base. A strip of weed membrane. Some gravel ballast. Cleaned rail-ends. Nipped-up joiners (clamps are better). A smear of copper-grease. Decent gauge power-feeds.
Try to keep the formation level. - Across the track is very important.
Then consider bonding (with wires, with a little slack) across the joiners.
PhilP
Try to keep the formation level. - Across the track is very important.
Then consider bonding (with wires, with a little slack) across the joiners.
PhilP
TTaannggss
Hates T.P.& r1Cur. Retired for 3 after 40 in Hosp.
It is a pricy hobby. 330 with shipping for the engine. Around 250 for the 3 cars plus gas for a 2 hours each way trip. But I like to cruise so all good. Then there is the track. At least 600 as a guess. So I do not consider myself cheap. Plus I using lots of stuff I already have. But it all good I really like my model railway.
Greg Elmassian
Guest
No one said you are cheap. There is no issue with a limited budget, we all have our limits. But you have explored many low cost options, and I am telling you that you will spend more going to battery than soldering jumpers to your rails and running track power.
Now you are looking for a way to run battery without any controls. Again there is no shame in not having an unlimited budget, but you need to look at the bigger picture, TOTAL cost of your endeavor.
You were given good advice when you were first hooking up your track, bonding rails or clamps, and you did not follow that. No problem, your decision, but your decision to not bulletproof your power delivery has now caused your track power to fail.
Batteries for your one loco will cost more than the copper wire to solder your tracks.
Greg
Now you are looking for a way to run battery without any controls. Again there is no shame in not having an unlimited budget, but you need to look at the bigger picture, TOTAL cost of your endeavor.
You were given good advice when you were first hooking up your track, bonding rails or clamps, and you did not follow that. No problem, your decision, but your decision to not bulletproof your power delivery has now caused your track power to fail.
Batteries for your one loco will cost more than the copper wire to solder your tracks.
Greg