Track Power or Battery Which Is Better?

[Anonymous]

I own a medium sized garden rr, that has recently been retrofited with stainless steel track secitons. I now use track power more often than I have in the past because of that. However, about half my locos are still battery powered.
For those of you wondering as to why I went to the added exspense of retrofitting my garden railroad with stainless steel track when I use battery power? Only about half my locos are equiped with battery power. And whenever I have friends come run their trains, none of their locos are epuipped with battery power, and there are only two garden railroads in my town, none of them owns a permannant rr.

[Rastun]

Why do I get the feeling we've been here before and it wasn't pretty last time either?

[Tom The Brat]

You trying to start a fight?

In the shop, I opted for track power because:

1. I wanted to be able to demo a loco without modifying it.


2. I like trains to run mainly unattended while I work, like 8 or 10 hours per day. (My X never believed I worked[banghead]



Now, I just put batteries in one of my locos. This lets me run it independent of the other track powered stuff and take it to places where they don't have track power, or even where they do. If I want it to run for hours and hours round and round, I can switch it to track power and the batteries just go for a ride.

Better? I don't think you can say one is better than the other. If I was coming home from work and wanted to run a train for a little while a couple times a week, I'd definitely go with battery as I want to run a train, not clean track[;)]

[kstrong]

There is no answer to that question. It's like Ford vs. Chevy, Liberal vs. Conservative, Tastes Great vs. Less Filling... You get the idea. It's strictly a personal preference. You've got both, and if you find yourself gravitating towards track power, that means that track power works better for you. Others will have vastly different experiences. Beyond what works for you personally, who cares?

Later,

K

[Anonymous]

what ever floats your boat, if it works.......... and no

[Marty Cozad]

Eric, if you had battery power why did you spend the money to rework your track with SS?
Plus rail clamps and what power souce are you using?
Just wondering.

[Anonymous]

Because not all of my locos are battery, and I haven't made a permanent decision on which to use. That's the real reason that I opened my Power poll.

[Tom The Brat]

Look out, Marty, that brat from the Asylum has a battery loco so he can run on your track[:-,]

[Marty Cozad]

If Eric likes U.P. then hes alright by my book.

[Anonymous]

Marty, I own a copy of the February 2003 issue. Awsome railroad! If I had a hat on I'd take it of to you sir.

[tangerine-jack]

I use both. I like the track power because you can run off the shelf locos with no mods. I usually run one loco on track power, and the modified B'mann Annie with the bat/rc. Works great!

Couldn't say which is better, the both have ups and downs. The positive of one offsets the negative of the other. Yin-yang. Karma-dogma. Moe-Curly.

Keep both so you can never be "wrong".[swg]


[oX)]

[RhB_HJ]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Rastun

Why do I get the feeling we've been here before and it wasn't pretty last time either?

I'm of the opinion that "certain polls on certain subjects" are best left to the experts on MLS.
Basically for no other reason than when they hual (could also be spelled haul[;)][:)][}:)]) up those matters, everyone is having a howlingly good time.

And Red: Why would you spend money on SS track if you have battery powered engines??

[Marty Cozad]

I was going to say, the USAT locos are very easy to convert. the center two wires on most trucks are track pick ups. reroute them to a plug on the end or DPDT switch. I wish USAT would do it at the factory, so easy.

[John Busby]

Hi RR Redneck
No one method of powering a railway is better than another
they all have their respective advantages and disadvantages.
Of course Steam is best[}:)][:D] (very biased in the ex steam oppinion[^] )
it realy is a case of working out what you want and going with that
or all types of power.
Any one got a good gauge one clock work mech going spare[?][:D]
regards John

[RhB_HJ]

QUOTE: Originally posted by RR Redneck

.................................................
For those of you wondering as to why I went to the added exspense of retrofitting my garden railroad with stainless steel track when I use battery power? Only about half my locos are equiped with battery power. And whenever I have friends come run their trains, none of their locos are epuipped with battery power, and there are only two garden railroads in my town, none of them owns a permannant rr.

Red,

In that case...... good for you.

