Fitting battery power to an LGB G Scale Stainz 0-4-0 Steam

[Greg Elmassian]

Can you detail "dropped off", is this a range problem? Was it a pretty clear limit? We don't have a lot of feedback on it.

 

[JimmyB]

I found the Piko system unreliable. The signal would drop off……
I have two battery Stainz. All the gubbins is in the loco.
I don’t like a trailing wagon. The loco has to be able to run light in my railway world.
Here’s one of them. (The 24 volt smoke unit gets power off the track still)

View attachment 311588

My Stainz's conversion is in the loco:

LGB Stainz Battery Conversion

The End Result Having never ventured in to ...

tumble-down-falls.blogspot.com

 

[dunnyrail]

I found the Piko system unreliable. The signal would drop off……
I have two battery Stainz. All the gubbins is in the loco.
I don’t like a trailing wagon. The loco has to be able to run light in my railway world.
Here’s one of them. (The 24 volt smoke unit gets power off the track still)

View attachment 311588

Hm interesting I have had no problems at all with mine in a Railcar and 2 others that I have converted for friends work just fine as well. What battery voltage were you feeding the Piko unit?

 

[AustrianNG]

Hm interesting I have had no problems at all with mine in a Railcar and 2 others that I have converted for friends work just fine as well. What battery voltage were you feeding the Piko unit?

The same voltage as the shunted operates at - that also loses signal in the same manner and it is as it left the factory…..

 

[PhilP]

The same voltage as the shunted operates at - that also loses signal in the same manner and it is as it left the factory…..

Are you using them both at the same time?
Have you changed one unit to different channel?

If both units are behaving in the same way, it could be interference, or a local obstruction/reflection, causing your problem..
Have you tried moving 4-6 feet sideways, and seeing if you have control then?

PhilP

 

[dunnyrail]

The same voltage as the shunted operates at - that also loses signal in the same manner and it is as it left the factory…..

The Piko unit recommends 7-24v DC, mine is at 12v DC which is plenty when you have no track power losses to worry about.

 

[AustrianNG]

Are you using them both at the same time?
Have you changed one unit to different channel?

If both units are behaving in the same way, it could be interference, or a local obstruction/reflection, causing your problem..
Have you tried moving 4-6 feet sideways, and seeing if you have control then?

PhilP

I have tried all options Phil.
New batteries in all units (locos and fobs)
Indoors outdoors staying within a meter of the loco.
Run one at a time, both at the same time, changed channels on both locos and fobs.

I wonders if it was interference from possible broadband signal.
When I ran the two battery locos outside I did have the track power on and was running locos via the Massoth system.
But that doesn’t explain why the signal dropped out indoors.

 

[Sarah Winfield]

Hi Sarah,
Does your Stainz have the rectangular socket on the back?

If so, this change is quite easy..

At Crewe at the moment, so more this evening.

Ps> It does not matter if DC or DCC.

PhilP

Hello PhilP

I have had to replace my Toshiba computer so please excuse the delay my response.

The locomotive I would like to battery power has I think had some modification.

Firstly the sockets is there but the wires inside the cab have been terminated. Instead there is a connection block with various wires going to the inside of the locomotive.

I can't recall how I came by this locomotive and I wonder if it has been modified for DCC?

I don't want to put you to too much trouble but it would be nice if I could add batteries to this locomotive.

From what I have read the socket would have had 2 wires and by applying power to the socket with a suitable battery the locomotive could be powered that way.

My apologies for being so vague.

Sarah