I am relatively new at this. I have a layout with about 40’ of track stretched a 4’ x 25’ area ouside in the garden. I am using the basic Aristocraft Train Engineer that came with my starter set, so I am looking to either upgrade to a better power pack, or to go to battery power. My question: for a small layout like mine, what do I need to invest in to begin to use battery power? I don’t think my little Aristocraft engine has a plug to take a battery car. Should I get that Aristocraft battery car and a new engine, etc.? What is the least expensive way to get started?
I think short term, you’re just as well off investing in a better power supply. A good 10-amp power supply would be plenty to serve you now and even into the future. That s small amount of space, that little amount of track doesn’t exactly rank as a “maintenance headache” in the grand scheme of things.
Having said that, if you’re going to go battery power, it’s always advisable to so from the start, so to avoid the cost of converting your entire fleet at once a few years down the road. As for what you need to go battery power, the size of the railroad doesn’t matter. You’ll have to decide whether you want to build one or two power cars to power multiple locos (not at once, obviously), or if you want to put everything onboard the locomotive. The former is certainly the less expensive option, in that you only need as many R/C receivers as you have power cars, and then you’re “done” in terms of expenses except for additional locos. The latter option gives you the freedom to run whatever loco whenever, however, but you’re adding batteries and R/C gear to each locomotive, which will add anywhere from $100 - $300 to the cost of each loco depending on which R/C system you go with.
As for what you’ll need, the most obvious is batteries. Li-Ion (Lithium-Ion) technology seems to be taking over as the dominant batteries in use. They’re small, lightweight, and pack a lot of power into a rather small space. For instance, the Li-Ion batteries I use measure around 1" x 3" x 3", give me 14.8 volts, and will run my trains for 3 - 5 hours per charge, sometimes more. Make sure you get a suitable charger with your batteries. The biggest risk with Li-Ion (or any battery for that matter) is incorrect charging. You’ll want to use a charger that’s specifically designed for your batteries. The batteries run between $40 - $50 (for something like I use), and you can get a suitable charger for around $25. There are certainly more expensive chargers that you can use, too. I
Thanks, kstrong. That gives me a good idea. I’ll look up your article in the Garden Railways Basics for more info…