Self-powered trains?

[Alessio]

Is there such thing as an oo-gauge system where the trains are independently powered and controlled - ie without being reliant on the current through the track? Is such thing even possible?

 

The premise I'm thinking of is that you'd be able to run them on standard Hornby track etc but be able to control any number of locomotives by radio or something like that. I imagine such a system might benefit garden railways where the elements can affect the track for example.

 

Is this something that could potentially work infuture? I suppose locomotives would have to be battery-powered, which is a downside.

[96RAF]

Google came up with lots of suggestions, including this one http://www.antenna-models.com/OOGAUGE.html

 

I've posted it as it covers conversion of Lima (Hornby?) models and Hornby doesn't have this R/C product in competition.

 

BTW - click the logo on that linked page to get to the main site.

 

You may like to look on the Live Steam forum here where GoWest has R/C'd control of his live steam 00's.

[walkingthedog]

I've seen battery powered radio controlled garden railways so I guess the answer is yes. 

[walkingthedog]

That was me. I forgot about that. Senior moment. 

[RB51]

Protocab is not very difficult to set up - and it will run on any track you have (with the power off). The two biggest downsides for me were

 

- battery size. Currently too big for all of my steam locos. It would fit into the electric ones but it meant a fair bit of butchery to do so.

- The controller only controls one loco at a time.

 

R-

[2e0dtoeric]

This is something I've been thinking about myself. Now that lithium polymer batteries are available, they pack a lot of power into a small space, but require more careful handling than you would give to a NimH or throwaway pack.

You would need to cheat a bit with steam outline, as there wouldn't be much room in the tender for the receiver AND a battery, so it would need to have a 'support coach' permanently coupled, with the works inside there - (just like we do with putting extra pick-ups on an 0-4-0  tank engine).

I've not made any tests on how long a battery loco will run before it needs re-charging, but I'm guessing half an hour of continuous use, as the current consumption is quite small in comparison with my r/c flying models! (typically 400 Watts!)

 

You would still need to do a track inspection before any running, though, to remove debris, snails and cats from the railway! What we perceive as a tiny twig  is a two-foot diameter log to an OO loco!

[RB51]

I think the batteries last several hours. Someone, I think WTD, saw the kit at an exhibition so maybe he can tell us. I have had the kit on trial but can't remember the figures for battery life. They are not on the web site.

 

Also, I've just remembered that there is no sound as yet and the charging plug has to installed in the body somewhere out of sight. They were working on wireless charging, but I don't see it yet on the web site. They are also considering contact charging - either from the track or a charging ramp.

R-

[Paul60]

 Problem with this is you could only run one loco at a time unless you had a bunch of Tx's & Rx's. Bit cumbersome.

I thought my idea of RC for points was zany. 😀

 

 

[RB51]

Thats exactly it Paul. Each loco has it's own receiver/decoder but you can only pair one controller with one receiver at a time. Pair up the 2nd one and the first pairing is undone. The controllers are a bit too expensive to have several so you can have one for each loco. R-

[GeoFF03]

 Problem with this is you could only run one loco at a time unless you had a bunch of Tx's & Rx's. Bit cumbersome.

I thought my idea of RC for points was zany. 😀

 

 

You could run upto 4 or more with a multi channel Tx with an Rx per train using the same frequency, unless you want to control more than speed and direction.

[Paul60]

 @RogerB

 

Hi Roger,

Yes, although I can appreciate it would be a great way to run a single loco.

Maybe a very large shared 'club' layout would work like a model airplane field with folk running their trains individually.

[Paul60]

 Problem with this is you could only run one loco at a time unless you had a bunch of Tx's & Rx's. Bit cumbersome.

I thought my idea of RC for points was zany. 😀

 

 

You could run upto 4 or more with a multi channel Tx with an Rx per train using the same frequency, unless you want to control more than speed and direction.

Yes you could at a pinch. A bit of knob & dial assigning & bind 2 or more Rx's to the one Tx you mean ?

[RB51]

Am I right in thinking that "bind" is the same as "pair"? R-

[Paul60]

Am I right in thinking that "bind" is the same as "pair"? R-

Yes, same thing. You can bind as many Rx's as you need from the one Tx. But it woud get messy with controls I would think. But doable. 

