Battery power

[Curmudgeon]

AutBatt is a Product Name for RCS Auxilliary Batteries.

[BudSteinhoff]

An 'AuxBatt' is probably a 30 amp Bridgewerks power supply.
Batteries work for some but I don't need any more battery powered equipment and chargers.
Keeping them charged and replacing them is a pain.
For me track power with on-boards is no problem.
I have all the power I need and can run as many lights, smoke, sound as I want for as long as I want.
Track cleaning is no big deal it only takes me about 15 miniutes for the 1200 ft of track with my cleaning rig which is really fun to sit back and let the loco do its work.
To each his own for their situation.
Bud[8D]

[Curmudgeon]

Second, Bob, do you want to tell these wonderful folks or you want me to?
How 12-15 LGB engines a year die on your rr?
How it's been "abandoned" and won't run for 18 months?
About home-brewed battery stuff where you burn your shed down?
I have it all saved, if you want me to post it, but I'll give you first crack at it.
TOC

[Curmudgeon]

Do you even know what an AuxBatt IS?

[bobgrosh]

I don't know.
We run all operating session before dawn, (best to view all the lighted cars) till dusk and sometime till midnight. Then, the next day, we do it again. Don't have to wait till later in the week when the bats are charged......
We sold our AuxBatts, to an RC car guy and bought 3 more locos. Run them on.. reverse loops and all.
No wiring.
Clamps keep our rails straight. No bonds. No feeders. No banks of chargers. No uncharged batteries after power outages.
No jumpers between locos and trailing cars, no trailing cars either.
No track cleaning, no wheel cleaning, two sets of worn out "skates" (12 bucks, big deal), no clamped down track because it floats just like the real thing.

I guess yer right.
I must be missing something.

B0B

[Curmudgeon]

I don't know.
We run all operating session (2PM to 8 or 9 PM) then later in the week, drag it out and run it some more......
Of course with AuxBatts, we can go all weekend......reverse loops and all.
No wiring.
No clamps. No bonds. No feeders. No power packs. Even during power outtages.
No cleaning cars, either.
No track cleaning, no wheel cleaning, no worn out "skates", no "floating" track because we clamped it and it grows....
I guess yer right.
I must be missing something.

TOC

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: What's a track-cleaning car?

A flat waggon with abrasive pads on it.
What's a day lasting battery(he he)
[:D]

[bobgrosh]

After a year of battery I tired of running out of juice before the day ended, having to swap batteries to make it through the day, making excuses for not having a loco charged, dealing with the cumbersome joystick controls, trying to fit 4 or 5 pieces of hardware in small locos, wiring up all the components, lugging battery cars around, loss of control at key moments and dealing with accidentally overcharged batteries their corrosion and explosions. For those with four or five locos it might be fine, but for 20 locos it's insane and insanely expensive. Switched to DCC 6 years ago and eliminated all the hassle.

[Anonymous]

It's what does the job being push/pulled by a loco that I have just spent half an hour doing, saying that, for me it's a good time to check the track, do a bit of pruning and re ballast here and there. A labour of love.
Cheers,
Kim
[tup]

[Anonymous]

All AirWire 900.

Might in the future add power to one of my loops, just so others can come visit and run with me.

[Curmudgeon]

What's a track-cleaning car?

[Anonymous]

Go go Kevin-
and Kevin's wife's teapot !
It was curious.

[kstrong]

Yes, but not exclusively. The rest is steam. [:)] Electron-free rails since 1984.

Later,

K

[Anonymous]

I have one battery powered thing to pull a track cleaner.Everything else is DCC track power.The trains run all day whilst I'm gardening with no batteries to charge.Each to their own eh!

[Curmudgeon]

We tried track power for 2 months and gave up.
Been ONLY Battery/ RCS for 11-1/2 years.
Never have cleaned the track.
TOC

[grandpopswalt]

I use Aristo's On-board Train Engineer and Nickle Metal Hydride batteries. My choice was made because I didn''t want to deal with all the well known track problems; 1- poor contact because of dirty rail, 2- conductivity problems because of faulty rail joins, 3- complicated wiring/block control. I could have gone to track powered DCC but I'm concerned with items 1 and 2 presenting a problem with DCC.

Frankly, I don't have much experience with track power except for a few temporary layouts but common sense and everything I've read suggested that battery/RC operation would be the least troublesome.

Walt

[cacole]

I run everything on battery power because I have AirWire900 Wireless DCC systems in all of my locomotives. The biggest advantage is that I will never have to worry about cleaning track or intermittent rail joiners.

The primary reason I selected battery power, however, was because the Arizona caliche is impossible to dig into to lay power lines.

[Anonymous]

FOR ME IT'S AN ADDED EXPENCE, I'M RETIRED ON A FIXED INCOME, I'M LUCKY I HAVE TRACK POWER .

[Rene Schweitzer]

Battery power has its pros and cons. Do you use it on your railway?