question about R/C trains

[mf5117]

Why hasn't Radio Controlled Trains equip and installed taken off here in the US . I looked and looked and looked and see you can buy and do expensive installs or you can by some cheap Lionel flyer set or some thomas set for kids . I saw the Newqida G-scale Bullet Train and they also have a steamer , a knock off LGB at our LHS the other day ,I was somewhat Impressed for what it was . they were selling it for 250.00 US and found one online , the Bullet Train. The only one in the US for 150.00 US aniline. I did see different type's in China and Europe that were available mostly steamers but they looked so cheap .
But what I'm getting at is why can't Aristo or USA or even Bachmann put a good quality radio controlled loco steamers and diesels on the market for the consumer . This bugs me as I'm getting a major surgery Wednesday and was looking for something simple, so I could run on my outdoor railroad so I wasn't having to bring my track in all the time . And just go out on the patio have my wife put the loco on the tracks and be medicated and run trains to pass time . My USA GP40 I was looking at equipping it for radio controll and a battery car almost 700.00 US plus sound another 240.00 US for sound . MY F-3 AB unit with sound loco's and phoenix sound little over 800.00 US . If anyone one knows where I can get a good R/C 1/29th large scale loco let me know ...

[Doneldon]

mf-

There is quite a bit of radio controlled equipment here though not in the sense you may intend.

Most DCC systems can have radio connections between throttles and the DCC system proper. Of course, you're referring to radio control to the locomotives, I assume, which is different. However, even that is far from rare for outdoor, large scale model railroading. I think the near absence of radio control in other scales is due to the expense and physical size of radio controllers. Besides, other than outdoor large scale pikes, the rails carry the system power so it really doesn't make sense to add a whole other system to control the motors or sounds.

In your case, I'm not sure what would make you bring your track indoors after every time you use it. If it's robust enough to be left out for radio operation it's robust enough to run with track power and DCC, or even DC. And if it isn't robust enough to be left outside after DC or DCC operations, it doesn't belong outside for radio control, either. Why not look into DCC if you have a permanent outdoor layout instead of railing that something else, which frankly offers no better service or control, isn't available?
                                                                         -- D

[mf5117]

What I want is a battery operated radio controlled large scale engine . As for bringing my track in .I usually set it up on a Friday and run threw the weekend when I do run them  . Due to sticky fingers ,With copper and brass being a high commodity for some I just don't trust leaving my track outdoors in the area I live in .I just don't want to chance it . When I finish my indoor layout in large scale I will consider DCC .it will be 8x 14ft. I think I posted a picture of it before .  Inner and outter loop with a coaling loop on the upper level .

[Jim Banner]

The first battery operated, radio controlled G-scale locomotive I had was a Bachmann Big Hauler.  The radio was a bit flaky but the train continued on if it went out of radio range and kept going until it was back in range.  Nothing fancy, but the price was right.  They still appear on eBay from time to time.

Nowadays, people want all the bells and whistles.  The sound systems available today sound more real than real locomotives do, and the control systems give you more precise control of your steamer than the engineers ever had of the real ones.  Not surprisingly, these high tech systems have price tags to match.

I took a middle of the road approach and fitted several locomotives with DCC and sound.  This was cheaper than putting batteries, radio and sound in all of them.  But I also set up a battery/radio control car which can plug into any one of several locomotives and run it on unpowered or dirty track.  Just the thing for cleaning and oiling track for the more finicky DCC locomotives.  To keep the price down, I used a Crest Train Engineer radio control and power it with an 18 volt battery from a battery operated drill.  Using the battery/radio control car with a two motor diesel, I can pull five cars for about 6 hours before having to change batteries.  Changing batteries takes about 30 seconds, thanks to the plug in design used with drills.  (After 12 hours of operating, it is time to change not only batteries but also the engineers!)

Bottom line, there are alternatives, with the cheapest being a used R/C Big Hauler and there are many steps between that and the most expensive.  Maybe that is why none of the companies are making R/C - with so many mix and match opportunities available, there is no single design that would keep everybody happy.

Jim

p.s. Thanks for giving me another good reason for using aluminum rail - Aluminum isn't of much use when it comes to making shell casings so nobody is going around stealing aluminum rail.  I figured there had to be more good reasons than just excellent conductivity, weather resistance, ease of use and low cost.

J.

[Doneldon]

What I want is a battery operated radio controlled large scale engine . As for bringing my track in .I usually set it up on a Friday and run threw the weekend when I do run them  . Due to sticky fingers ,With copper and brass being a high commodity for some I just don't trust leaving my track outdoors in the area I live in .I just don't want to chance it . When I finish my indoor layout in large scale I will consider DCC .it will be 8x 14ft. I think I posted a picture of it before .  Inner and outter loop with a coaling loop on the upper level .

mf-

DCC will work perfectly for this. Connect two or three feeders when you set up outdoors and you'll be all set. You can run for an afternoon, through the weekend or all week, whichever you prefer. And the outdoor DCC controls will work just fine indoors as well, meaning one system will run everything for a single cost and even allow you to take your indoor locos outdoors without needing any modifications. I don't see the problem with DCC for you but I must be missing something. Is it just that you like the idea of radio control?
                                         -- D