Thanks prrhorsehoecurve!

I'm a bit surprised that 3rd Rail is putting batteries in the locomotives, no other maker does that.

what purpose does the battery serve in the 3rd rail locos?

@wb47 posted:

what purpose does the battery serve in the 3rd rail locos?

3rd Rail 3 rail locomotives use the ERR system which keeps the Railsounds active while changing direction.  The 2 rail locomotives do not require a battery.

thanks!

I routinely have replaced batteries with non-battery capacitors, but this is a good reminder to check my most recent 3rd Rail locomotives. This also raises an interesting (at least to me) question...  I consider 3rd Rail to be top of the line in the 'mass market' layer of suppliers. Why doesn't 3rd Rail install a battery replacement rather than a battery? They surely could source them in volume cheaper than we can...

Jan

@HiramO posted:

Why doesn't 3rd Rail install a battery replacement rather than a battery? They surely could source them in volume cheaper than we can...

Remember, the RailSounds board doesn't charge the batteries like the MTH Protosound boards do, so you need a replacement that also has charging capability.

YLB - RailSounds Battery Replacement

@gunrunnerjohn posted:

Remember, the RailSounds board doesn't charge the batteries like the MTH Protosound boards do, so you need a replacement that also has charging capability.

YLB - RailSounds Battery Replacement

My plan was to start investing in these.  However, I see they are currently out of stock.  Any idea of when they will be available again?

@GG1 4877 posted:

My plan was to start investing in these.  However, I see they are currently out of stock.  Any idea of when they will be available again?

First, You are Welcome! Second, Gunrunner, we will need more by the end of October/ Early November!

@GG1 4877 posted:

My plan was to start investing in these.  However, I see they are currently out of stock.  Any idea of when they will be available again?

I'm sure I can make that happen, I'll look into it.

Get them out! This was in my High Iron K4. Could barely get the tender shell off.

WOW Norm!  That's the worst I've ever saw a 9V battery blow out!  Of course, being a Duracell, I do expect such behavior.

Check back tomorrow on-line.

x2 on the WOW factor!  None of mine were close to that.  In some cases they were in the locomotive for 10 years, so I can't complain at all.

Jon, his battery was dated 2008, so it's probably more like 18-20 years old!

It can get ugly pretty quick. New Batteries dated to last a good many years are usually failing Way Before those expiration dates !!! I’ve started purging my train batteries several months ago now. It’s pretty boring so I only do as many as I can stand in a purge session. The key is to continue to have sessions to eventually complete the task. 😜

Cheers !!! 🙂

My problem is I put batteries into some of my TMCCs, I don't know which ones. Now I just let the sound drop for those few seconds.

Now I need to move on to my Atlas locomotives.  I have five with TMCC.

I just got my first two 3^rd Rail engines within the last month. I bought each of them used off the internet from people I don’t know, so there certainly is some risk associated with what good care or abuse they may have seen previously. As shown in the photo, they are EMD E7 A Units from Run #1. The box labels indicate they were made in December of 2011. They are both three rail.

I am just coming up the learning curve on these and I am not certain if they have batteries in them. As shown in the photos, each of them has a Conventional/Off/TMCC switch underneath of them. Can anyone confirm if these are designed for battery use? I would like to avoid opening them up if I don’t need to.

Unfortunately the 3 rail E7s do have batteries in them installed at the factory.  The only way to get to them is to remove the body shell.  As I recall there are eight of the larger screws that hold the shell in place.  Two in the front, two in the rear and four at the corners of the fuel tank.  The locomotives that I needed to remove the shell include:

• E7s
• FL9s
• FTs

I can't speak for the FP7s or F7s as mine are 2 rail and don't have batteries.  GP7/9s, E8s, E5s, E6s, EAs, & E1s all have a roof hatch that is removeable to access the batteries.  My SD7 does not have a battery in 3 rail.  I had to take it apart to find that out.  I do not own a Krauss Maffei which is the only 3rd Rail diesel I do not have an example of.

It also just dawned on me that I have a 3 rail RDC that I should look into.  I'm not sure if it has sound or not.   

All Century Club GG-1's had batteries pre-installed.

I have a set of the F7's on my bench getting enhanced lighting, they did have very dead batteries in them.

Jonathan,

Was your SD just missing the battery, or was it never intended to have a battery?

Jan

@Jan posted:

Jonathan,

Was your SD just missing the battery, or was it never intended to have a battery?

