…a low cost battery powered Steam Loco that could compliment Bachmann Locos?
I want to have a train to clean my track pulled by a battery driven loco.
Thanks,
Capt Carrales
Capt,
Why don’t you use your current loco? Put the wires from the motor to a switch. From the switch have one set of wires to the current track pick ups. Another set could go to a plug in the back of the tender. Then build yourself a battery wagon that can plug to the back of the tender. You can run off the batteries to clean the track, then take the wagon off, turn the switch and run off track power.
Glen.
Can’t you just build a battery can, and put a switch in you current loco that can
Pardon me, but if you are running battery power, why do you need to clean the track? I must be missing something here in your question. I use battery power exclusively, solely because I don’t have to worry about cleaning track, ever.
Cacole
This is how folks get a taste of the good life.
I had a Bach steamer and did what Rocky said. An RC controler is needed in case of derailments. I’ve thought of a ice rack on a car to catch the cob webs that are in the tunnels during summer months. Engines get kinda gross, even over night those spinders are fast.
I would like to do track power, but ideally, I should have one battery powered unit to clean the track after periods of in action.
Joe;
Don’t do it just don’t do it, remember the Ides of March.
Rgds Ian
Since your looking for economy…Look for an old battery opt Big Hauler (make sure its in good shape and has the RC controller intact) and a Aristo track cleaning car. A few loops around the track before each session should be good enough. Anything else in the bottom feeder catagory… Echo, Scientific, New Blight, barely have enough ability to pull themselves along. The older Big Hauler with the one car consist should be enough to keep the power flowing.
Kinda too bad, I just saw one of these last weekend at the GATS, still in its styrofoam with its original R/C controller . Didnt think to get it cause its too big for my layout.
Thanks Vic,
Being that I would rather buy from friends…Does anyone have an older Big Hauler of the type Vic mentioned.? Or know where I can get one in good condition. If so, contact me and I will buy it from you for a reasonable price!
Thanks
Capt Carrales
No Joe, mate I was serious I wouldn’t do it I know what you have in the back of your mind and it is not what you think it will be.
Like that big blonde you met in 1998.
Remember what I have said many times about not doing anything until you have to as things change and suddenly you are going in a different direction and you wished you had of saved your money.
Rgds Ian
Sound advice, Ian. Many times I get focused on temporary fixes what actually cost me more.
Oh, and about that blond in 1998, I later found out she dyed her hair, Mate![:D][:X][;)]
Don’t even try an old battery Big-Hauler.
It barely pulled 2 cars without the additional drag of cleaners.
You need a decent loco, heavy enough to do the job.
What do you mean by “cheap”?
I have an AC/Delton 2-8-0, battery, RCS and Phoenix sound ready to go.
TOC
OK I’ll have to defer to the voice of experience here…
Thats doesnt leave you a lot of choices as NO ONE makes a decent inexpensive battery operated engine.
Sounds like your best bet would be to see if you could convert a used engine to a simple rechargabe battery set up which shouldnt be TOO expensive and instead of R/C which costs a small fortune just to get set up in, set the engine up with a simple on/off switch so you can just turn it on and let it run around the layout a few time or just let it go until the battery runs down. I know you jhave to select the battery carefully so you dont to high a voltage (runs too fast) or too low (runs too slow or not at all). I dont have any experience with this so all I can do I suggest it as a possible alterantive to R/C.
Of course your cheapest option is a long handled drywall sander with a Scotchbright pad attached to it.[;)]
Thinking outside the norm, what you need is something which has a motor with some grunt that will drive something around the track that either wipes or lightly files the track underneath it.
As Curmudgeon has said, a loco wont do it as your talking about a lot of drag. so it has to be heavy enough to stay on the tracks and drag something along.
I have not made one yet, but presently use the motors and clutch’s out of battery driven cordless drills to operate my points.
I presently use a sander with emery paper on the bottom. Attach to a broomstick, turn on and off around the track. 207 metres takes about 10 minutes to walk around and this will give me trouble free trains for a week. ( cat residue is my worst enemy)
By using fine emery paper the weight of the sander and the vibration is enough to clean the track.
If one combines that method of cleaning with a track cleaning vehicle driven by a cordless drill ???.
The 18 volt versions do have a lot of grunt and are low geared enough so if you could make a wagon with the sander underneath it, and connect to cordless drill to it this should work. You can get small cordless palm sanders which would be ideal
Anyone else thought of that, and if so, did you do it?
Tony