Starting out

[Captain Flack]

I am looking to purchase something to get me and my 7 year old Grandson into the hobby. I'm already into boats, cars, drones and trucks, so don't want to spend megabucks just to see if he will like it. Need a recommendation for a G Scale loco which is battery powered so I can run it on my local club track. i have a Spektrum DX6 so would like to keep that if possible, certainly at this time. I have all the necessary chargers etc and have been using RC for about 20 years.
Any help would be gratefully received.

 

[Rhinochugger]

Mmm - there aren't any ready to run R/C locos (apart from one cheap model of dubious quality) and certainly nothing ready to work with standard R/C kit.

Some locos are converted and sold by a few dealers, but they don't come cheap. You might find a good second hand one, but you need to know what you're looking at (in the nicest possible way).

anyhow, a few questions.

1. Steam, diesel or electric outline?
2. How much space do you have for track? - the key question is whether track curves will be a minimum of 8ft diameter or whether garden (or indoor) constraints require less as this has an impact on the type of loco that you can run.
3. Are you adept at kit building, as there are some laser cut wooden kits at reasonable prices

Sorry, you have asked a leading question, and I'm afraid the questions will come flooding back

 

[Zerogee]

I would suggest that the cheapest and simplest starting point (especially with a 7 yo in mind) would be one of the recent Playmobil RC diesels - now sadly discontinued, but still available both new and secondhand if you look around a bit - model number is 5258, a quick Google search will find some pics of them..... some people are asking silly money for the sets now, but if you look around for a while you should find some sensibly priced ones (when new, the sets were going for about £79).
The loco has its own little RC controller, and is a bit basic but can very easily be improved as several people on here have done.

Other than that, for a ready-to-run RC model you're looking up into the £500+ range for metal ones from the likes of Roundhouse - very nice, but maybe not what you're looking for to get started....?

Then again, if you've already got your radio gear, there is nothing to stop you getting something like a small second-hand LGB loco (maybe a Schoema diesel shunter, for under £100?) and fitting it with RC and batteries yourself; there are lots of folks on here who can give practical advice on doing the conversion!

Jon.

 

[Rhinochugger]

Yeah, I've just been trying some Googlefu, and the 16 mm Association website has some of the most likely stuff. Essel Engineering locos are similarly priced to Roundhouse, but with both of these suppliers, the R/C is extra (although Roundhouse have standard pricing options for it).

I'd rather forgotten about the Playmobil locos, but as you say, their little diesel was a cracker

Otherwise - I'm still thinking

 

[dunnyrail]

Yeah, I've just been trying some Googlefu, and the 16 mm Association website has some of the most likely stuff. Essel Engineering locos are similarly priced to Roundhouse, but with both of these suppliers, the R/C is extra (although Roundhouse have standard pricing options for it).

I'd rather forgotten about the Playmobil locos, but as you say, their little diesel was a cracker

Otherwise - I'm still thinking

I can hear the cogs crunching from Here!

 

[PhilP]

LGB starter set diesel from evilBay...

 

[PhilP]

Just substitute your radio gear..

 

[Rich Skuse]

I'm seconding playmobil stuff, I have converted both a 5258 diesel (battery non-proportional RC) and 4051 (track power DC) to RC using aviation and car parts, Flysky digital TX and RX, Zippy Lipo 3S batteries and a HobbyWing Quickrun ESC. Obviously you can easily substitute the parts for other systems but it's easy enough..

Steam outline. ESC sat behind the battery and the RX sits along the side of the battery (not fitted in the pic) Charging is done via the battery charge connecter by removing the chimney. Power/Isolator in the cab fitted to the boiler to look like a loco control.


Diesel. Battery and RX at the 'long' end, ESC at the short end. You can see the power/isolator switch in the cabin. Charging via the original 'battery bonnet'.

 

[Captain Flack]

Thanks for all your replies, very grateful. I assume the PICO range is to be stayed clear of?

 

[dunnyrail]

Thanks for all your replies, very grateful. I assume the PICO range is to be stayed clear of?

Nothing much wrong with “PIKO’ stuff only not yet a Battery Loco but one on the way though,,it is a Track Cleaner. I am currently in the process of turning one of their largest steam lokies to a Battery Job. No problems if you have the ability.....

 

[Rhinochugger]

Thanks for all your replies, very grateful. I assume the PICO range is to be stayed clear of?

No, Piko's OK but beware, there is a battery loco out there that looks similar, is cheap and isn't as good as it looks