Some beginner help

[highlander100]

Following a regression from grown man to lego to model railways, I’ve settled on building a g gauge garden railway.

I’ve been doing a lot of reading and a lot of you tube watching, but things have moved on from my days of one DC controller. I’ve decided what I’m aiming for, but not how to get it. So wondered if people could point me in the right direction. I would like the following and am looking for some recommendations of control systems to consider:

- want wireless control and battery power for the local’s
- able to power trackside accessories, happy to hard wire these.
- be able to intergrate locos and accessories from the same interface
- ideally be able to have control to stop the locos remotely at signals.
- final layout could be in the range of 30m by 20m. But that will likely be years off. But want the system to be able to communicate over that distance from day one.

Any help in pointing me in the right direction would be great. Thanks in advance.

 

[pugwash]

Greetings from teeny-tiny land and welcome to the forum, you were quick making your first post!
For your requirements almost any digital system will do, I use the Roco Z21 system for my admittedly indoor HO layout but know others use it for G. Obviously there are others and most seem to use the Massoth system in the garden as that is what it is designed for.
I think the first consideration is going to be how you want to power everything, either track or onboard with, as you say, possibly using both. For instance battery locos with track-fed lineside accessories (interior lighting for coaches should be thought of too) but you are right to want to future proof your layout.
The other guys will be along soon to give you nuggets of wisdom, some may mention the humour but be advised it is all perfectly normal for responsible, grown adults.
Have fun here.

 

[dunnyrail]

Following a regression from grown man to lego to model railways, I’ve settled on building a g gauge garden railway.

I’ve been doing a lot of reading and a lot of you tube watching, but things have moved on from my days of one DC controller. I’ve decided what I’m aiming for, but not how to get it. So wondered if people could point me in the right direction. I would like the following and am looking for some recommendations of control systems to consider:

- want wireless control and battery power for the local’s

A few options to do this, we have a member in the site that does Battery equipment. There are also some other suppliers.

Micron Radio Control : Micron Radio Control

www.micronradiocontrol.co.uk

Fosworks

Garden Railway Radio Control and Sound Radio DCC for Gauge 0 to Gauge 3 Analogue DC and live steam systems too

fosworks.co.uk

Piko do a battery RC system as well.
Then in US there is this group that will be able to add to the knowledge.

Dead Rail Society

This is the official website of the Dead Rail Society, founded 2010 in San Diego, California, and dedicated to the elimination of electric power on model railroad track. Batteries and radio control are the way of the future!

www.deadrailsociety.com

- able to power trackside accessories, happy to hard wire these.
- be able to intergrate locos and accessories from the same interface

Not sure this would be that easy, but perhaps PhilP may have some ideas.

- ideally be able to have control to stop the locos remotely at signals.

Not an easy option with Battery Radio Control, one needs to drive the locomotive and obey the signals just like the real thing! Though I expect a link to a Relay in the loco may be possible.

- final layout could be in the range of 30m by 20m. But that will likely be years off. But want the system to be able to communicate over that distance from day one.

Keep well clear of WiFi Radio Control systems, not sure that the Piko would work at that distance, I have Fosworks RC predominantly that will cope with that distance.

Any help in pointing me in the right direction would be great. Thanks in advance.

Have a look in the battery section in the forum.

 

[JimmyB]

First welcome, second, I would start by using the search facilities on the site for each of the areas, then, once having read them, a lot of you queries will be answered, but you can then come back with more specific questions to fill in the gaps to meet your requirement.

Though, I think R/C battery locos and auto stop on signals are a way apart, and I would think little steps first. Get track on the ground, and run a loco (track or battery) then move forward.

 

[Paul M]

Welcome yo the forum, Highlander. You'll get all the help you need on here, but the best thing you could do is try and find a local G Scale, or even 16mm group near you and pay a visit.

 

[Gizzy]

Welcome to the forum Highlander!

