What sorts of power do you use for your locos?

Anything related to the garden railway world that is not catered for in another board

What source(s) of power do you use for your locos?

Analogue track power
5
4%
Battery
46
40%
DCC track power
2
2%
Live steam
56
49%
Clockwork
3
3%
Other
3
3%
 
Total votes: 115

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ge_rik
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What sorts of power do you use for your locos?

Post by ge_rik » Fri Oct 27, 2017 7:47 pm

Peter Lucas (of MyLocoSound) has asked me to conduct a survey on his behalf to discover what sorts of power sources you use for your locos. I assume it's so he can get some sort of feel for potential markets for his sound cards. I have no financial interest in MyLocoSound, this enquiry has arisen simply because I have been in communication with him after he asked for permission to use one of my videos on his website.

Please feel free to clarify eg over which is the most prominent source of power on your railway, whether you intend to explore a new option or whatever.....
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Dwayne
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Re: What sorts of power do you use for your locos?

Post by Dwayne » Fri Oct 27, 2017 9:25 pm

Battery/rc and a single live steamer.

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Re: What sorts of power do you use for your locos?

Post by CVLR » Fri Oct 27, 2017 11:08 pm

RC live steam, but I'd love a whistle sound card operated by the third channel switch. ☺
What's this button do then? ooops.....

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Re: What sorts of power do you use for your locos?

Post by f.schulz » Fri Oct 27, 2017 11:30 pm

same as You, and on my wish list would be the same soundcard.... :D

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Re: What sorts of power do you use for your locos?

Post by DLRdan » Sat Oct 28, 2017 12:03 am

Mostly battery power with some live steam (used to be the other way round). There may be a future experiment with compressed air if I can get some other projects out the way.
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Re: What sorts of power do you use for your locos?

Post by Normandin » Sat Oct 28, 2017 9:18 am

Analogue track power. But one day, live steam... :sunny:
Having a railway whatever it's size is better than no railway at all !

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Re: What sorts of power do you use for your locos?

Post by ge_rik » Sat Oct 28, 2017 10:46 am

I am mostly battery (15 locos) plus one occasional live steamer.

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Re: What sorts of power do you use for your locos?

Post by markoteal » Sat Oct 28, 2017 6:55 pm

4 Battery (petrol/diesel outline) and 1 Live Steam - hope to add a steam outline battery soon - keen to see an easy fit card/speaker for the soldering nerds like me!
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Re: What sorts of power do you use for your locos?

Post by Killian Keane » Sat Oct 28, 2017 9:23 pm

Live steam for me all the way, floreat vapor! ;)
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Re: What sorts of power do you use for your locos?

Post by Soar Valley Light » Sun Oct 29, 2017 8:32 pm

Killian Keane wrote: Sat Oct 28, 2017 9:23 pm Live steam for me all the way, floreat vapor! ;)
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Re: What sorts of power do you use for your locos?

Post by canadiansteamer » Sun Nov 05, 2017 1:34 am

Live steam and analogue track power

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Re: What sorts of power do you use for your locos?

Post by Big Jim » Sun Nov 05, 2017 7:18 am

Mainly steam but I am starting to see the benefits of battery as the prime mover rather than a back up.
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Re: What sorts of power do you use for your locos?

Post by ge_rik » Sun Nov 05, 2017 10:01 am

Big Jim wrote: Sun Nov 05, 2017 7:18 am Mainly steam but I am starting to see the benefits of battery as the prime mover rather than a back up.
Vivat potentia altilium

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Re: What sorts of power do you use for your locos?

Post by FWLR » Sat Nov 11, 2017 9:06 am

I have 2 R/C battery, one battery that i want to convert and a r/c RH Billy...want more of both...with easy fit whistle same has markoteal... :thumbright: :thumbright:
Last edited by FWLR on Tue Jan 16, 2018 6:27 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: What sorts of power do you use for your locos?

Post by Johnnie2sheds » Mon Jan 15, 2018 6:41 pm

10(ish) battery "diesels"
1 Battery steam outline
2 Live steam
1 Solar powered

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Re: What sorts of power do you use for your locos?

Post by ge_rik » Mon Jan 15, 2018 8:36 pm

Johnnie2sheds wrote: Mon Jan 15, 2018 6:41 pm 10(ish) battery "diesels"
1 Battery steam outline
2 Live steam
1 Solar powered
Solar powered? That sounds intriguing.

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Re: What sorts of power do you use for your locos?

Post by Johnnie2sheds » Wed Jan 17, 2018 4:04 pm

Intriguing? I prefer Frustrating :D OK Its on my little web blog thing, but I saw, on youtube this little fella.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SfmT8yMpHNc

And I thought, If I copied the idea but made it a boxcab.....Have a look Rik. Its fairly simple stuff, most of the roof is a solar panel
but I did not account for the fact that we in England live in perpetual darkness so charging isnt brilliant to be honest.

DSCF0004 - Copy.JPG
DSCF0004 - Copy.JPG (160 KiB) Viewed 6789 times
THis is about as far as Ive got with it, it works elecrically but need finishing off. Soon.

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Re: What sorts of power do you use for your locos?

Post by philipy » Wed Jan 17, 2018 5:03 pm

I like the look of that. Be interested in seeing a video when you get it finished.

Just a thought, could you incorporate rechargeable batteries to change over if it runs into a shady patch - rather like solar powered garden lights?
Philip

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Re: What sorts of power do you use for your locos?

Post by Johnnie2sheds » Wed Jan 17, 2018 5:16 pm

Yass Phil, there are 8 x AA NiMh batteries. The panel charges the batteries (on two days a year)
I don't have a railway at the moment, I'm trying to flog a house and settle into something smaller.
I'd love to bore everyone with a construction thread at some point. So you might have to wait for the video :D

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Re: What sorts of power do you use for your locos?

Post by ge_rik » Wed Jan 17, 2018 6:19 pm

Presumably, if you leave it in the sun between running sessions, then it should get topped-up without needing to be connected to a charger. It depends on how long you leave it between sessions, maybe?

Rik
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