Large Scale Central

Maybe a stupid question

Electronics Power and Sound
#1

Maybe not. I like the idea of battery cars. I don’t use them yet but I see the merit opposed to on board batteries. A project that I am slowly playing with as the mood strikes is making a replica of the St Maries River RR locomotive and log cars. Now they ALWAYS run/ran two locomotives long end to long end. I had always just figured I would make a dummy loco that was a battery car and MEW it to my working loco. And this is what I will likely do. But as I was day dreaming and scheming I thought it would be cool to make my log cars battery cars. By making long battery packs as opposed to cubed ones with the batteries end to end. Then somehow fashioning a case for them making each sting into an individual log.

Anyway what I am wondering is what it takes to solder tabbed Li Ion batteries with a PCB protector into a long end to end string? Is this doable easily? Or am I just nuts?

#2

THIS kinda already answers my question. I wouldn’t need to do it Tenergy already makes what I was thinking.

Two of these would give me enough mAh to do what I want. And two cars would give me a change out. I would just have to wire two logs in parallel in each load. I could easily make a “log” to hold the pack.

#3

I’m pretty sure BatterySpace will…

https://www.batteryspace.com/custom-battery-pack.aspx

#4

Your other option; Other operations used a buffer car to protect the engineer from a sliding log during a wreck …

#5

John Caughey said:

Your other option; Other operations used a buffer car to protect the engineer from a sliding log during a wreck …

On any given day I would be perfectly fine with this idea. But for this one train, since it is somewhat of a local icon, I was hoping to do a pretty accurate train. Which consists of two GP9s long hood to long hood and then a way long string of log cars and then a caboose. Since I want a really long string of cars say as many as twenty when the layout would allow it (not mine) I was hoping to keep both geeps as operational units. thats where the log car/battery car idea came from. Then it blossomed in my mind from there. As per usual this thing is overthinking itself and who knows if it will ever get finished. I have one car made and the one Geep I have is in pieces on the bench. The easy thing to do is to be simple and make one of the geeps a battery car. But then it does not allow for switching out easily. Anyway thats how this masochistic idea came to be.

#6

Devon Sinsley said:

Maybe not. I like the idea of battery cars. I don’t use them yet but I see the merit opposed to on board batteries. A project that I am slowly playing with as the mood strikes is making a replica of the St Maries River RR locomotive and log cars. Now they ALWAYS run/ran two locomotives long end to long end. I had always just figured I would make a dummy loco that was a battery car and MEW it to my working loco. And this is what I will likely do. But as I was day dreaming and scheming I thought it would be cool to make my log cars battery cars. By making long battery packs as opposed to cubed ones with the batteries end to end. Then somehow fashioning a case for them making each sting into an individual log.

Anyway what I am wondering is what it takes to solder tabbed Li Ion batteries with a PCB protector into a long end to end string? Is this doable easily? Or am I just nuts?

Yes, Devon, you are nuts (https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-surprised.gif)… a grown man playing with trains … I think that tells the story. Wait!! that would mean we are all nuts … ok, I guess we are all nuts then (https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif). I do like the idea of making the logs your batteries. That’s quite ingenious if you ask me. No, I’m not saying you are a genius, maybe a nutty genius but not just your plain old everyday genius (https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-laughing.gif). You should continue to pursue this idea and show the rest of us how to turn a battery into a log.

#7

Anyway what I am wondering is what it takes to solder tabbed Li Ion batteries with a PCB protector into a long end to end string? Is this doable easily?

I don’t know about solder, but I have a bunch of single-cell battery holders that would fit end-to-end in a log, with wires to the protection circuit.

#8

Pete Thornton said:

Anyway what I am wondering is what it takes to solder tabbed Li Ion batteries with a PCB protector into a long end to end string? Is this doable easily?

I don’t know about solder, but I have a bunch of single-cell battery holders that would fit end-to-end in a log, with wires to the protection circuit.

That’s a great idea Pete. That has potential. I could make a blank for a mold that had a cavity in the bottom that when stacked couldn’t be seen. Cast the logs in resin and then wire these up warp some tape around the battery and holder so they don’t come apart and then epoxy the holders in place. Maybe easier than what I was thinking for the Tenergy log which was to do basically the same thing but fashion some sort of clip or clamp or bracket to hold the batteries. Wouldn’t have to even epoxy them if I make the log tick enough to hold a screw. I like this idea.

