Solar Tram

steam Technology · Post by **steam Technology** » Tue Dec 22, 2015 9:47 pm

A scratch build model to harness the free power of the sun for running

This was the first test run to prove the concept works
It ran really well

Annie · Post by **Annie** » Wed Dec 23, 2015 8:04 am

That must be a first. Nicely done

SimonWood · Post by **SimonWood** » Wed Dec 23, 2015 10:24 am

That's brilliant! What a great idea. (I think it'd need some sort of battery back-up for use here in Wales, though...!)

sstjc · Post by **sstjc** » Wed Dec 23, 2015 10:33 am

Not a first Annie. https://youtu.be/SfmT8yMpHNc a very clever idea.
I quite fancy having a go at building one myself.
Another project for the bucket list....
Barry

Annie · Post by **Annie** » Wed Dec 23, 2015 10:39 am

Oh I do like that steeple cab loco, - what a good idea. The solar panels aren't obtrusive at all.

MDLR · Post by **MDLR** » Wed Dec 23, 2015 4:37 pm

SimonWood:115062 wrote:That's brilliant! What a great idea. (I think it'd need some sort of battery back-up for use here in Wales, though...!)

I think that would apply to most of the UK, particularly in winter. Now, if we could find some way of converting rain to electrical energy........

sstjc · Post by **sstjc** » Wed Dec 23, 2015 5:17 pm

Even this country doesn't get enough rain to drive an engine with a water wheel...
Barry

steam Technology · Post by **steam Technology** » Wed Dec 23, 2015 8:16 pm

I had not seen the steeple cab Loco before. It also runs well. Mine does not rely on any cells at all, but I can connect in batteries for indoor or cloudy days.

Keith S · Post by **Keith S** » Thu Dec 24, 2015 12:28 am

You could use rain to power a funicular tram up and down a grade!

There IS a way to convert rain to electrical power,although you need rather a lot of it... lightning!

Post by **FWLR** » Tue Aug 08, 2017 7:46 am

Brilliant, why hasn’t it taken off. I know it is our lack of sun most of the time but that system which was shown on the youtube site had one that recharged the batteries.

oldblindpugh · Post by **oldblindpugh** » Fri Oct 13, 2017 12:23 pm

I liked the idea of a solar tram so much that I built my own.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MyiBZ1v-xPc

As you can see, it runs just fine in the sun, but the shadows stop it dead.
I have now modified it so that the solar cell charges two Ni-MH cells via a diode and then the motor is fed from the cells. Works just dandy and its free electricity

regards
Old Blind Pugh

Big Jim · Post by **Big Jim** » Fri Oct 13, 2017 2:21 pm

That goes at quite a pace, nice job. Sadly here in Wales, solar power is a bit of a no go area. If someone could develop rain powered locos, we could corner the market.

Post by **FWLR** » Sat Oct 14, 2017 7:30 am

Thats brilliant and so quite...nice to hear you have modified it to run on free electricity ....

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