Radio Control/Battery power

[rallinen]

I am interested in converting my Large Scale Thomas locomotives to radio control/battery power.  Currently looking at CVP Airwire and Crest T.E. systems.  Also, what voltage to use  for battery?

Any thoughts, recommendations would be helpful.

[Kevin Strong]

I use both systems. For Thomas, I'd probably go with Crest "Revolution" system. It's easy to use, and the receiver already has a basic sound system that will give you a nice chuff. The whistle and bell may be a bit non-Thomas-esque, but you don't have to ring the bell or blow the whistle. (You can also turn the sound off if you don't want to listen to it.) That's not to say the Airwire system wouldn't work, but I find the Revolution system a bit more user-friendly for those not needing a bunch of extra features. I prefer the Airwire system for installations where I'll be needing a DCC interface with a 3rd-party sound system, along with special lighting features and/or a need for really fine motor control. If you do go with the Airwire system, make sure to get the new T-5000 throttle. Their older styles have been out of production, but may still be available from vendors at cheaper prices. The LCD display on the T-5000 makes programming the receiver very simple.

In terms of batteries, most R/C folks now have gravitated towards 14.8 volt Li-Ion packs. They're available in capacities of around 2.6 Ah, 5.2 Ah, 7.8Ah, etc (basically taking the basic 4-cell 2.6Ah pack and combining them internally in parallel). You can expect 2 - 4 hour run times out of a 2.6Ah pack depending on conditions, so the larger packs may be overkill. I would, however, recommend that if you're going to make it so you cannot remove the pack for charging, you fit in at least a 5.2Ah (sometimes you'll see them listed at 4.4Ah) pack. You'll get 6 - 8 hours out of that under normal conditions.

Later,

K

[rallinen]

Thanks for the information.  At this point I really just want the trains to run with a little sound for the grandson. Going to leave the DCC system for my HO layout. 

[Chuck N]

My only comment is try to match the pitch of the whistle to Thomas.  If he is a Thomas fan, I think that no whistle is better than the wrong whistle.  British whistles are high pitched, nothing like our deeper throated whistles.

Kids who know Thomas will know the difference.

Chuck