TT Scale. The Ideal Scale.

Wow, it's much more easier for me to get the Piko than order something from Australia... :)

If the conversion is easy, that's another option. But I don't have have one so I'll go with my original plan. j p, if it works out ok for you let us know.

I'll be following this thread since I have an FA and an FB unit. Powering the A unit makes sense to me, seems like it would have appeal to the most people although I can see reasons for doing it either way. I would say that where there is a B unit involved, both units should have track pickup, especially i9f there is going to be sound. Another really cool option would be the Stanton S-cab radio/DCC system with onboard lithium-poly power, but it would be a tight squeeze, if you could fit it at all. There are pictures of this system installed in HOn3 locos, so it should be possible to get it into a TT A+B unit.


For more info, see: <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/s-cab/>

There's also a video on you tube of a guy running his Sn3 K-27 loco on his workbench, without tracks!

<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNipamGMAos&feature=related>

Bill in FL

Are you sure you really need lithium batteries, to run the trains without the rails?
I think there is enough to use some condensers (capacitors), that will allow train to move 2-3 secs after swithcing the power off:



BTW, it will help the trains to run through the turnouts.

But be careful! In this train the condensers are connected to the decoder, not to the engine!
If you use polarized condensers (with "+" and "-") - do not connect it to the engine, or do not reverse the train!

The Lithium batteries are the batteries of choice for the electric powered R/C airplane guys, and there are several sizes suitable for model train use at more or less reasonable prices. These types of batteries seem to be the best kind for this application and are also fast becoming the standard for battery powered tools, replacing the NiMH which replaced the NiCads, and they are also popular in computers. They do have to be rather delicately handled when recharging, and they can get very nasty when mishandled. The super caps work for a few seconds, while the lithiums will run a loco for an hour or more. So far, the scales larger than HO seem to be the most likely beneficiaries of this technology because they have more room for the equipment, but just to show that r/c can be squeezed into small vehicles, check out this video. Unfortunately, the audio is in German which I don't speak or understand, but the pictures tell the story pretty well.



Bill in FL

OMG, those things are insanely cool - you gotta watch the whole vid.

ConducTTor wrote:OMG, those things are insanely cool - you gotta watch the whole vid.

Yeah, aren't they? Doesn't it make you wonder "How dey do dat?" It looks like they have limited working suspension, and they are geared to run at very realistic speeds, unlike most of the R/C cars I have ever seen. The point is, if they can do THAT in a 1/87 auto or truck, just about anything should be possible in a TT locomotive.

Bill in FL

Well, anything IS possible. It's just a matter of how much you're willing to spend on it.