Jan

I can't find anywhere on the locomotive where it has a terminal for a battery.  Looking at the manufacturer's drawings there doesn't appear to a be battery in this locomotive in 3 rail or 2 rail. 

@gunrunnerjohn posted:

I have a set of the F7's on my bench getting enhanced lighting, they did have very dead batteries in them.

No doubt with your favorite brand of battery in them

@GG1 4877 posted:

No doubt with your favorite brand of battery in them

Yep, they were Duracells, but they weren't leaking at least.

@GG1 4877 posted:

I can't find anywhere on the locomotive where it has a terminal for a battery.  Looking at the manufacturer's drawings there doesn't appear to a be battery in this locomotive in 3 rail or 2 rail.

What command package does it have?  Any ERR setup has battery provisions.  They may not have included the cable, but that's easily remedied.

@gunrunnerjohn posted:

Yep, they were Duracells, but they weren't leaking at least.

What command package does it have?  Any ERR setup has battery provisions.  They may not have included the cable, but that's easily remedied.

It should be an ERR system based on the time frame.  I need to go digging for the manual on it.  I pull the manuals out of the boxes to keep them organized and then proceed not to put them in the same file .......

The old RS4 based RailSounds Commander set and the new single board RailSounds Commander both accept batteries.

If the single board RSC doesn't have a cable, I have a version of the battery to address that shortcoming, it's the same one that I use in the Legacy RailSounds Lite equipped models.

YLB - RailSounds Battery Replacement (RS-Lite)

I don't install the sound backup battery in my TMCC locos.  However I do have a new-in-box NYC T-3a electric that I dread opening to see if removal of a pre-installed battery is needed.  Can't find the manual also adds to my hesitation.

I install the batteries in steam with the IR tether, they sometimes cut out on switches.  Since I don't run conventional, I don't need them in diesels.

Thanks prrhorsehoecurve, Jonathan, and everyone who responded. I’ve learned a lot. Now I have an excuse to go out and buy a proper set of screw drivers for working on O scale trains. There is at least one thread on the Forum that discusses the topic.

I’m new at this and have never opened up a model railroad engine before. All I need to do is get in there, take the shell off the chassis, remove the battery and get the shell back on correctly. This is gonna be great! With a rookie at the workbench, what could possibly go wrong? It can’t be anything like that time I broke off a bolt into the cylinder head of my ’69 Chevy… uh… never mind.

@GG1 4877 posted:

Now I need to move on to my Atlas locomotives.  I have five with TMCC.

Just an FYI, Atlas O Tmcc locos had the battery on the side in a plastic baggie. I never installed my batteries..HOWEVER I have found many of them leaking. If it wasnt for the plastic baggie they were stored in, the box contents may have been ruined.

Word to the wise. Purge all locos and boxed that have batteries in them!

Put those cheap batteries in uour battery buddy or wherever you use batteries...but NOT IN THE TRAINS!

@Norman R posted:

Thanks prrhorsehoecurve, Jonathan, and everyone who responded. I’ve learned a lot. Now I have an excuse to go out and buy a proper set of screw drivers for working on O scale trains. There is at least one thread on the Forum that discusses the topic.

I’m new at this and have never opened up a model railroad engine before. All I need to do is get in there, take the shell off the chassis, remove the battery and get the shell back on correctly. This is gonna be great! With a rookie at the workbench, what could possibly go wrong? It can’t be anything like that time I broke off a bolt into the cylinder head of my ’69 Chevy… uh… never mind.

Well I hope that you dont or have minimal Atlas O diesel locomotives because to remove the shells is a P.I.T.A. unlike Williams, Weaver. MTH. LIONEL, and K-Line!

Some of the Atlas stuff is not that difficult to crack, but most of the switchers are a Royal PITA!  Clearly, Atlas wasn't thinking of maintenance when they designed those.

A battery for all RailSounds equipped engines and guaranteed not to leak or need replacement.

Two different connection options for older or newer RailSounds boards.

A quick follow up to this thread...  years ago I was methodical in replacing batteries with BCRs. Apparently I got careless. In response to this thread I started a review of my 3rd Rail locomotives. So far I've opened up six locomotives: I have found four Duracell nine volt batteries with manufacture dates between 2008 and 2012! No leakers so far, but all qualify as time bombs. This stuff is serious...

Jan