This week will see the plug pulled on my garden railway(indoor overhead will retain track power ablity). I ordered a Tenergy 6600mah, 14.8vt battery to combine with my Locolinc RC gear in my Aristo Alco FA-1. This should give me long run times. I also changed the Alco’s headlight over to LED and added a clear double flash LED strobe to the roof just behind the horns. I am thinking of a nice 2-3 coach dinner train pulled by a pair of the Canadian Pacific Alcos. Cant wait for the battery and smart charger to arrive, tired of dealing with cleaning track when I just want to plunk it down and run. Mike
Hi Mike, welcome to the “Dead Rail Society”. or sparkies as the live steamers call us. I have been using and selling battery power system for 20 years. Bottom line you can run your trains anytime in any weather!! As a dealer I will provide any kind of system my customer desires. But I prefer battery power. When they come to the shop they get great info on different control systems and demo of the battery based system.
If you need any help with the install please contact me direct. We recently received some CP E-8 and RS-3.
Have fun,
Don Sweet
RCS of NE
Thanks Don, I would be interested in a CP RS-3 diesel. Let me know the particulars on it. I need to get my 3 LGB Austrian items off to new homes, just dead items for me now. Mike
Congrats on your evolution Mike. I think you’ll be much happier. Granted, I have no track power experience, but battery just always seemed logical to me. Your mogul is waiting patiently for it’s time on the table for battery and rc installation. I’m working on gathering all the supplies. Like to see a photo of your CP diner train once it rolling. Sounds good.
The best move you will ever make. Your locomotives will run so smooth and as the track gets dirty and pulling power goes up. (http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-cool.gif)
Randy, thats not quite true. Your Mogul ran here on the P&CS, track powered railroad. (http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)
David Maynard said:
Randy, thats not quite true. Your Mogul ran here on the P&CS, track powered railroad. (http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)
Aw nuts, I guess there are no secrets with you guys, so I may as well admit that my Lionel G scale set around the Christmas tree is also track powered! I also have to say David’s railroad ran perfectly all afternoon, except for one pick of the points, but that had nothing to do with track power.
(http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-laughing.gif)
See, and I didn’t take all morning cleaning the track neither. Just a pass with a damp rag on the pole sander to wipe off the bird stuff and I am up and running.
I am swapping my Austrian stuff for a nice mint condition Aristo CP RS-3. So she can handle freight duties and be on the other end of the diner train when needed. I should have my battery and charger tomorrow according to FedEx’s website. Will probably wait till I have the RS-3 on hand as well so I can see if this battery will fit inside it as well. Mike
Electric track is a silly way to try to run a railroad
Tom, now be nice.(http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif) Some of us are quite happy running trains that way.
He just wants to get a rise from the track power guys. The battery power guys are fine with beating on the track power guys.
Imagine if he had stated that battery power was silly. Hoo… WWIII would be started.
Greg
Instead you left a small skirmish eh?
Ignoring is always best… in my humble opinion.
No skirmish and no upping the ante needed… we can all grin and go on…
We all know Tom.
Anyway, Mike will have fun with the RS-3, it’s an interesting loco, lots of extra things to tweak.
Greg
UPDATE: you can have the last word John…
and the point is not “how bad”, it’s the pervasive need to invade track power threads to give the alternative of battery power… I’m very well versed with the technique of “quoting” someone, but twisting the words or meaning… so EVERY time you do that, I WILL come back…
Every time it gets pointed out how bad we are…, instead of a poor joke it’s now an issue and will be unless I let you have the last word.
Take it away!(http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-cool.gif)
Greg Elmassian said:
No skirmish and no upping the ante needed… we can all grin and go on…
We all know Tom.
Anyway, Mike will have fun with the RS-3, it’s an interesting loco, lots of extra things to tweak.
Greg
UPDATE: you can have the last word John…
and the point is not “how bad”, it’s the pervasive need to invade track power threads to give the alternative of battery power… I’m very well versed with the technique of “quoting” someone, but twisting the words or meaning… so EVERY time you do that, I WILL come back…
Hmmmm… If memory serves, and it does because I cheated and looked at the OP, this started out as a battery thread. (http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-laughing.gif)
What about those of us who run battery and track power? I see benefits to both but really seem to be leaning to the “dark side” Hmmmmm, I guess that makes me a bit of an outcast. 
bill PS no offense to either side, all comments are mine only and offered in jest.
Hi Bill, there is two approaches to using “the switch” to select track or battery. One way the switch is wired for constant track voltage just like the DCC guys use. The other approach selects the track power only to the motors to use conventional power packs. This could be used on a club display. This switch could be called Politically Correct or the best of both worlds.
We wire them up based on what you want to have more fun.
Don
Don, I have straight track power locos and also locos that run only off battery, I might not have been clear on that. I remove all track pickups on the battery ones so no chance of using track power on those. When I run trains it just depends on my mood and if I feel like cleaning track. Bill