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Hypothetical keep alive question

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  • Member since
    September 2002
  • 7,486 posts
Hypothetical keep alive question
Posted by ndbprr on Tuesday, February 25, 2020 9:13 AM

In the event of an emergency shut down like a wreck does the emergency stop override the keep alive or does the engine keep going until the keep alive completely discharges?

  • Member since
    December 2015
  • From: Shenandoah Valley
  • 9,094 posts
Posted by BigDaddy on Tuesday, February 25, 2020 9:28 AM

If it's off the track, that is the equivalent to dirty track to the keep alive and the engine keeps going.  If you run into the back of another train and hit the stop, it should stop, because it is receiving commands.

Henry

COB Potomac & Northern

Shenandoah Valley

  • Member since
    May 2010
  • From: SE. WI.
  • 8,253 posts
Posted by mbinsewi on Tuesday, February 25, 2020 9:36 AM

I remember Randy telling us once that a loco he has, with a keep alive, ran across his work bench twice before losing power.

Mike.

  • Member since
    February 2002
  • From: Reading, PA
  • 30,002 posts
Posted by rrinker on Tuesday, February 25, 2020 10:02 AM

 Yes, my one and only loco with a keep alive will run across my WOOD desk like a wind up toy. It ran more than half the length of an 8 foot folding table at a show when I demonstrated it.

 If the loco is on the rails though, and receiving commands, the stop will stop it. I was able to put a piece of paper ove the rails and get it to stay on, while on the paper I changed the speed to 0, nothing happened until it got past the paper and back on the rails, and it stopped.

 It's a very tiny loco and may well need a keep alive even with powered frogs, but so far none of my other locos has shown signs of needing one. I use only Loksound on my sound locos, so if I do fit them, I will use ESU's 3-wire units even though they cost more, ebcause you can program how long the loco runs when it loses power - you can set it for say 3 seconds even though the power pack could keep it going for 30 or more until it drains. Thus there will be no issues of locos heading off across the scenery, or chewing ruts in the trackside scenery if they should derail.

 The other part of the equation is making sure my track is good enough that the locos don't derail in the first place.

                                                       --Randy


Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's

 

Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.

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