# Battery car question



## SE18 (Feb 21, 2008)

I'm getting ready to build a battery car and before I do, just wondered if anyone has done that and has photos.

I know a boxcar is most common but I'm thinking to build a flatcar with steaks so that I can put a tarp over or sort of camouflage the battery.

Also, I'm thinking of building 2 cars, one for batteries and one for ESC and receiver. I'm still debating all this.


Detailed photos of hookups, charging would be nice too.

I went back 11 pages but couldn't find this topic so sorry if repeat.


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## Del Tapparo (Jan 4, 2008)

Flatcar would work fine, just may not have the best protection from the weather. One boxcar has more than enough room for batteries and all the electronics.


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## Dougald (Jan 2, 2008)

Check out our club website at www.ovgrs.org MLSer Paul Norton has built several such cars and has lots of pics and instructions on how to do it.

Regards .. Doug


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## Paul Norton (Jan 8, 2008)

Boxcars, stockcars, and B units can be used for power cars; but the cheapest and most practical is the covered gondola. Removing the snap on cover allows easy access to the receiver for programming and removal of the battery pack(s) for charging. Replacing the cover hides the components and protects them from the elements. The ends of the gondola can also be folded down inside the car should extra cooling be required for the receiver.









Over the years the members of our club have used gel cell, Ni-Cad, NiMH, and Lithium-Ion battery packs in their power cars.

http://ovgrs.editme.com/files/powercar/Car1.jpg

The most common circuit found in battery power and radio control applications uses a switch to toggle an on-board battery pack between its charging plug and a radio receiver. The following illustration shows the components used to build this simple circuit for use in a trailing power car.











An Aristo-Craft, lithium-ion battery pack is connected to the center terminals of a double-pole double-throw (DPDT) switch. A battery charging plug is soldered to the left terminals, and the input wires of a 27 MHz, Train Engineer (TE) receiver to the right terminals.
Toggling the switch one way disconnects the receiver and connects the battery pack to its charging plug.










Toggling the switch the other way disconnects the charging plug and connects the battery pack to the receiver.











Adding an MU plug to the output terminals of the TE allows any Aristo-Craft, Plug and Play locomotive (or any other locomotive with an MU plug added and its track power pick-ups unplugged) to be battery powered and radio controlled using this simple circuit in a trailing power car.
It is not necessary to solder the battery pack wires directly to center terminals of the switch. The male connector of a 2-pin plug set can be soldered to the switch instead, and the battery pack just plugged into the connector.
A battery car is even easier, as all that is required is a 2-pin plug set available from All Electronics.










There are a number of articles in the Battery Power and Radio Control Section of our club web site on how to build a battery car and a number of different powers cars. Just click on the link to view the index.


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## SE18 (Feb 21, 2008)

thanks, I'm processing this info. I like the photos and websites.


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## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

I do the same, but I put it in the tender.


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## altterrain (Jan 2, 2008)

My battery flat is just simple speed control - 










just you could easily fit a RCS Basic 2 (might be called the Basic 30 now) into a crate - 










-Brian


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## izzy0855 (Sep 30, 2008)

Cordless Renovations has come out with The New CR-1 Smart Charger that sits right in your box-car, gondola, or tender. It can charge NiCd, Nimh, & Lithium-Ion battery-packs and operate your train right from your box-car. It has two external outputs so you can hook-up lights or sound, and it has an output that feeds battery power right to your Train Engineer, RCS System, or Loco-Linc, and a battery LED Gas Gauge that tells y ou when your battery is charged and discharged. Here's their website . . . http://www.cordlessrenovations.com/


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## Del Tapparo (Jan 4, 2008)

Posted By izzy0855 on 04/02/2009 3:45 PM
Cordless Renovations has come out with The New CR-1 Smart Charger that sits right in your box-car, gondola, or tender. It can charge NiCd, Nimh, & Lithium-Ion battery-packs and operate your train right from your box-car. It has two external outputs so you can hook-up lights or sound, and it has an output that feeds battery power right to your Train Engineer, RCS System, or Loco-Linc, and a battery LED Gas Gauge that tells y ou when your battery is charged and discharged. Here's their website . . . http://www.cordlessrenovations.com/ 




Maybe I'm missing something here, but I don't get it. Why would I want to put a battery charger in my battery car or tender that is already challenged for space? You want me to replace my charging jack with a battery charger and a charging jack? My existing Lithium-Ion charger is smaller than this one and doesn't require a wall-wart. The only thing new I see here is some additional battery outputs for accessories and a fuel gage that will require lifting the roof to see.


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## TonyWalsham (Jan 2, 2008)

Del,
Like you I cannot see the logic of having the charger mounted on board. 
The manufacturer contacted me with information on his new product.
He did say this charger was aimed at trail car installations as his research has indicated that trail cars are the most popular way of going battery R/C. 
I explained to him that for the price there were other options that seemed more attractive for me here inAustralia especially as it can only handle a maximum of just 18 volts for NiCd and NiMh. I need the upper voltage limit to be able to handle two 8 cell packs in series for big brass locos as they are the least expensive way of doing it in OZ.


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## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

I'm as puzzled as you. I take the battery out, put it on the charger and put another in and keep playing.


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