# Problem with New Bright loco.



## J.D.C. 1991 (Apr 29, 2012)

Hi everyone, I'm new here and I figuered this would be the right place to discuss a problem I'm having with one of my New Bright locomotives. This particular locomotive was originally made in 1992 as a 2-6-2 prairie, it's now a 2-6-0 mogul. (Simply removed the trailing truck.) I have been kitbashing it for nearly a year now, and have done countless changes and of course, added a lot of detail and realism.

As many of you probably know already, these locos run on six "C" batteries placed inside the tender, which would be a total of 9 volts power supply.


Here's my problem: the locomotive is rigged with a 5 volt LGB smoke unit placed inside the cap stack. While the smoke unit is absolutely amazing, I suspect that it is draining too much of the batteries' power supply. Even with fresh batteries, the engine is more sluggish than normal. The air whistle sounds very weak and the batteries are lasting a lot less than usual. The motor makes the loco move as well as produces the air for the fan-driven whistle. The batteries have to power the motor, light bulb, the 5 volt smoke generator, and when turned on, an eletronic sound system from the tender that produces chugging and bell. 


What can I do to supply the engine with more voltage so that it isn't as sluggish? Any and all advice is very much appreciated.


----------



## Totalwrecker (Feb 26, 2009)

I know nothing about New Bright! So here goes... The Original system was probably Adequate and nothing more. You should add a power source for each and everything you add on a seperate circuit. Adding a LGB smoker? Add a 6 volt supply with it's own on/off switch, 6 volts probably won't hurt the smoker while 9 volts might. 

You are stretching your 6 C cells too thin. 
John


----------



## J.D.C. 1991 (Apr 29, 2012)

Well unfortunately there's really no space to add a separate circuit and power supply just for the smoke unit, so all the power supply has to come from one source in this case. But I'm not sure how to increase the voltage supply from that one power source and also how much is enough because I don't want to fry everything with too much voltage either. I'm really at a loss.


----------



## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

unfortunately there's really no space to add a separate circuit and power supply 
I'm with John - you are probably "stretching the batteries too thin". 

A useful experiment would be to run the loco without the smoke unit and see if it is still sluggish. There could be a lot of other reasons for lack of performance - those locos were very, very cheap, so the components (e.g. gears, motor,) are not very high standard. 

I recall the batteries in the tender - I have one (I think it is New Bright - it might be the other guys.) My first thought was rechargeable batteries, so you don't spend so much on replacing them? Could you fit 2 packs of AA batteries where the C cells now fit? One AA pack for the motor, and the other for the smoke?


----------



## D-n-H - Kirkville Branch (Jan 14, 2008)

if the new bright is anything like the scientific american trains you might actually be able to run the motor on the c batteries and a lipo cell pack should fit in the existing battery compartment there is room there believe it or not. 

i put my battery in the frame and brought the wires up to the c battery compartment for ease of charging, plugging it in without major modifications to the tender


----------



## D-n-H - Kirkville Branch (Jan 14, 2008)

this guy did something similar on youtube - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90SOtEH00gc - there is room for a second battery between the black fram and red tender I have done it, that will give you more then enough power I would think


----------



## J.D.C. 1991 (Apr 29, 2012)

Thanks guys. Do you think that rechargeable C NiMH batteries might work better than the diposable alkaline batteries I'm using? What about a rechargeable RC Car battery? I think those are my only two options to try out but I don't know which one would be better.


----------



## D-n-H - Kirkville Branch (Jan 14, 2008)

i'm using a traxxas battery for the local hobby shop $19, long term = less money then disposable


----------



## J.D.C. 1991 (Apr 29, 2012)

I see, and how much voltage is that? I've seen a lot of 9.6V for the car batteries but nothing much higher. I was thinking if I could increase the voltage supply a little more, say 12 volts, that sholuld power everything in my loco adequetly without being too much that would cook everything in it. lol


----------



## Matt Vogt (Jan 2, 2008)

On the contrary, I'm pretty sure that 12 volts would be sufficient to cook everything... What you are needing is more storage capacity - for more current, not voltage. if you could fit two 6V batteries in parallel, I think you would be in business. I think that one 12V pack would be too high in voltage for everything to take. 

Take care, 
Matt


----------



## rdamurphy (Jan 3, 2008)

You don't need more volts, you need more amps. 

I would just build a boxcar/auxiliary battery car. Boxcars are easiest, but a tank car might work well also. 

Then, two wires, hooking up the extra batteries in parallel to the loco. 

Robert


----------



## J.D.C. 1991 (Apr 29, 2012)

Matt, I would use the two 6V batteries to power everything in the loco right? That sounds like a gooidea.


----------



## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

Do you think that rechargeable C NiMH batteries might work better than the diposable alkaline batteries I'm using? 
No. NiMH and other rechargeables have 1.2V per cell, whereas alkalines have 1.5V. 

Rechargeable R/C batteries come in 4.8V (4 cells,) 6V (5 cells - unusual,) 7.2V 96 cells or 9.6V (8 cells.) 

if you could fit two 6V batteries in parallel 
Much as I suggested, get 2 of the r/c packs and use one to drive the loco and the other to drive the smoke. Not recommended that you put them in parallel - they interact strangely, I've been told.


----------



## D-n-H - Kirkville Branch (Jan 14, 2008)

1 pack fits in the bottom of the tender, and instead of running the wires up as i did, run them out the front toward the loco, plug 1 battery into the motor and 1 into the smoke unit, 

You could also gut the inside, install a 18v drill battery and call it a day ( well almost i doubt you could catch that new bright with 18v ) lol


----------

