Garden Railway Forum

I know it is relatively easy to convert a loco from track pick up to battery, but does anyone know, or tried making a loco track OR battery optional? I've been playing round with the idea. I've drawn a few very basic circuit diagrams, but i'm not sure if it would work!

Easy, you should speak to your cousin about Baguleys!

There was an article in Garden Rail recently wasn't there?

Yep, but PTLRcecil has converted a few of them.

I talked to his dad today an he explained it! Not as difficult as I thought. Perhaps somewhere along the line I may get a Baguely and do some modifying!

bungle80a wrote: Perhaps somewhere along the line I may get a Baguely and do some modifying!

The order has been placed! Look out for further details in a couple of weeks.

You could do it through 2 switches. 1 to isolate the battery units, the second to activate the track pickups. Although the mine never ran well when I ran it on windy ridge, I had to run it flat out because if the slightest bit of dirt got onto the track it would just stop and I would have to walk over and push it along a bit, again, again and double again.

Thats just dirty track problems though. We've had a few probs like that while testing on the FR as the tack has just been lying round the garden.

Yes but unless your either going to not run live steam or clean the trach very regular then dodgy pickup will always be a problem.

ptlrcecil wrote:Yes but unless your either going to not run live steam or clean the trach very regular then dodgy pickup will always be a problem.

FR Thunderbolt has a good Sturdy Track cleaning implement which did wonders on some of the extremely dirty bits of track we have used!

I agree, mixing steam and 'lectric does mean more maintanence, but its not that big of an issue. We're having more problems with leaves on the line! (And they would affect steam or 'lectric equally!)

Not really, a steam engine would just crunch over them as an electric would have none of it.

These are big waxy 12inches to the foot scale leaves, and the tree is shedding dead flowers too, so it would be difficult to get anything to run through it without derailing!

Oh dear. In that case get a leaf blower. Or just dont run trains.

In response to my own question, yes it is possible.

I spent a wet and very windy Sunday converting my new Baguley to 'dual fuel' so to speak. Special thanks to PTLRcecil for his assistance throughout the conversion.

What do mean by assisstance. I just sat there and watched you drill holes in all the wrong places, then laughed at you for doing so.

That's called assistance where I come from. You didn't get in his way and you let him go through all the trials and tribulations to become a better person able to face adversity. Bungle8oA will be able to go out into the world and meet it square on. With a dual powered engine. An invaluable piece of kit for his future career at Aldi.

Whoop de xxxxx doo

edited by aclr to remove bad language

Laalratty made me write it.

So Bungle's got a job in Aldi?

riveresk wrote:Laalratty made me write it.

No I didn't it came out of your own, Doctor who obsessed brain riveresk!!!
Looking forward to seeing the Baguley running at the ANLR though, I reckon thats 6 of us who have one in Cumbria and North lancashire