# Which power units would you recommend.



## just starting (Jun 10, 2009)

Hi to Forum Readers,

I am just getting started with a Garden Railway. Fortunatly and unfortunatly while visiting a friend in Canada I gave up smoking after 50 years of it and thought if I bought something I could do for a hobby it would keep my hands busy. My friends took me to a garden centre, there on show was An Aristocraft Pacific locomotive with 6 heavywieght coaches to match. It must be something in the blood that attracted me to them ,my grandfather was a blacksmith on the LMS Loco Works and my own father was a railway coach body builder and I just love steam engines and lantern roof railway carrages.
I asked the guy in the store "Is that what they call G scale?" it was hardly a question but the guy rubbed his hands together and sold me the lot, I paid the man for the goods and the shipping to UK. I walked out the store some dollars lighter with a few rail magazines under my arm. After an hours of reading I relized my knowledge of model railways was zero and 1-29 scale probably was not the best choice as figures and road vehicles and buildings were short on the ground. After I got it home the store brought out a baggae car I thought I had better have the full set so it has also traveled a long way from China to Canada to UK. Clearly there is no turning back. I now need to purchase besides more track some sort of power and control, as we live in a very wet part of the world where it rains a lot, I thought Radio Control and Battery Power would be the answer although all the carrage lights would require rewiring, I may prefer to do this than clean yards of track each time it is operated, so the question is , am I going down the right road and should I purchase the Aristocraft Battery Box Car and will this give the engine enough power to pull 8 carrages or should I do something else or do I power up the lines, and with what bearing in mind many of the secound hand track I keep buying up at a reasonable price off e-bay will require a lot of cleaning. I am sure there are aguements on fores and against but all recomendations on tried and tested equipment will be very welcome from those who are experienced. 

Many Thanks 
Just Starting 
Derbyshire England


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## lownote (Jan 3, 2008)

Congratulations! 

I can't help you with battery--Track power is the way I go. It works very well for me with very few headaches, and the lights in coaches is a major reason why--we like to run a lot at dusk and enjoy the effect of the lights. Eventually, if you run on track power, you want to clamp all the joints with rail-clamps. But when you start, just swab some anti-corrosion paste in the joints and slip the track together. I live in a mixed climate with lots of rain, occasional heavy snow and summer temps in the 90s. I run a track cleaning car a few times around at every session, but other than that I really don't have to do much to the track--the "problem" of dirty track seems to me to be highly overrated. Other people have a harder time with it. Battery operation never appealed to me, other swear by it and the subject of track vs battery tends to raise hackles. 

If you have used track, just clean the top with acetone, or laquer thinner. Maybe clean the joints too. The track doesn't have to be shiny to conduct well. 

Check those coaches--are the lights LEDs, or incandescent bulbs? If they are LEDS you should see a lot of small lights--maybe 20? I never counted. if they are incandescent there should far fewer, maybe 8. Incandescents draw a lot more current, which is a big issue with battery


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

First, battery or track power, there will still be SOME cleaning of track, otherwise you will have derailments. 

It's true that track power will require "cleaner" rail, and it's most operative to say that if you use brass rail for track power, you will need to remove the oxidation from it. How often? It depends, some people need to do it every 2 days, some people once a year, it's a gamble there. If you use stainless steel rail, then you have as much track cleaning either way, battery or track power, you still will need to remove large leaves, twigs, etc. 

There's lots of pro's and cons, but let me give you a monetary "division point": If you run a battery car and share it with all your locos, then cheapest way to go, and least maintenance is this way. 

If you want a battery per loco, or run multiple locos, and want some type of independent control, at about 4-6 locos, is the decision point.... fewer, battery is less expensive, more, track power is less expensive... and you can be talking 100-200 dollars of "difference" per loco. 

It's always a tough decision. 

By the way, rain keeps track clean... it's air pollutants and dust and grit that cause you to "clean" rail, i.e. remove oxidation... again, SS rail eliminates that problem. 

I suggest you decide how you will EVENTUALLY have your layout, how many locos, how many running at one time, do you want smoke? lighted cars? ... if you think for the future and make a decision based on that, you will do well. 

Regards, Greg


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## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

Welcome to the obsession. Congratulations on picking up a Pacific and Heavyweights. 

Yea, just forget putting power on the track. Don't worry about the lights in the coaches till you're ready to put batteries and LED's in the coaches. Now you don't have to worry about wires, track conductivity or continuity. Just makes things easier. 

Of course, I did once go to a train show with my loco, tender, freight cars, caboose, but not my box of batteries and chargers. Can you spell "ADD?" Of course, if I hadn't rewired the loco so extensively, I could have just thrown the track/battery switch and run anyhow.


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## just starting (Jun 10, 2009)

Thanks Guys,
You have talked me back into useing track power.

Thanks for the tips on cleaning the rails and clamping.
Now to find a good transformer and controler over here and read up on wiring up.

Much Obliged 

Roger just starting


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

If you will be a while on straight DC, then I recommend the MRC power G, 10 amps, sturdy construction, purchased by many, and not expensive. 

Regards, Greg


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## TonyWalsham (Jan 2, 2008)

The MRC Power G is not sold in the UK. 240 volts and all that.


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## JPCaputo (Jul 26, 2009)

I built a couple of my own. 1 with a large transformer, & bridge rectifier, then a variable voltage circuit with large output transistor. The other with a switching power supply, and the same output. 

It is also possible to hotwire a couple old computer power supplies in series to get 24V, then add the variable power supply output. The older AT power supplies with hard switch on the AC line are easier to get running. 

I have pics of 1 i made that has an automatic reverser built into it. It is a thread with the aristo reversing unit help.


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## aceinspp (Jan 2, 2008)

Seeing how you live in another country some suggestions here would not work for you. So it comes down as to what is available in a 10amp supply in your neck of the woods and then look for the best price. That's if you still are looking at track power. Later RJD


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

oops.. derbyshire.... 

Greg


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## Peter Osborne (Jan 5, 2008)

If you're going track with DC, then you can't go wrong with the Aristo Train Engineer setup and the Elite (5 or 10amp) power supply. The ablity to follow your trains with a wireless remote is essential in Garden Railways, whatever your source of power is. 

Good luck. 

Peter.


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