Micro Rx's are available as well as Lipo batteries. Might be worth digging deeper.

[Fazy]

Bluerail/Bachmann have just released a system. Will do what you want. 

 

And is now for sale have a read.

[poliss]

You could power a 00 gauge loco with batteries, but you'd still need to keep the track clean.

Jenny Kirk has a 00 gauge garden railway and I don't remember her mentioning power problems with her 12v DC system.

Bluerail still takes it's power from the track fazy. The 'signal' is delivered by Bluetooth rather than through the track.

[Fazy]

The bords have a battery plug so you can do what you want.  So you get a similar system to DCC with powered track or by batteries. And with the bonus of using a mobile phone to run it. No controler needed! 

 

Go to their web site.  Or send them a email. I found them very willing to respond to quires. 

[brando]

I seen this system at a model rail show last year where it worked from your mobile phone, but as mentioned only at a time can be run and only for a limitted time.

[AddlestoneP]

Hi All,

We run an 800-metre garden railway in OO gauge.

We use RM for power, command an control but recently converted a Bachmann Class 06 to battery power with a support coach to contain the battery. We then add a cleaning coach on, move the switch and off it goes around the track cleaning as it goes.

Battery lasts about 25 -30 minutes but we have no control over it whatsoever. Adding radio equipment for stop and start and some degree of speed control is possible and not expensive.

Try power in the rails, it's great fun!

Howard

www.addlestoneparkway.co.uk

[Fishmanoz]

Bluerail looks interesting but only cheap for a few locos.  Minimum cost is $US75 rising to $US165 incl battery for a battery system, per loco.  Even  with zero controller cost, that price for each loco will soon exceed conventional DC and DCC.  Then the controller/receiver board is 28mm X 58mm so will need to be in the tender or connected coach/wagon for many steam locos (as would the battery if used).  Converting older locos where motor connections go to chassis/track will have the same issues as converting to DCC - will need to isolate them.

 

So certainly an option and will be interesting to see what sort of market share it manages, not a lot methinks.  Could be wrong of course.

[Fozzy Bear]

http://www.deadrailsociety.com

[RB51]

@ Fishy

 

So certainly an option and will be interesting to see what sort of market share it manages, not a lot methinks.

 

Difficult to say really. There is a lot that is attractive about battery powered locos, but - and only in my view - the are some basic shortcomings that will need to be addressed before this concept gains widespread take-up. That is apart from the current absence of some of the "extra" things that some of us like to have such as sounds, smoke and lights.

 

At present, and although there are several systems out there now, the biggest problem I see is that you have to have a controller for each loco, I have not seen a controller where you can call up several engines and drive them simultaneously.

 

There is a lot of chat about wireless charging, but until that it a reality then you have to find a location for a charger socket.

 

If you want remote control of the points or other accessories then you will need another system and control mechanism for this.

 

Automation of your layout with block control, perhaps not everyones cup of tea I concede, is not possible at present with battery powered locos.

 

I am sure if someone wants to invest further in the technology that these things can be overcome, but perhaps that is not a requirement of this system. I think it's great and if I hadn't already gone so far down (code for my own level of investment, both emotional and financial) the DCC route I think I would have been tempted by it. I wish them all success. Now, where's my Betamax?

 

R-

[81F]

 

...

There is a lot of chat about wireless charging, but until that it a reality then you have to find a location for a charger socket... 

 

My first electric tooth brushused used an induction loop to charge it so that was wireless. It was however very heavey (not sure if it was the batteries or the loop and it did not last long.

 

Presumably one could charge ones loco through the rails on a charging track and have some kind of micro switch and ramp system to isolate the wheels when it moved off?

[Fishmanoz]

The Bluerail App allows for control of multiple locos, not just one. 

[RB51]

Correct Fishy - I didn't know that was in the pipeline, things have moved on since I last looked at their website which gives (in part) this info.

 

Multi-Train is not in the first Android beta we are submitting to Google Play (it will be added soon). You can accomplish all the same train control functions from the standard control interface (and toggle between multiple locos).

 

Suggests I think that this function is already available for Apple tablets and phones.

 

R-