portable test track.
#1
I put this together this afternoon, a battery powered test track. I thought it would be a good idea to bring to the train shows and keep out on the table. Because It's battery powered, I don't need a power source. I'll give it a shot at the show in Allentown PA on Saturday. I still have to put together a charger for it later.    

   

   
 My other car is a locomotive, ARHS restoration crew  
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#2
Very nice and innovative. Terrific use of the phone line and jacks. Thumbsup
Three Foot Rule In Effect At All Times
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#3
Hey - that's pretty smart! Neat job. Thumbsup
Mark

Citation Latitude Captain
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Lt Colonel, USAF (Retired)
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#4
Nice going steve. Nice and compact with quick disconnects.
POP
" It's a Heck of a Day " !!!!
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#5
just as a quick question- what wattage and ohms variable resistor did you use?

(a carbon track one (1/4w) will not last long unless the motor is tiny- which is what you appeared to have used)
a 5w wirewound might be a better choice in the long term

very good idea btw- a handy thing to have

i normally use a multimeter for a quick check but that will only give a quick go/no go where your idea could be used to actually run the loco


I am thinking that even if the track is only say 6-8" long- enough to sit the loco on it say
you could use it even then to actually run it up if you `lightly' lift the loco so it has pickup from the rails but no traction (ie it sits and spins the wheels)
good for general `engine running/noise/wheel wobbles/funny noises' inspection for that loco at the shows...
poopsie chicken tush
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#6
And, history comes full circle.
There once was a time when model trains were all run off large rechargeable (car) batteries......then came the era of selenium rectifiers, and so forth.
Definitely a good idea for a show environment, where power sources can be inconvenient to find. Thumbsup Thumbsup
We always learn far more from our own mistakes, than we will ever learn from another's advice.
The greatest place to live life, is on the sharp leading edge of a learning curve.
Lead me not into temptation.....I can find it myself!
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#7
If you are planning to use it to demonstrate or test locomotives for sale, you might want to incorporate one of these:
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The other thing I was wondering about was if you have a fuse or circuit breaker installed between the battery and the track? I didn't see one in the picture, but if a short circuit occurs a battery will just keep pouring juice to the tracks until the short is removed, the battery goes dead, or the short circuit melts to an open circuit.
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