Battery power / radio control / live steam

Hello All; A bit back I bought a battery operated train on Ebay. Every thing arrived ok, in the correct box and all that. But I found it has no on hand held unit. I looked at several more on Ebay and most if not all have no hand unit. How do I get one and does it need to be set for a specific train or will they work on any of battery train. The train set is a 4-6-0.The second questen is are thise units worth the effort will they run well and long.

     Thanks Fatman

 The battery operated Big Haulers were the first ones made. They run okay but only on plastic track since the wheels are plastic. The remote control never really worked well. There are two different frequencies of remote, a 27mHz and 49mHz. I don't remember how you tell the difference. There is more about them here - http://www.girr.org/girr/tips/tips1/big_hauler_tips.html#rc

A RC Big Hauler set picked up in a second hand shop was my introduction to large scale. I ran it around the Christmas tree a couple of years but after I got into garden railroading it all became kitbash fodder.

 -Brian

Thanks Brian; After looking at the unit I think I decided to make it a no big deal and bash it or use it as a static set up of some kind.  But thanks for the very good info on this subject. I think I learned a cheep leason here. Thanks Fatman

Fatman:

I have the same unit, along with a bunch of New Brite (after Christmas sales ~$5 a set).  I get them with the only intent of making “yard art”.  Cabooses = Yard Office/local train stop, boxcars = freight stops, engine boilers = engine house salvage yard.  I like them most of all for the plastic straight track.  I use it in my storage shelves.  Even though most of us agree they have little to no value on the rails, their parts and pieces are very usable elsewhere.