# Battery r/c: A different concept?



## Steve Stockham (Jan 2, 2008)

I have been a proponent of battery r/c operations ever since I first saw one operated at a show in Denver in 2002. The cost had seemed somewhat prohibitive so I tried to "go halfway" and use a Trackside TE. Eventually, I became fed up with the cleaning of track, the cleaning of wheels, the intermittent power fluctuations, etc... and sent off my first engine to be converted to battery power. That was 2006! In the last four years I have had seven of my engines converted to battery r/c with Sierra sound by Dave Goodson (TOC) of NWRCS. Dave is the western US distributor for RCS systems manufactured by Tony Walsham (shameless plug) which I have been eminently satisfied with!

About a year ago, I found a great deal on ebay where there was a Bachmann Shay _and an RCS r/c system with Sierra sound that hadn't been installed! _It was too good a deal to pass up! I got the Shay for under $300 and turned around and sold it to somebody else keeping all of the electronics. It was at this point that I got the idea from Jim Carter (pimanjc) to make a battery car. However, this car wouldn't just be for one train! Jim helped me to prepare my 2-4-2 bash for this by us isolating the power pickups and channeling all of the power through an Aristo quick connect chord. The idea would be that _all _of my small engines (i.e. 0-4-0, 2-4-2, 0-6-0 etc..) would be wired up this way. Yes, it would require the boxcar be behind each engine but it would allow them to be run on my railroad which is no longer track powered. The plus is that I added Sierra sound to the boxcar and am using the chuff setting that activates by power rather than reed switches. Two 7.2v 3300 batteries in series to give 14.4v and everything was ready to go!

I decided that there was no reason I couldn't do the install myself as there was plenty of room! I took my time and_ re-read the instuctions repeatedly_ to make sure I was doing it right. When I finished wiring it all up I tested the whole system before hot gluing it all in and lo and behold it actually worked! I took my Roger's bash to our monthly club meeting to test it out. Now, all that remains is to convert my other small engines and the entire fleet will be able to be run on my railroad! It has given me a new perspective on electronics. I still am in awe of people like Dave that are wizards where electronics are concerned but I am no longer fearful of dabbling with it.


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## Del Tapparo (Jan 4, 2008)

Congratulations Steve. Always easier once you have done it once.


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## Steve Stockham (Jan 2, 2008)

Thanks Del. I kinda think of it as my own personal "Plug and Play!"


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## Jerry Barnes (Jan 2, 2008)

Way to go Steve!


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## pimanjc (Jan 2, 2008)

Steve,
Your Rogers ran flawlessly at the club meeting. Everyone there was impressed with your install in the boxcar. One thing you didn't mention [or I didn't read closely enough] was that a straight through jumper was put in the tender so the Loco would be followed by tender and then boxcar. While running, Steve had control of the bell and whistle even in the center of the tinnel on the M&M RR we were visiting. 

I wish I had my camera with me to take some pictures of the Rogers running on Fred and Millie's layout. Did you get any pictures?

BTW, Steve, I did some initial explorations on that antenna alteration we discussed at the meeting. I believe it is a possibility.

JimC.


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## TonyWalsham (Jan 2, 2008)

A trail car installation is often the best way of getting a whole bunch of locos up and running on a layout. 
Light locos don't draw much power so you can use lighter batteries. 

One big advantage of a trail car is that you can mount the RX & antenna up high in the roof of the trail car and get very good range.


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## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

I put them in the tender.


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## Steve Stockham (Jan 2, 2008)

Yep, I found that out! With the antenna spot glued all around the top of the boxcar my range is phenomenal (at least compared to when it's crammed into an engine which still isn't bad!) I was able to activate the whistle from inside the house passing through four walls! Here are a couple of pics of the boxcar. I used an ordinary Bachmann boxcar from a Big Hauler set. I love the way the top pops off for easy access but I have this arrangement set up so you don't need to take the roof off to run it or charge the batteries. Here are a couple of pics:

The charging jack is in the rear (and will probably get painted as it is quite prominent)










The "plug and play" is a simple Aristo connector











Just slide the door open to access the on/off switch 











Okay, it doesn't get any points for neatness but_ is _a first attempt!


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## Stan Cedarleaf (Jan 2, 2008)

No apology needed, Steve. Looks right nice. 

I do the same thing except I don't charge the batteries on board. I leave the roof loose as well so I can change batteries after they discharge. That way I can keep on a'running...


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## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

Nice work.


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## Steve Stockham (Jan 2, 2008)

_It's done!_ It has been a four year project but_ finally_ the entire fleet is battery operated with digital sound! I finished modifying the last switcher and my son's Aristocraft C-16 yesterday and today I took them out to the layout to give them a thorough run-in. I'm pleased to report that everything worked the way it was intended to! My last engine, an Accucraft D&RGW #346 is currently being modified for battery r/c operations. The timing of this is fortuitous as my wiring for track power was in sad need of repair as I haven't used it in more than two years. Now, I don't have to worry about it anymore!


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## TonyWalsham (Jan 2, 2008)

Hi Steve.
You are now an official member of the battery Mafia.
Dave and I thank you for your ongoing support over the last few years.


Just be careful not to start "attacking" DC or DCC through the rails lest the ire of the DCC aficionados is roused.


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## sailbode (Jan 2, 2008)

Nice install Steve, could you tell us about your batteries? Are they Ni cads? look like maybe rc car batteries? How does the Aristo Rogers do on 14volts? Are the Sierra sound systems still available? I thought our only option was Phoenix.

Thanks,
Don


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## Steve Stockham (Jan 2, 2008)

Thanks Don,
I actually used Radio Shack NiMH batteries for this one! As to the Sierra Sound, I was able to acquire four extra soundboards (three from an ebay transaction where he told me he had an RCS unit and Sierra Sound that hadn't been installed along with the Bachmann Shay engine I was buying but didn't say he had _three_ of them!) of which I still have an EBT 2-8-0, a WSLCo. Shay, and a Mogul which have yet to be installed. The Rogers is an older REA version so I don't know if the motor is the same as the newer Aristo version. I do know that the board is _much _simpler than even than the one George Schreyer shows in his Tech Tips page! As to how it runs, it does great! 14.4v seems to work just fine! If anything, the 2-4-2 has more legs than would ever be necessary and it's a surprisingly strong puller!


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