Mean as I am [}:)][}:)], I would have them install a switch in the engine along with the socket etc. and have them run off a battery car. Of course I'd only provide two battery cars, any more than that they'd have to bring along themselves.[;)][;)][}:)][:)]

Now, I'm interested to hear what operating scheme you use when you run mixed track/battery.[?][?]

[Anonymous]

I have 6 locos and 2 are swithers, both Aristo Craft. My switchers, along with my RS-3 (also Aristo) are battery, and I recenly added a small switch yard.

[Greg Elmassian]

RR Redneck, did you really ask the question, or just wanted to start a thread?

The decision on how to power a layout depends on a lot of factors, and what you want from your railroad. For example, battery power is good for someone who might have problems supplying track power, or needs to save money on rail and use aluminum. Or someone might want to run several trains on the same track at once, and needs to mu diesels or double head different locos... DCC and track power would be best.

So, if you really wanted to figure out what is best (for you), how about putting down what you want operationally from your layout, then the decision process can begin.

Regards, Greg

[Curmudgeon]

I stayed out of this until now.
No point being the first responder.
I use only battery r/c.
Have since 2 months after I started laying track 12-13 years ago.
I would never go back.
Over 1400 feet of track and 75 turnouts, with wayfreight ops standard, I couldn't have enough power districts on 150' of 4% grade to make it worthwhile, nor enough track cleaning cars.
To give you an idea, Friday had some former neighbors show up during a monsoon.
Oldest had to run trains, as he hadn't in 5 years or so here.
We put on our rain gear, and in pouring rain, turned on the locos and off we went.
No problems at all, almost 2 hours, never killed any batteries, they still have plenty left in them.
Haven't cleaned track, other than move leaves off the rail, in all that time.
No clamps, no bonds, no feeders, no electrical maintenance outdoors on the track whatsoever.
I ended up getting talked into doing this as a business many years ago (after I started using it), and it's all I do now.
TOC

[Anonymous]

im new to large scale and as of yet dont even have a large scale train. BUT there will be one someday even if its a little mack. i like the macks and all of the large scale engines.
and really entry level locos are not much more than a good quality small scale. sp a garden RR will be just what i need with my diminshed sight

if anything confuses my semi blind behind its obtaining reliable power. im thinking i can understand batteries (i do own a cordless drill) and think i understand battery training and care.

those must be some serious batteries that run the Curmudgeon RR for that long on that kind of grade. very very impressive to me.. are they the nickle metal hydride type or gel cells?

how do the costs break down between the 2 power options? and does aluminum really not conduct well enough to be used with track power on say 200' of track?


much thanks for allowing all my questions. John

[Tom The Brat]

Seeing or not, the Curmudgeon is one of the top experts on battery power, and a lot of other things[:-,]

[Curmudgeon]

Both NiCad and NiMH.
Depends on the loco.
USA Geeps and bigger have a horrendous draw, as do the bigger AC dismals.
Climaxes draw, with sound, about 3/4amp.
Shays draw about 1 amp, all in light use.
Heavier loads and stteper grades it all changes.

LGB stuff is generally pretty good IF you gut all their electronics.
That's why I encourage folks to buy the version with no sound.

TOC

[Anonymous]

thank you sir.

[FJ and G]

I'd vote for steam, but since I'm going to run O in garden, electricity will have to do until I can get my hands on a British live steamer. They don't make battery stuff in O scale (I think).

Keeping the inside loop rather level for future steam ops.

[Tom The Brat]

I think I'd vote for steam too, but I'd better stick with electric for the time being[;)]

[Anonymous]

O in the garden ? sounds wonderful to me. you all are full of great ideas that im liking a lot.

you might also be able to sneak a battery in some O locos

[Anonymous]

thank you TOC

[cacole]

I have so many reverse loops and crossovers that trying to use track power would be an absolute electrical nightmare -- not to mention the oily film left on the track when I run my live steamer. So battery power only with an AirWire 900 wireless DCC decoder and sound system in everything. And to top it all off, the Arizona dirt is like a rock and would have required a trenching machine to bury the wiring.