In May this year Frank R Donze arranged for Dave Goodson to show him how to fit RCS battery R/C into an LGB loco.
It was Frank’s intention to do something really neat.
Run a Large Scale train at the North Pole.
A feat that to his knowledge had never been done before and will arguably never be repeated in the future.
I don’t know why Frank chose LGB other than that it was the loco he had previously used around his Christmas tree.
I do know why he chose RCS.
It works.
We have always known that RCS works reliably in extreme cold. This gives us proof.
Dave fitted the 14.4 volt 1200 mah NiCd batteries and the RCS INSIDE the loco. No trail car.
The proof of the pudding has been in the eating.
4 hours plus from the batteries and perfect control although the range was drastically reduced from what it had been upon installation. Something that had not been noticed in the cold before. Perhaps it was the fact that the system was sitting on water and was surrounded by water. Perhaps it was the high powered communications equipment on board the Ice Breaker.
RCS is going to get a lot of publicity for this and I would like to thank Frank for his efforts.
I would also like to congratulate LGB on making LS equipment robust enough to handle the extreme conditions.
Thanks also to the US Coast Guard for allowing the feat to take place at all.
Keep your eyes open for the next RCS feat.[;)]
Editing note. I corrected the first paragraph. Frank did the install himself.
Been there, Tony, the Earth’s magnetic field is not to be trifled with. It plays absolute havoc with radios and direction finding equipment. The loss of range is nothing to dishonor RCS, your stuff worked in an environment where most things don’t. Bravo!
Just one thing, why LGB? Couldn’t Santa have made something local in his workshop and saved the expidition that much more weight? Or was it because of the elf union? I hear the last guy to take on the Elf Local 222 is somewhere under the pole marker.[:P]
Frank had that engine, train and track he runs around his tree at Christmas.
I wasn’t about to work real hard to dissuade him.
He did the install, once I showed him where the stuff went, and it was a good one for a first install.
TOC
The next feat of RCS and NiCd batteries working well in extreme conditions will likely be here in OZ where, with summer coming on we can get some extremely high temperatures.
Great job guys. Nice to see Large Scale in any form in such a cool place. (pun intended) Here in the Great White North just getting your car started can be a feat in itself. Looking forward to seeing more in the future guys. Later eh…Brian.
