RailPro > RailPro Specific Help & Discussion
RailPro on Battery Power
Alan:
That implies the operators on those layouts live with poor running. That would be a buzz kill.
G8B4Life:
I believe the biggest draw to deadrail for most of those looking at it is not what Kevin was saying (though that is a bonus) but it eliminates all those supposedly costly bus wires and power supplies around a large layout and eliminates the perceived bad track/wheel interface electrical connection.
I guess in some cases it could be handy in that you wouldn't have to gap and power whole yards etc but I always say if your going to have train detection, and I'd say it's a fair call that the majority would be current based detection then your going to need power in them rails. May as well use that power to run the trains.
- Tim
Terry:
Alan and Kevin
It's a good question. No one format is for everybody. I started battery operation when I was in Garden Railroading and it has fascinated me ever since. In any scale, generally, layouts with battery power tend to have fewer locomotives and more operation. Saying that, it doesn't mean all locomotives need to be batteried - they play well with anything.
Kevin's point is well made; not all track work is excellent - but as far as track is concerned, it is probably dirt that most people cite when thinking of batteries.
Another point is initial layout construction. Not having to wire a railroad at all, or not having to worry about reverse polarity is a bigger draw for some.
It also might be the ability to run on anyone's track. Particularly for those without their own railroad.
It's a nice feeling of confidence to know your locomotive will perform the way you want - every time (and if not, you know who to blame).
For me, and this is personal (and unprovable), I think there is a difference in how our battery locomotives act, they seem a little closer to real (I've piloted a few prototype). At best, it is subtle - but for me it just feels closer.
BTW, whoever (or whatever) resized my photos - Thank You!
Terry
Alan:
That all makes sense. Different strokes for different folks. Thanks for the reply.
Wiring doesn't scare me. I actually enjoy it. RailPro being plain DC makes it even easier. As Tim mentioned, I want functional signaling which means detection. The layout wiring makes integrating detection very easy.
I wrongly assumed the battery craze was driven by electrical pick-up problems. Seems like a lot of expense and trouble to go to just to replace what a little acetone and a good masonite car does for almost free.
I think I am about as far as one can be on the other end of the scale. For example here is a shot of the occupancy detectors on just one module:
Terry:
Kind of an update today - just got back from running the GP-35 again. Last week we ran an operating session in which the loco spent two and a quarter hours hauling/switching. The train(s) were short, the track level but with sharp curves. I did not charge the unit when finished.
Today I took her to another layout, this time with almost constant grades, most quite steep (in the three percent neighborhood) and sharp curves. The train was a constant 11 cars. Without any recharging the loco went another hour and a half. I think I can see some slowing, but at this point I know I can still operate without difficulty. I won’t have a chance to run for a couple of weeks or more so tomorrow I will do a storage charge and put the workhorse away for now.
The two 500mah LiPos give a total of one amp hour at 3.7 volts. The Ready to Run Athern GP-35 has a pretty good motor, as do most all locos nowadays, I suspect you could look forward to similar results.
On another note - I don’t think I did a very good job of answering Alan’s excellent post asking what the advantages of battery over track power were. Thinking over some of the posts I have seen on Dead Rail, I was reminded while we always are striving for more realism in our modeling rolling stock, scenery, operations, sound, and so on, we are just beginning to look at how our motive power actually works.
Self contained motive power does make a difference - simply because it IS self contained. Once you wrap your head around that, things change. For instance, just like the prototype, you can strive for better traction, economy, smoothness, distance and so on in the same way the real guys do. It’s another point of pride you can accomplish - and do so within the unit itself. It’s another attachment to the real world, another goal toward railroad realism.
(Cue scraping sounds of me dragging my soap box off the page.)
Terry
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