RC layout not RC loco

[sir douglas]

i get what you are saying, whats the point in this idea not that you dont understand the thread, it would be interesting idea to try considering that most of my locos dont have any room in them at all for a little circuit board and battery pack

[Railpassion]

Thanks, I see. 

 

My interest is in powerless track enabling easier design etc. 

Total radio operation makes a lot of sense too.

[Robin2]

9 hours ago, Railpassion said:

My interest is in powerless track enabling easier design etc. 

 

Me too.  But this Thread is not the place for this discussion. By all means start your own Thread in this Radio Control section.

 

...R

[wasdavetheroad]

Radio control of a DC layout should be entirely possible with existing radio control equipment as long as the issues of polarity and short circuits are taken care of. I suspect common return is not possible and having more than one 'controller' might give spectacular sparks and the smell of burning. Probably for simple layouts only.

 

You can have an independent loco but that would be a separate transmitter/receiver and loco battery power. You can have one of these on a DC or DCC layout anyway.

 

Bluerail trains have a video demonstrating radio control of a DC layout and accessories

 

or you could buy the Hornby offering?

[robertc]

An r/c throttle to run a dc layout has been around in many forms for  decades.

I currently make use of my Deltang tx and an rx powered by a 4S LiFe pack to allow running of a dc loco on the outer loop of my O gauge outdoor railway. I have two banana sockets connected to the track feed and there are a pair of banana plugs coming from the output of the Deltang rx/esc combo via a current limiter. Normally the sockets have the output of my DCC system plugged into them with their own pair of banana plugs.. Its only a minute or two to swap plugs and grab a battery from my RC plane battery box.

I usually use the r/c dc control to test locos I have built before installing  a dcc chip, it is also there if someone was to visit and wanted to run a dc loco.

I currently also have two BPRC  locos for use on layouts that do not run DCC such as the old AMRA 3-rail layout in Mortdale NSW and the outdoor layout at AMRA Qld and of course they can run on mine in conjunction with any or no form or track power :>)

Track and wheel cleaning can be a bit of a pain but the choice I made when building this layout was between regular battery charging and occasional cleaning. I opted for the DCC with its nice sound offerings. My DCC throttles are also r/c....  operating with tethered control would be a right pita on my layout.

 

As for a layout with multiple r/c dc throttles I believe the former Toronto Canada O gauge club layout operated that way in conjunction with fixed throttles in the switching areas before the shift to the new club rooms and DCC control.

cheers

Bob Comerford

p.s.  I have been tempted to go full BPRC lately with the track contaminated by bush fire and dust storm residue for many months now requiring far more cleaning than was the norm.