GARDENRailGARDENRail 214

Issue

Jun 2012

Incorporating GARDEN RAILWAY WORLD

Michael Watts Editor

Tel: 01869 331181 Email: michael.watts01@btinternet.com Address: 4 Chaundy Road, Tackley, Kidlington, OX5 3BJ

You may not realise what a liberally minded lot we are at GardenRail. We certainly make significant efforts to deliver a wide range of articles so that your fancy might be tickled into several directions. However, we can only publish that which you submit and, sometimes, there are topics that are a bit thin for a few editions. But then there are other issues, like mixing the type of motive power on the same railway. It was on this very matter that my brain was engaged recently, when I realised that some stock and some wheel sets are not insulated, so that electrical track power cannot be used whilst this stock is on the rails. Battery power is the obvious alternative, and many track powered locomotives can be converted to battery power without too much time, effort, cost, or expertise. But let me be clear; by battery power I mean locos with a bank of electrical cells (i.e. a battery) housed within the loco or an adjacent vehicle. This may, of course, comprise a bank of primary cells, or of rechargeable cells. I emphasis this because I have routinely used car batteries to supply electrical track power; old 12V and 6V car batteries in series, with a variable resistor control – and it works very well.

How do you control the power supply from these onboard batteries? It would seem that, in most cases, this is via a switch and/or variable resistor on the loco itself. These controls are either discretely tucked out of sight under the chassis, or disguised in the form of an exhaust vent, etc. So, these locos are controlled by the hand of God (or the Fat Controller) in a similar way to that for live steam locos without radio control, and there are many who applaud this situation. However, alternatives certainly are possible for those who prefer remote control via a radio or infra red link. Onboard, variable resistor control is certainly one possibility, with the resistor being moved by a servo (the sort used in model aircraft). With this addition, low cost, proportional, radio control of speed and direction are straightforward, and can use the onboard battery also to supply the radio receiver and the servo. Alternatively, a speed controller can be used, and this electronic device requires no electromechanical servo. Further, these devices are now readily available, with a wide choice on the market, and at relatively low cost. As I have said before, there is much to be gained from being a diverse modeller – trains, aircraft, boats, cars, etc …

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ANDEL MODELS FFION Mark Thatcher KINGSCALE BRITANNIA Tag Gorton EIGHT WHEELS ON MY WAGONS Mark Thatcher MINK BUFFERSTOP Paul Fletcher PIKO DB BR 194 John Darling SILVER WEDDING RAILWAY Alan Cox COMPUTER COMMUTER John Branch ARE YOU RECEIVING ME? Michael Watts LOADS OF STUFF – Part 2 Richard Bennett STUB POINT-TURNTABLE CROSS Tony Bird ROUND THE BEND David Hampshire IMPOVERISHED IMPRESSIONISM Paul Fletcher CHEQUERPLATE SCRIBBLINGS Tag Gorton TRADESMAN’S ROUND Tag Gorton ONLINE GR STOCKISTS and MARKET PLACE DIARY DATES

Kingscale Britannia _Page 7

Loads of Stuff _Page 30

GardenRail: Published monthly by Atlantic Publishers

NEXT ISSUE: ISSUE 215 – ON SALE 21 JUNE 2012

ISSN: 0969-952X

COVER: The Kingscale Britannia is an impressive beast. Radio control would I think, provide a superb driving experience with this loco. Main photo Tag Gorton

Publisher: Trevor Ridley

Editor: Michael Watts

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Columnists: David Rhodes, John Darling, Mel Turbutt, Vern Gauge, John Rogers, David Pinniger, John Robinson

Technical Columnists: John Lythgoe Horticultural Columnists: Becky Pinniger Buildings & Structures Kit Reviews: Mark Thatcher

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