I use Massoth as my DCC control, as do many of my fellow G scalers. We can use our handset (Navigator) on other layouts. The Piko version is also compatible with Massoth....

 

[pugwash]

Keep well clear of WiFi Radio Control systems, not sure that the Piko would work at that distance

No need to keep clear of WiFi as modern systems, like my Roco, use their own WiFi signal and have a useable range these days, repeaters can be used if your garden is a stately pile.

 

[David1226]

The system that I use on the Claptowte Railway is simple and foolproof.



David

 

[highlander100]

Manny thanks to everyone that has answered. I’ll take a look though at the systems you’ve recommended.

It’s also been useful to get your opinions in what to discount immediately.

I think my plan is similar to what you suggested. I’ll get a small setup hgoing to test out what direction is the best to go.

 

[pugwash]

I think my plan is similar to what you suggested.

Be warned: Ask a question on the forum and get ten answers, all ten will be different but then again all ten will be correct so you need to pick the one(s) that best suit your needs.

 

[Rhinochugger]

Yerst - I think, as has been said, battery control and signal integration are probably not directly available from any single provider.

There may well be intelligent ways of doing it (count myself out at that point ) somehow the signal colour has to bounce back to the hand-held controller, and also needs to perform a controlled stop.

Dead stops and high powered starts are pretty deadly to gearboxes in this scale

There might be a Raspberry Pi aficionado out there who could see a way of doing it. It probably needs something like the cell-net / cell-phone breakthrough that allows a signal to be passed from mast to mast

 

[Gerard]

Welcome Highlander 100 !

I myself started about 7 years ago and I knew nothing about G-scale. I started buying stuff in the nearest shop and got acqainted with the owner who helped me a lot with solving all kinds of starting problems, questions and decisions to make.
Now after all these years my garden rail is running without problems and about 3 years ago I suggested him to write a book about all his good advice and designs. I decided to help him and wrote some chapters about my own simple G-scale track and battery running trains and more. Finally 10 G-scale Central guys here helped me with the translation into UK English.
The book is called "Our Model Garden Railway" and you can find it on Amazon. See attached a photo to have an impression of the shapes and sizes of the book.
The url is: Our Model Garden Railway: Schrieck, Bart van der, Kleinsteuber, Rainer: 9798285485971: Amazon.com: Books

Mary Christmas and a Happy New Year
Gerard (Bart)

 

[maxi-model]

I never did Lego, arrived via static and slot racing cars. I have got to an age where I get a gardener to come in occasionally and give a hand. He learnt his trade as a facilities manager for......Legoland ! Very handy, understands about track ballasting and loading gauges.

First, keep things simple to start with. The thing about garden railways is they are easy to modify and extend. 23 years ago I started with a DC track power unit that had a "walkaround" radio control handset (a now much evolved US product called "The Train Engineer"). I then started to incorporate, with individual factory fitted RC control, live steam powered locos. Because most of my line is in partial shade I found myself spending a bit of time prepping and cleaning the track before running.... and during with the electric stuff. That led to having one of those locos being converted to Battery/RC operation, my "lazy day loco". Years pass, back and knees start to complain, the decision is made to convert all electric track power to Battery/RC "lazy days". Along the way I have gone from points and signals being manually controlled to electrically and finally pneumatic. Pick out of that what you will from that. You will learn to be flexible in your approach and solutions chosen.

Like others who use Battery/RC loco operation in the UK I have chosen mostly localy sourced or supported equipment. Both Fosworks and RC Trains (Micron based), horses for courses. All my electric powered locos/railcars have been equipped with sound. I use MyLocoSound (MLS), for an flexible economical generic sound product. For loco specific sound, ESU, their sound library is unrivalled. It's also a DCC card that, by definition, incorporates an electronic speed controller (ESC) that battery powered kit requires. Both can be migrated between a track power and battery/RC environment. I have some other no longer available soundcard makes as well. Please excuse the jargon.

Most of all get some track down and run something that you like. See you around sometime soon. Max.