New Dead Rail battery R/C forum

If there isn't, there should be. RCBP will reap the benefits in battery advancement from the automobile industries move to electric cars. No track wiring, and no 3rd rail if you don't want it.

Simon

Why limit the new forum to just O gauge , G gauge uses battery power also. The more people the better in my opinion.

Sorry Bob, I had forgotten about the expanded multi scale forums.  Actually G gauge battery R/C has been the major propeller of Dead Rail for years.

I spent 9 years in G before I had discovered 2 rail 0.  Still have G display pieces around the home.

No problem Tom Tee just wanted to expand the forum to help with its success

This sounds like a fine idea. Things are always changing........... and I have never enjoyed wiring!

Jim K

Sure.

I recently started thinking about this topic as I contemplate my next layout. With all the unknowns right now with manufacturer's control systems, now seems the right time to consider battery R/C. The money saved in wiring and control systems could be spent on battery R/C conversions. If I did decide to go that route, I could you use a forum section here because I would need a lot of help since my knowledge on this is very limited.

They're putting BPRC in HO and S as well, according to the guys on the FreeRails forum.  I have a couple of old spare BlueRail boards that might have a place to go in some of my old HO engines.

Absolutely agree. I have been fooling around with several applications (using 2-rail Gargraves, O gauge) for a number of years. I would love to see some interaction and have the opportunity to share knowledge on this forum. Thank you for suggesting it!

This is an area I have a lot of interest in. The controllers I am working on are RF and battery focused but also useable on powered rail installations.

I think the ideal controller would be something that gives the user the option to operate on legacy (not Legacy) systems but includes features not available on current systems.

I suggested a BPRC forum topic to OGRR staff 6 months ago. Maybe the time has come for it to happen.

I'd be a frequent reader.

VERY INTERESTED!!!  It would be my bookmarked landing page.

It could be an easy programing fix, just by editing the nomenclatures of the existing forums.  MTH (Now Atlas) has their control system and Lionel has TMCC, Legacy, ERR.  And then Lionel get's another forum with LionChief.  Why not just lump LionChief in with the other Lionel Control forum and make the existing LionChief and other R/C Systems the Battery and other R/C Systems?

As a matter of fact, I'm hoping to wrap up my next BlueRail Battery project shortly to share with you all.  I just need to decal and clear coat the engine shell.  Here is a sneak peak of my battery tender.  I posted a thread about this Kitbashed Transfer Caboose here.  It would be nice to post it in the newly created Battery forum.  It does not feel right posting something like this in the LionChief forum.

Being somewhat new to battery R/C,    I am still trying different things as far as switch and charging port locations.  

Having some delicate powered units I do not desire to remove them from the track for switching or charging purposes.

My favorite  access is under the water fill lid on a tender.  Push buttons on the angled face of a chamfered fuel tank, a discrete mini toggle just behind a brake shoe hanger.   2.5mm port tucked into the inside void of a fuel tank.

At this point none of my R/C units need to be lifted off the track for on/off or charging  purposes.

Dear TOM, et al ,

I also would follow the new Forum. Great Thread started by a Great Modeler.

The other night heading to the Cherry Valley 2 Rail Club , one of our younger members- age 24- driving up with me asked what I thought the future of scale model railroading would be and my reply was very simple-

BATTERY POWER. !!

I should mention I was driving my 2020  Tesla Model X while stating that and my cell phone was in my shirt pocket and I am replying to this thread on my battery powered lap top computer !!!

I wish the NMRA would take a look at creating standards for Battery Powered R/C as they did years ago that made DCC interchangeable and choice of manufacturers to choose from for scale model railroaders.

It is a shame that the 3 railer O Gaugers  have to either choose DCS or TMCC or invest in both systems.

Who said you can't teach a old dog new tricks !!!

See you at Strasburg on 04/17/21.

Regards, John

I have 3 battery powered engines.  All of them work better than my track powered engines because there aren't any conductivity issues from the track to the engines.  Yes, most of my track powered engines work just fine.  However, any engine that has a circuit board fail is going to get battery power.  NH Joe

We upped John's battery applications a notch to a pair of battery powered Catrike Dumonts (in my profile), exploring the old R.O.W.s  of  abandoned railroads at 30 mph.

Quite a variety of Battery R/C controls are available.  Many folks have been choosing the non sound units due to the economy and the fact each set includes it's own remote key fob style controller.  Five basic sets will provide five controllers which means five visiting folks can each run their own power unit which can also have added basic sound features.  All that for under $100 each, plus a battery.  Full feature units can be had for around $300 + battery and install.

Plus you will not need a $800. transformer.  Also, no track wiring at all, no blocks  or power zones, no insulated rails, any kind of complicated track work, turntable reversing is seamless.

I added several extensions to my RR and have no intention of running any track power to them.

@Tom Tee posted:

Being somewhat new to battery R/C,    I am still trying different things as far as switch and charging port locations. 

Having some delicate powered units I do not desire to remove them from the track for switching or charging purposes.

My favorite  access is under the water fill lid on a tender.  Push buttons on the angled face of a chamfered fuel tank, a discrete mini toggle just behind a brake shoe hanger.   2.5mm port tucked into the inside void of a fuel tank.

At this point none of my R/C units need to be lifted off the track for on/off or charging  purposes.

All my steamers have charging jacks on the tenders under a removable coal load.  Diesel charging jacks were installed wherever I could find a place, under a removable hatch, on the side or bottom of a fuel tank, or on the rear of the unit, like on a F3 or E7.

Here's where I have the jack and the on/off switch on my Weaver RS3:

Steamers stay on the layout, diesels are on a roll-around only because I don't have the space for them in the yard and run steam 95% of the time anyway.  I have 1 diesel that has the jack on the bottom (MTH NW2) which I have to turn on it's side to charge.  I hate it but until I figure out where else to put it....

I drew this "charging jack column" a while back but never did anything else with it.  Put the cord on a spring loaded spool that you could pull out and plug into the jack, then when done charging disconnect and let it roll back onto the spool:

Inductive charging would be ideal I think, just like charging a cordless toothbrush only at 9.6 to 12.0 volts, depending on what battery is used.

You have a great idea there. May I suggest that you don't need to use a spring-loaded wheel, but just do what the old telephone company switchboard used: A weighted cord that hangs down under the table. fewer things to go wrong, and much simpler.