As a die hard track power person, I never thought I would be writing about battery power. There have been many breakthroughs in the realm of battery power that make it more attractive now than possibly five years ago. Two manufacturers, RCS and AirWire, have come out with some excellent throttle products that make life easier when controlling trains with battery power. There have also been several breakthroughs in battery and charger technology that have also added to the plus side of battery control.
My first real exposure to battery power came when as a member of the Sundance Central, it was decided to go to battery so that we could run several trains on the same loop of track and not have to worry about power packs and wiring. We decided to use AirWire as our standard, but the RCS system is just as good. All our batteries are NmH or Nickel Metal Hydride, and so far we have been pleased with their performance.
By using a battery throttle and a P5 sound card from Phoenix, you are able to unlock a great number of sounds that are not available using track power and the standard sound cards. With this configuration, you get total control of all sound functions from your hand-held remote throttle, in addition to speed and direction control. Sound functions that you now get are volume up and down, headlight off/on, manual whistle, crossing signal whistle, bell, blow down, coupler clank, water fill, and coal fill.
Battery power eliminates the need to clean track except to sweep off debris if you run outdoors, eliminates the need for extensive wiring, and eliminates the requirement for special connectors between rail joints. It is probably an excellent choice for layouts that collect a lot of "tree junk" or in those areas where rain is frequent such as our summers.
Battery power is not cheap. Your initial expense includes your throttle, batteries, and charger (also a sound card). If you use a trailing battery car rather than install in each locomotive, you can reach some sort of economy, since you can hook this car up to any of your locomotives. The car will provide ample space for batteries, throttle card, and sound cards. Note the fact that I said sound cards. If you run diesel and steam, you will need a sound card for each type in your trailing car or a specific car for steam and one for your diesels.
You will have to decide for yourself where you want to install your batteries and cards. The following lists some pros and cons of installation locations.
Dedicated Batteries in the Loco: Pro: Adds weight on the driving wheels which increases traction
Minimizes wiring external to the loco
Allows the greatest flexibility
Con: Difficult installation
Often requires stripping the inside of the loco to make room for
batteries and throttle (sound card?)
Trail Car: Pro: Easy installation
Minimal loco modifications
Single trail car car be shared by other locos
Lots of room for batteries, throttle, sound card and speaker
Easy access to batteries
Con: Weight of trail car may restrict length of trains
Must use ball bearing wheels to minimize wear from the extra weight
Trail car must always be hooked up to engine
Tender: Pro: Sometimes the only place big enough to install batteries, throttle,
and sound card.
Con: Weight issues the same as a trail car
Cannot share the same tender with several different types of
steam locos.
It is your choice as to where to install. I used the tender for my 2-8-0, but a trail car is very attractive if I decide to go 100% battery for my outdoor layout. I already have a short article on my website for installing sound in a trail car. It would not be too hard to add batteries and a throttle card to this car along with ball bearing wheels.