ALL track-power problems can be fixed by using steam.
tac
www.ovgrs.org
Supporter of the Cape Meares Lighthouse Restoration Fund
tac Foley said:
ALL track-power problems can be fixed by using steam.tac
www.ovgrs.org
Supporter of the Cape Meares Lighthouse Restoration Fund
LOL How did I know you would say that. Its very true but the problem with steam is money. Not cheap if one wants to run out of the box. Plus run time is much shorter and longer prep time. I would take steam over battery anyday though.
What, no love for clockwork locomotives?
No Bob.
Those who want to run non stop would be moaning that clockwork does not run forever. 
I wish I’d been home last night after stirring up this debate and leaving!
Today I will be going back and either using plastic or silicone to keep those joints separated. Luckily Greg, I have all LGB switches so hopefully they’ll play nice.
All modes of power, whether it’s electrical, battery or steam all have advantages. They RUN TRAINS! The only power I haven’t tried YET is steam. What percent grade can they handle? I have 4-5 percent grades but wide curves.
Big dismals?
A friend runs a pair of SD70 Macs and a Dash-9, all MUed, running with one battery pack. (2 1/2 hours continuous running).
I run an A-B-A set of Pa’s, hours with 2 battery packs.
Another runs an A-B-B-A set of F3’s.
The excuse that you can’t run lots of dismals on battery power is very lame, at least.
Real time control of all functions far exceeds running over a magnet somewhere for a horn toot.
My track rail is nice and dirty and oxidized to the point that electricity couldn’t pass up to a pick-up if it wanted to. (Not to mention the expansion gaps here and there.)
Yes, I used to run track power.
And enjoyed the hell out of it.
But I’ll never go back to it.
Not starting a fight–just an opinion. 
John Bouck said:
Big dismals?Real time control of all functions far exceeds running over a magnet somewhere for a horn toot.
here you mentioned, what all battery fans say.
but isn’t realtime control a question of transformer-regulator versus remote control?
i bet, that Greg could write an entire screen full about trackpowered remote control advantages.
on the other hand to the day i have not read anything about battery powered automated running.
… and, last not least, who wants realtime control? real time stress?
with the hands full of controlers, how could one drink and smoke? ;-p
Bob, Clockwork tinplate is my next stop (and probably last refuge) if G ever gets like HO and N
Doug, with those grades a live steam shay would work… rod engines are a Rolls-Canardly on grades (rolls like a bat outta hell downgrade, canardly make it up the other side.)
Quote:Please visit my website to read all about it. www.GScaleGraphics.net
... on the other hand to the day i have not read anything about battery powered automated running.
We have most options covered now. Track, battery, live steam and clockwork. Given that the first railroads were HORSE powered who is going to pioneer (pun intended) this method. lol
Or has it been done already?
<<… and, last not least, who wants realtime control? real time stress?
with the hands full of controlers, how could one drink and smoke? ;-p >>
Oh yes, we do have our rear-end collisions quite regularly. 
You get to smokin, drinkin and BSin and all kinds of phun stuff happens.
Maybe I can train the neighborhood squirrels?
John Bouck said:
You get to smokin, drinkin and BSin and all kinds of phun stuff happens.
Bob McCown said:
Maybe I can train the neighborhood squirrels?
Train the squirrels? Not needed…they’ve started on their own…
(http://www.lahabraheights.net/News/HaciendaFires/SquirrelSmoking.jpg)
(http://cdn.animaltalk.us/images/uploads/squirrel-drinking-bear.jpg)
(http://lasfloressquirrels.files.wordpress.com/2009/06/beer-drinking-squirrel.jpg)
Sure if you have a large stash in a vault some where.
Like a lot of us we have limited funds we can spend on our passion.
I have a hard time funding upgrades that I need, or should I say want more like sound for my Climax B. Than to switch to Steam.
Alan,
You could use miniature ponies!
Korm Kormsen said:John Bouck said:
Big dismals?Real time control of all functions far exceeds running over a magnet somewhere for a horn toot.
here you mentioned, what all battery fans say.
but isn’t realtime control a question of transformer-regulator versus remote control?
i bet, that Greg could write an entire screen full about trackpowered remote control advantages.
on the other hand to the day i have not read anything about battery powered automated running.… and, last not least, who wants realtime control? real time stress?
with the hands full of controlers, how could one drink and smoke? ;-p
Hehehe! :lol:
Auto control? Hmmmm?
One of the first things that really intrigued me when going to the first club open house here in NA … no auto control! Every train was controlled by an “engineer”, just like the real thing. Didn’t take long to figure out that over here the drudgery on track controlled layouts was handled by automation and the fun was taken over/handled by people. I like that kind of concept; works in just about any scale I ever observed or operated.
controled by “engineers”? as far as i know, there is no other layout in any scale that is nearer than 300 miles. where from would i recruite the engineers?
the squirrel-option seems better by comparison. we got a kind of small monkeys here. not much bigger than squirrels.
the last one, we hadf always robbed my cigarettes and drank out of my glas.
with one of those i might get the hands free for holding remote controls.
@ Del, tomorrow i will know about that option for the second day. thanks.
how does it work? magnet on the track, reed on board of the loco?
.
Hans-Joerg Mueller said:Korm Kormsen said:John Bouck said:
Big dismals?Real time control of all functions far exceeds running over a magnet somewhere for a horn toot.
here you mentioned, what all battery fans say.
but isn’t realtime control a question of transformer-regulator versus remote control?
i bet, that Greg could write an entire screen full about trackpowered remote control advantages.
on the other hand to the day i have not read anything about battery powered automated running.… and, last not least, who wants realtime control? real time stress?
with the hands full of controlers, how could one drink and smoke? ;-p
Hehehe! :lol:Auto control? Hmmmm?
One of the first things that really intrigued me when going to the first club open house here in NA … no auto control! Every train was controlled by an “engineer”, just like the real thing. Didn’t take long to figure out that over here the drudgery on track controlled layouts was handled by automation and the fun was taken over/handled by people. I like that kind of concept; works in just about any scale I ever observed or operated.
There’s this guy in the neighborhood… German guy…lives on the other side of the sign that reads, “End of the world - 2 miles”… name’s Otto… He comes over once in a while to do some of the scut work so the rest of us can do the fun stuff.
I just wanted to take this opportunity to thank him for doing that.
Thanks, Otto!
Bruce Chandler said:
Train the squirrels? Not needed…they’ve started on their own…(http://www.lahabraheights.net/News/HaciendaFires/SquirrelSmoking.jpg)
(http://cdn.animaltalk.us/images/uploads/squirrel-drinking-bear.jpg)
(http://lasfloressquirrels.files.wordpress.com/2009/06/beer-drinking-squirrel.jpg)
I would prefer if you kept my family photo’s off the internet!
Alan Lott said:
We have most options covered now. Track, battery, live steam and clockwork. Given that the first railroads were HORSE powered who is going to pioneer (pun intended) this method. lolOr has it been done already?
NICE!!!
I have a team of Jackasses that could be animated perhaps!