At Scalefour North I saw a new type of control system being demonstrated. This uses on-board rechargeable batteries and wireless control. It is a similar idea to one I had several years ago, but lacked the technical skill and knowledge to do anything about. (I've no connection other than we both happened to be trading & demonstrating at Scalefour North).
The demonstrator was using his phone to control locos on a test track, both O gauge and OO. There were some teething troubles but I think this may turn out to be a viable system. Just think, no more track cleaning!
Very clever idea! From mobile phone battery technology there would easily be room in a tender loco especially for on board power. Locos could be recharged overnight.
The next revolution in model railways?
So long as your locos don't start running when your next door neighbour makes a call on his mobile!
I think a challenge for anyone fitting this sort of thing into a 4mm model would putting it in an L&Y Pug. The Terrier on the brochure is a bit larger than one of those. Can't think of any LNER prototypes that would be of similar size, except maybe a Cruden Bay tram?
Brian
Anything weird or unusual will catch my interest, be it an express or locomotive
I'm also drawn to the commemorative, let's hope Bachmann will produce 6165 Valour.
R/C O has been around for a while - especially for garden applications. The main problem is battery size which is limited in smaller locos.
I'm currently meant to be researching radio DC throttles for our N club - hard to believe, but few if any one sells them any more! They are all DCC. There are build-your-own schemes, but we wish to replace a partly build-your-own system. This is for the US - I don't think a UK supplier would be practical.
blackout60800 wrote:If you have the siding space to constantly keep it hooked up, you could have a support coach for a loco which would essentially be one big battery.
Compromises though - which is probably why for O, battery power is most popular in garden settings: These have the most benefits, and shunting is less likely so a permanently attached wagon or coach is viable.
In the interests of the battery being small enough to accomodate in just about any loco without undue difficulty, I believe the best way forward is recharge from the rails, but only from plain track sections, so no need for wiring switched pointwork. Then all that is required is a few minutes range at most, so a very small battery is required; and recharging happens automatically whenever the loco goes on an energised plain track section, there is no need for any handling of locos or remembering to recharge the batteries. These last two would be quite a faff for those who operate many locos on the layout; if it happens 'in background' automatically no further action is required. And of course it is much like the present system in the sense that the loco is available at all times when the system is powered, and any new adopter with a layout, already has the charging point installed.
Manxman1831 wrote:I think a challenge for anyone fitting this sort of thing into a 4mm model would putting it in an L&Y Pug. The Terrier on the brochure is a bit larger than one of those.
We have been promised a SECR P class fitted with the control gear 'by Scaleforum'
In a very early Model Rail there was a large GW layout in a barn which used a similar system to this. He mainly had fixed rakes with battery packs fitted into permanently coupled coaches or vans.
Hatfield Shed wrote:In the interests of the battery being small enough to accomodate in just about any loco without undue difficulty, I believe the best way forward is recharge from the rails, but only from plain track sections, so no need for wiring switched pointwork. Then all that is required is a few minutes range at most, so a very small battery is required; and recharging happens automatically whenever the loco goes on an energised plain track section, there is no need for any handling of locos or remembering to recharge the batteries. These last two would be quite a faff for those who operate many locos on the layout; if it happens 'in background' automatically no further action is required. And of course it is much like the present system in the sense that the loco is available at all times when the system is powered, and any new adopter with a layout, already has the charging point installed.
I had a long chat with these guys at Wakefield and they are working on using inductive coils to charge the batteries. What he said about batteries was quite interesting. Almost all the present generation of small LiPo batteries have been produced for aircraft models where they want a high current, quick discharge and can accept a slow recharge. Model railways need the opposite, a low current, slow discharge and a quick recharge. This may take some time to come, in that it will take one of the major manufacturers to get interested before the ideal batteries become available. The smallest batteries that were on the stand were about 15 x 20 x 3 mm, which could be hidden in a ashpan, at least in a P4 loco.
It sounds like an excellent idea, but would it be seen as a temporary backward step for those who like to have lights and sound on their locos these days?
For a realistic chance at the mass market they need a system within range of the present capability of DCC at a competitive price point, and very much plug and play, with RTR manufacturers rolling out 'ready' or 'fitted' locos and lit coaches and the like. The attraction of on board power and independent of the rails control is obvious, but the mechanical quality requirements in track laying will not go away; and with that in place you then have rail transmitted power and control as a logical adjunct.
My feeling is that R/C will always be a luxury niche product as a result, unless it can be done very economically thanks to development and mass application elsewhere making all the necessary hardware available ultra cheap off-the-shelf. Which is not impossible, just needs an application that sells in bilions like phobile mones...