#9

My thought after seeing the Tenergy log was to use a cavity in a cast resin log and affix clips inside to hold the log.

The Tenergy log is 25mm in diameter, so just a smidge under 1". These PEX clips hold 3/4 PEX which has an OD of 7/8". That is close enough to the diameter of the Tenergy log that if i were to screw two of these clamps in the cavity of the resin log then I could just clip the battery log into the botom of my resin log. Wire two logs together and there you have it. A 4400mAh 14.8v battery log car. I am still thinking this would be easier.

#10

I’d leave them in their piggy blanket and fashion 2 metal pins to complete the circuits. Replace both logs as they are charged … make the pins your clips, easiest is mini phone jacks. So your logs have limb shoulders … so what put them inboard.(https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)

#11

#12

Are they done yet??

#13

Devon Sinsley said:

John Caughey said:

Your other option; Other operations used a buffer car to protect the engineer from a sliding log during a wreck …

On any given day I would be perfectly fine with this idea. But for this one train, since it is somewhat of a local icon, I was hoping to do a pretty accurate train. Which consists of two GP9s long hood to long hood and then a way long string of log cars and then a caboose. Since I want a really long string of cars say as many as twenty when the layout would allow it (not mine) I was hoping to keep both geeps as operational units. thats where the log car/battery car idea came from. Then it blossomed in my mind from there. As per usual this thing is overthinking itself and who knows if it will ever get finished. I have one car made and the one Geep I have is in pieces on the bench. The easy thing to do is to be simple and make one of the geeps a battery car. But then it does not allow for switching out easily. Anyway thats how this masochistic idea came to be.

As a fan of 4 axle EMD power, especially consists, I had to google this little RR I’ve never heard of. I’ve just enjoyed a couple of hours reading articles and watching videos of this wonderful little short line! I can totally see why you would like to model it. There are a couple of things I’d like to point out. Assuming you are using USAT GP9’s, in 1:29 scale, 25mm is almost 29" diameter! The bulk of the logs hauled by the STMA are in the 10-12" range. A 29" log would be very rare. I only mention this because you expressed a desire toward accuracy. Also, I noticed some evidence that a tank car is sometimes positioned between the locos and log cars. http://www.ericwilliamsblog.com/opportunity-and-loss-on-the-st-maries-river-railroad/

#14

Yeah Dan they did not haul old growth and log diameter would be an issue. The tank car was a rarity, especially with the logs. STMA had, for most of its life, two separate runs. The run from Saint Maries Id to Clarkia Id (Bovill, ID before the tracks washed out) was empty log cars up to Clarkia and loaded raw logs back down to two mills in St Maries. Then lumber products from those mills From St Maries Id to Plummer Id where it intertied with UP out of Spokane WA. In addition to lumber there was a garnet sand mine/mill near Clarkia that produced garnet sand for sand paper. They also haul I believe magnesium chloride somewhere and diesel fuel for a truck refueling depot in St Maries. I believe on occasion they would take a tank car of diesel up to Clarkia for he logger to use. If it was a red white and blue tanker then it was their custom made fire fighting car. As a general rule other than an occasional hopper of garnet sand, when it was pulling logs it was generally just logs. On the Plummer turn it could be any sort of small mixed train.

The log hauling days and garnet sand are gone. They only haul finished lumber products twice a week to Plummer and the rest of the time is used switching the two mills.

But the battery car idea while fun is maybe impractical. A dummy GP 9 makes more sense. They have three 9s so two dummy 9s would give me interchangable battery cars with one operational loco.

#15

I just looked at the loads, very easy to hide the batteries inside. You just glue full logs around shorties on each end with a void inside.(https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)

#16

John that was/is certainly another consideration, and probably the best one.

#17

Yeah but… then I read about the train of empties and the dummy loco … only problem is using the loco for quick changes. Push the headlight to pop the hood?

But I think the biggest Question is what happened to the half blind and ailing fellow? Your fabulous output denies that farce(https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-surprised.gif)