Back in 2011 I designed a very simple low cost wireless RC loco control system that my grandkids could easily operate. Total cost was about $55.00 and it used a toy car hand-held controller that kids were used to. The kids have grown up but the other day I took the system down off the shelf and fired it up. It worked perfectly, having both speed and direction control. Diagram and module are shown.
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Bob,
Great work, can you do a step by step instruction process so others can build these also? I would think that I can use this type of module in some of my conventional locomotives for remote control. Did you use any components from inside an r/c car for the build other than the controller?
This looks like a great cheaper way to get into dead rail running also.
This is awesome! I will definitely keep this in my back pocket.
If you had say 3 engines to control (not all at once) could you do it with the single handheld or would you need each engine to have it’s own controller?
This setup was also battery powered with a 12V 2000 NiMH battery, so we were able to run it on a small portable layout out in the back yard. There is a video of this running on the LCCA website. You do not have to be a member to view the video. I needed different controllers to run more than one train at a time, used a 49mhz and a 27 mhz. Did not run more than two trains at a time. Also, included an LED based throttle setting monitor on the train. Kids thought this was cool, but have not seen anything like this ever made available. The 2 channel receivers I used were removed from $10.00 toy cars and worked great.
Here is the video of the system in action.
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