On Board Camera Systems

[Independent Operator]

I've been dying to get an engineers view of how things look from the trains as they run around my layout.  I bought one of them Lionel camera engines on ebay and it did not work.  Sent it back.  Now I see that Aristo makes one.  I also see many others similar on ebay and they all calim to be good.  Before I spend my wife's food money one one----does anyone have any pro's or con's on these systems please?  Just kidding about my train widow's food money.  She does think thats what I do though

[vsmith]

The Lionel system was a joke! If my memery is correct, the picture signal was actually transmitted thru the powred rails  back to the monitor, you can imaging the static and problems associated with that concept. Wouldnt work on anything short of a short closed loop with no sidings or breaks in the track. Needless to say it was a complete flop.

Have to look into the Aristo version, havent even heard of it.

To work a system like this should be wireless IMO, so it can work with DC DCC or battery RC setups. A wireless system can be a tad complicated in its own right.

This is why most of us just stick a camera on a flat car and run it around the layout

[altterrain]

I don't remember who makes the Aristo version but I saw it running at York last year and it looked pretty good.

http://www.aristocraft.com/catalog/mini%20camera/index.html 

-Brian 

[two tone]

Hi  Be careful when putting camera on loco   IE bridges and tunnels can be costly if you hit any thing like that

[vsmith]

Putting that camera inside the cab I wonder if you'd be better off to pop out the plastic glazing first, otherwise I wonder how clear an image you'd actually get.

Add sun glare, shadows and reflections.... 

[Capt Bob Johnson]

Couple of folks in our club have the Aristo system.   Works well.   Pretty neat in freezin cold weather to put the train on, sit inside and watch it go on the TV!   Most of us like the 3rd or 4th car, or even caboose view better than locomotive view.  Gives better perspective!

[Rex in Pinetop]

I've used my airborne video system off of my 60 size Cub.  The camera and transmitter package is small and the range is more than adequate.  Battery life is short though and flights are normally less than a half hour.

Rex

[JD Miller]

I have a Aristo-Craft CRE-56802 on-board video camera.  Received the camera system for Christmas about four years ago.

The camera works well. I use a 7.2 volt ni-cad for power. It will also work with a 9 volt battery, but with the 9 volt battery life is limited.

The camera works well although at times it does pick up interference that degrades picture quality. On my layout this interference varies so it must be coming from sources in the vicinity. Most of the time interference is not a problem.  Sure nothing like the old Lionel Rail-Scope that on its best day didn't work. 

Our club has used one of these video cameras at our Annual Holiday Train Show.  We set up a monitor where folks can watch.  We put the camera on the front of a locomotive or in a specially built passenger coach.  The camera is used to pace other trains, either in front of a train or following.  We'll also park it on a siding along a main line so that folks can watch a train pass.  The camera is always a hit at these public displays.

JD

[Mike Dorsch CJ&M r.r.]

I got one of Aristo's camera's a couple of years ago and it works good . Like was said before there are spots that don't work as well as others but I can live with them . I like to sometimes leave the camera along side the rite of way and wait for the train to pass .

[tangerine-jack]

So after you've taken video of your layout, how long will it be before you get tired of seeing the same scenery over and over?   The one's that I've seen in use have belonged to clubs or informal groups- much more variety.

Just something to consider before spending the money.  I have a helmet cam for the bike, but I don't use it often because after a few minutes of shooting it gets really dull, so I only use it for recording the main parts of an event for use on web sites.

[Mike Dorsch CJ&M r.r.]

I only pull it out every other month or so . It's a nice toy but I could live with out it .

[EMPIRE II LINE]

At the shows that we are invited to set up at, I've seen someone in our group the Central Division of the Florida Garden Railroad Society, running one, at times. It is pretty neat to see it in operation.

In years past, I personally have mounted my video-8, movie camera in a gondola ahead of an engine, even have a view of a head-on collision at a cross over in the snow, looked kinda neat. That way, years later, even when the layout is no more, you can still take the tapes out and look at them again, and just reminisce. 

Byron  

[dougdagrump]

Do a google search for ChooChoo Cam, we have one on our club layout in the front door window of a BUDD car. It can be powered by batteries or by track power, whichever you prefer at time of purchase, comes with the camera, wireless transmitter and a receiver. On ours we use track power and have the receiver connected to a flat screen monitor for the museum visitors to watch. Wheather it is being pushed around the layout or in a fixed location it is kinda funny to watch the guests trying to figure out where the camera is located.

Click on the link to our club site, there is a picture that shows the monitor. The video clips on the layout tour were shot prior to the ChooChoo cam with a small handheld cam on a flat so please don't use them as a comparison.

[Independent Operator]

Do a google search for ChooChoo Cam, we have one on our club layout in the front door window of a BUDD car. It can be powered by batteries or by track power, whichever you prefer at time of purchase, comes with the camera, wireless transmitter and a receiver. On ours we use track power and have the receiver connected to a flat screen monitor for the museum visitors to watch. Wheather it is being pushed around the layout or in a fixed location it is kinda funny to watch the guests trying to figure out where the camera is located.

Click on the link to our club site, there is a picture that shows the monitor. The video clips on the layout tour were shot prior to the ChooChoo cam with a small handheld cam on a flat so please don't use them as a comparison.

I did the search and found the choo choo cam.  Be nice to have one but the cost is way out of my budget range.  They go for around 500 bucks as oppossed to 80 something on wholesale trains for the Aristo model.