Battery or Track Power?

[Anonymous]

Seeking Advice!

Am planning on starting a garden railroad this spring in Ohio, but
can't decide whether to go track powered or battery! I've read all
the pros and cons for both, but still undecided!

Anybody out there with strong feelings one way or the
other? Would appreciate your comments!!

Lar
[e-mail]

[Anonymous]

LAR: i to have look into track and battery power:--at this time i have a train in G scale outside around a pond,40 X 25 this year im going to put more in.ive been to train show and ask ??? like you. ive came up with what i like in C V P products out of Richardson Txs.
www.cvpusa.com. then again,its what do you wont your train to do? i wont to be able to run my train with out haveing to be by my controls all the time.they have a wireless throttle for $160.00 and in the works a receiver .it runs on what ever battery you wont to put in your train.(nicad,gel cells,or someother kind, im still looking into that. hope this helps . toms G train

[cacole]

I talked with a G-scaler today at a Great American Train Show in Tucson who was running a Mallet (2-6-6-2) on battery power, pulling a 10 car train. He said he gets about 3.5 to 4 hours of operating time on a charge using Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH) batteries. He uses a battery pack in a boxcar with an output of 18 Volts at 3,000 MAh, and was operating by radio control. Other G-scalers were running track powered trains on the same lines he was on. Because the show is scheduled for 6 hours per day for two days, he had a spare battery car on the charger while the locomotive was in use, and could make a quick changeover. The track-powered trains seemed to be operating unattended at a set speed, in opposite directions on two different loops, and the operator of the battery-powered train just pulled into a passing siding or crossed over from one loop to the other when it looked like one of them was about to catch up to him. Fortunately, the modular layout they were running on had many passing sidings and track crossovers. He was following his train around, but the other operators were sitting around smoking and joking and talking with the crowd and were paying no attention to him or his train. During the 30 minutes or so I followed him around, he managed to avoid a collision.

[Marty Cozad]

Sounds like the club boys knew the battery guy had everthing under control.
This is my 4th RR and once I got over 500 ft of track battery became the way to go. unlimited control in all weather conditons, mulity train control. And trains are always ready to run. Cost evens out, Time is important to me, so no wiring of track or rail cleaning. I run with live steam boys or track powered boys.
You really will have to choose yourself. Some folks in the club have at less one battery ready train for the times when you need them.
Folks who come and run usually are convenced. All you have to do is go to one open house where they spend most of the time keeping the trains running and you'll understand where I'm coming from.

http://1stclass.mylargescale.com/NTCGRR/lscopenhouse%20003.jpg

This open house in Sept 03 we ran lots of different trains and as many as was reasonable to control. Above , Bruce ( bending over) was about to send his live steam shay out on the mainline as soon as Stans war train passes by. ( Stan has his hands in his pockets by the garage)
Does this sound like a "strong feeling"?
Love this hobby.