Hi,
Battery Power seems to be getting a lot of attention. With the new adapters that let you use an existing DCC receiver and smaller sizes, I wonder if anyone has experience or comments about using this system in HO? While I get the obvious advantage of not having to power the track, making room for the battery could be a challenge. Anyone?
Lefty
No idea if you are refering to a particular system.
There are HO systems out there now that use battery power.
NWSL sells one,
Bachmann sells a bluetooth system that uses a smart phone to control.
Google dead rail model trains.
Rich
If you ever fall over in public, pick yourself up and say “sorry it’s been a while since I inhabited a body.” And just walk away.
abbieleibowitz While I get the obvious advantage of not having to power the track, making room for the battery could be a challenge. Anyone?
While I get the obvious advantage of not having to power the track, making room for the battery could be a challenge. Anyone?
Lemme see. Replacing one power supply with multiple batteries is an advantage. Right.
And, going along with battery power then requires radio control. My opinion of radio control was formed when I saw $3000 worth of MY locomotives headed towards the end of the layout EVEN THOUGH I was frantically dialing the speed down. To no effect.
Haven't used it since.
Ed
Ed,
Yep, that momentum thing is a killer! I agree with you about the batteries. I think it could be a pain. But not having to power the track has an appeal.
abbieleibowitz Ed, Yep, that momentum thing is a killer! I agree with you about the batteries. I think it could be a pain. But not having to power the track has an appeal.
I'm not sure what that appeal could be. Power issues on a well maintained layout should be non-existent. My local club has over a mile of track on the mainline loop alone, and I've only seen power issues effect operation once.
abbieleibowitz Ed, Yep, that momentum thing is a killer!
Yep, that momentum thing is a killer!
Lefty,
You perhaps misunderstand.
I'm not talking about momentum.
I'm talking about how my throttle lost radio connection with the system, and my locomotives couldn't receive the STOP signal.
So I have never ever used my radio throttle again.
And it is a radio throttle that you MUST use to talk to battery powered locomotives.
So I am at a loss why I would scrap out a system that works, and try to to implant batteries into my locomotives, and then use a radio throttle system that very nearly cost me some of my favorite locomotives.
But I am open to convincing.
The version cvp usa. Has is the one in the two month article that appeared in MR a few months back
Wolfie
A pessimist sees a dark tunnel
An optimist sees the light at the end of the tunnel
A realist sees a frieght train
An engineer sees three idiots standing on the tracks stairing blankly in space
I had an answer to a very siimilar question a few days ago. You have to remember to figure in how many locos. Train weight , Power draw of each, plus sound, lights, and the big one. Grades. It sounds nice but you start talking some decent space needed. More than a unpowered loco. Unless it is an E unit. Then there is the addition of wires between units and recharging. Dont forget the weight of the batteries. The axle bearings in HO arent condusive to much weight on them. Maybe a few onces. One battery in a loco on a switching or small flat layout works but get into grades and train lengths one doesnt cut it for any length of time. Need a bigger bank than just one for a decent run time. It is a good idea for complicated wiring on a switching layout or industrial area. Does away with all the gaps and such. I can see that working out. local to the industrial area leaves the yard and enters dead rail industrial track. Then returns when job is done. The live track being the main and loco facility where it can charge between jobs. Leave the live rail for mainline trains. As far as mainline battery power trains, leave that to the large scale where the true roller bearings are along with the good sized batteries are.