MY BATTERY EXPERIENCE

[Madman]

This year, I have begun a conversion to battery power. It started with a "G Scale Graphics" Railboss R/C. I've had my garden railway for twenty years, strictly track power. I was apprehensive about switching, however I must say that as each day passes, I find the switch to battery power more and more to my liking. Yesterday, I ran an LGB 2090 diesel that I equipped with a fan driven smoke unit. The battery had already been used for at least two hours powering other trains. I typically have seen three to four hours of run time on a Li-on 4500 ah battery. I now have two R/C Railbosses plus two Enhansed Railbosses which are not R/C controlled.

The bottom line here is that I am happy that I made the switch to battery power.

 

[yb281]

I agree Dan. Since dabbling with battery power, I now almost always pick up a battery powered loco when I fancy a running session. It's so much less hassle than track power (especially with 4 wheeled locos) and I'm getting in excess of 5 hours running between charges with my Cliff Barker battery RC set-up.

 

[Madman]

I agree Dan. Since dabbling with battery power, I now almost always pick up a battery powered loco when I fancy a running session. It's so much less hassle than track power (especially with 4 wheeled locos) and I'm getting in excess of 5 hours running between charges with my Cliff Barker battery RC set-up.

I see that you have achieved the rank of "Qualified Idiot". I have long sought to be elevated to your post in life. Keep up the good work.

 

[yb281]

I agree Dan. Since dabbling with battery power, I now almost always pick up a battery powered loco when I fancy a running session. It's so much less hassle than track power (especially with 4 wheeled locos) and I'm getting in excess of 5 hours running between charges with my Cliff Barker battery RC set-up.

I see that you have achieved the rank of "Qualified Idiot". I have long sought to be elevated to your post in life. Keep up the good work.

The hours are long, the training intensive and the pay lousy, but someone has to do it.

 

[Bram]

..........................you get paid

 

[robsmorgan]

"It started with a "G Scale Graphics" Railboss R/C......."
Hi Dan
[size=14pt]I wanted two return loops, one at each end of my garden..... live track would have led to all sorts of magic circuitry requirements - and at a price, so did as you have equipped my motive power with [/size][size=14pt]Railboss [/size][size=14pt]R/C and haven't looked back - excellent control. W[/size][size=14pt]e (UK) have to pay extra postage AND import taxes but [/size][size=14pt]probably still cheaper than DCC plus the return loop extras [/size]

[size=14pt]Regards[/size]
[size=14pt]Rob
[/size]

 

[Madman]

My newest conversion. What a difference!!!!!

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

 

[Cyclone]

Good work. Im considering getting a track powered loco and converting to battery/RC as there isnt very much in the way of ready built stuff.

 

[The Devonian]

I can have up to four locos out on my tracks, one on a passing loop the other on spurs/sidings. However I can only run one train at a time. I use the Aristo Train Engineer for control. (not the older orange version). I have one transmitter and two receivers. One receiver is direct to a track feeder, the other is mounted on a flat base and can be located in a trailing car - I have a few cars in which the receiver can be fitted in if I wish to use battery power. They are all Aristo products: a 100T coal hopper, a stock car,, a box car and any of five gondolas. I obtained my batteries from a local model car dealer but do not use the battery option often as I prefer track power at the present time. I know this means track cleaning but I do like my track clean - after all the track is outdoors and subject to all manner of things from dometic and wild animals, particularly bird droppings which, in turn, contaminate rolling stock wheels.
I recall a comment by the late Fred Dibnah MBE, in one of his tv programmes, he said that he was bedridden for a week due to pigeons (their droppings were inferred) :thumbdown:
Four of my locos are Aristo-Craft - their advantage being that they have the plugs fitted for battery operation using trailing cars. I hope to get one of my Aristo Centre Cabs converted to solely battery operation; the other will still be track powered. The same, eventually, will apply to my 'Annies'. One will be battery only the other will remain track powerered.

 

[Madman]

I have completed the conversion of my LGB railbus to battery power. Here is a short clip of it entering and leaving one of the stations on the dedicated point to point line it travels on. .

http://youtu.be/Uw9FkdTRDLU