TROUBLE FREE EXPERIENCE

Concur.  BlueRail and RailPro have run absolutely fantastic for me.   I am much happier with these systems than the one I used in the past from that company that said it was going out of business, but didn't really.

Ron

An additional insight, of the various power configurations I tested, battery power proved out to provide the smoothest and most consistent performance with any of the systems tested.

I think battery power has a future … but having to remember to charge them. Or worse, having to take the shell off every time to charge? No thanks.

There is an enormous amount of ongoing development activity on Lithium batteries with special emphasis on recharging. Hopefully, this will become a non issue.

Batteries are very convenient and reliable.  For some, whatever inconvenience exists with recharging will be outweighed by the advantages.  I suspect for most indoor layouts, outlet power will remain the usual source of electricity.

I have also had no problems with LionChief/LC+ locos, which is important for these entry and mid-level products.  Then again, I've had no problems with TMCC either, but I haven't built a complex layout.

Just out of curiosity, how long can you run before a recharge is necessary?…..I mean if you had a given locomotive that’s fully charged, and you ran it till it puttered out, non-stop, how long will it go for?…..do you get some sorta warning when it’s getting low, or does just go kaput wherever it is?……when the battery gets low, is everything like in slow motion?….a lot of questions, ..I know but I’ve always been curious,…..sounds like a good idea for garden railroads, but I’m not too sure about inside where I can easily control track cleanings……

Pat

@harmonyards posted:

Just out of curiosity, how long can you run before a recharge is necessary?…..I mean if you had a given locomotive that’s fully charged, and you ran it till it puttered out, non-stop, how long will it go for?…..do you get some sorta warning when it’s getting low, or does just go kaput wherever it is?……when the battery gets low, is everything like in slow motion?….a lot of questions, ..I know but I’ve always been curious,…..sounds like a good idea for garden railroads, but I’m not too sure about inside where I can easily control track cleanings……

Pat

I don’t know for sure Pat, but I’ve heard people quote an hour or two of run time.

The thing is with lithium batteries, you DO NOT want to run them until whatever is connected to them putters out. Going below 5 or 10 percent on a lithium battery can ruin it.

@rplst8 posted:

I don’t know for sure Pat, but I’ve heard people quote an hour or two of run time.

The thing is with lithium batteries, you DO NOT want to run them until whatever is connected to them putters out. Going below 5 or 10 percent on a lithium battery can ruin it.

2 hours?… I’m just getting warmed up,………😁

Pat

I've done tests with my F units.  Just about 3:15 hours of non stop continuous run and I use Lithium Ion batts with PCB protection... Not LiPos.  So you can run them safely until they die.  They don't really die, the PCB shuts them down to prevent under current as well as over current when charging.

Of course that is the beauty of owning multiple engines like most of us have.  When an engine runs low you send it to the charging facility for more "fuel" and run a different engine.

It looks like we are becoming more technically proficient with battery power. With proper handling, most batteries I have used provided about 2 hours run time. Recharging does need to be done carefully. There is still more to be learned as we proceed.

@Ron045 posted:

Of course that is the beauty of owning multiple engines like most of us have.  When an engine runs low you send it to the charging facility for more "fuel" and run a different engine.

I never have to send mine to a charging facility.

@gunrunnerjohn posted:

I never have to send mine to a charging facility.

But.... I'm sure you have visited the track power cleaning, troubleshooting and repair facility.  Something I have not had to do. 😉

@Ron045 posted:

But.... I'm sure you have visited the track power cleaning, troubleshooting and repair facility.  Something I have not had to do. 😉

No offense, and hey, it’s your cup of tea so by all means, enjoy,….but it seems like a lot of expense and work just to avoid cleaning track,…..I could easily see it’s usefulness on an outdoor garden railroad, or perhaps smaller gauges where the tiniest bit of dust or debris hampers electrical flow through the rails, ….but for 3 rail O, I’m just not seeing it,……but again, …it’s your gig, so have a ball,….those Norfolk Southern F units sure seemed to run nice …..so good job!..

Pat

@harmonyards posted:

No offense, and hey, it’s your cup of tea so by all means, enjoy,…

Pat

I just always seemed to have something to troubleshoot.  A bad switch, a loose solder joint.  Some crazy DCS bug that would make the train come to a dead stop.  It was frustrating.  I felt like I always spent more time fixing that running.

I just don't have those issues anymore, so my enjoyment level has gone up.

If we both purchased MTH PS1 engines and you upgraded to PS3 and I upgraded to RailPro and purchased a battery, our costs would be nearly identical.  With my recent find of XML batteries mine might even be cheaper.

Have fun

Ron