Subject:
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Keep those 4.5volt trains alive!
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.trains
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Date:
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Thu, 5 Dec 2002 00:40:02 GMT
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My train collection consists of a number of 4.5, 12 and 9 volt sets. The 9
volt ones are converted to DCC, the 12 volt trains I run as is but running
the 4.5 trains soon gets boring with their very limited capability for
remote control and of course the need to keep replacing batteries!
4.5 trains have 3 battery cells of nominal 1.5 volts each but rechargeable
NiCads are only 1.2 volts. So I have modified all battery wagons that
originally had 3 'C' cells to hold 4 'AA' rechargeable cells, about 4.8
volts total. The wagon is much lighter and the train has just a little more
pep. Fortunately the battery wagons have (maybe still are?) been available
new so with a few extras I don't feel too bad about modifying some of them.
I use a hot knife or old soldering iron to remove as much plastic as I can
from inside the battery car, I locate the two points where the batteries
made contact with the brass strips in the base of the car and solder wires
to these, this soldering must be done very quickly with a hot iron to avoid
destroying the adjacent plastic. The wires are connected to a small
plastic holder that is available from electrical shops for holding the 4
'AA' cells.
This is the simple modification that lets your trains run on rechargeable cells.
By carefully drilling two holes in the bottom of the wagon I can install
copper wire brushes that are connected to the terminals of the battery
holder, these brushes contact a section of 12 conductor track so to charge
the batteries all I have to do is position the train over the conductor
track and apply 6 volts or so, polarity is important so the wagon must be
positioned correctly. The wire brushes I make by stripping the copper
shield from old coax cable like that used for TV and computer systems. The
first time I did this modification I immediately saw a few short comings so
proceed further:
My final modification is to fit the four rechargeable NiCads plus the wire
brushes. I fit a small rectifier to the wire brushes so that polarity of
the track is not important. The ac connections of the rectifier are
connected to the brushes and the negative and positive connections are wired
to the battery pack. I install a small relay with NORMALLY CLOSED contacts,
the coil of the relay I connect to the two brushes and the normally closed
contacts are connected so as to interrupt the connection to the original
Lego bits at the bottom of the wagon.
With the batteries charged the train operates as normal, trackside reversing
and the stop signal still work. When the train runs over a section of 12V
conductor track that is alive (say 6 to 9 volts) the current from the
brushes activates the relay that opens the normally closed contacts and
stops the train. As long as the track section is alive the train is stopped
and the batteries are on charge. Cutting off the power to the track starts
the train.
I like the old 4.5 volts trains, they are sort of 'cute' in there own way
especially the early passenger cars. Using my modified battery cars I have
a simple layout with two trains. One train is a little passenger train with
two cars, the other is a short freight train with a single dumper type
wagon. The dumper wagon is like, but not the same as, the ones in the Lego
Trains ideas book. The track is a large oval with two points and a section
of parallel track on one side, on the other side of the oval is a single set
of points and a short spur, there is a reversing post near the end of the
spur. The two trains start from the parallel sections of track, one facing
each way. The freight train runs around until it turns out to the spur
where it dumps its load at about the same time as the passenger train is
passing through the points (associated with the spur) in the opposit
direction, the passenger train continues on into the parallel section and
stops at a section of track. The freight train reverses out of the spur,
the points are reset, the freight train hits a reverser (of special design)
so changes to forward direction, through the points, around half of the oval
and finally stops alongside the passenger train. Both trains are now being
charged. Then the process repeats. It is controlled by a Lego Control Centre.
The special reverser is just a couple of Technic pieces arranged so that
when the freight train first passes it just pushes the post aside but when
the train is coming back in reverse the post hits a block so does not move
out of the way. The passenger train in facing the other direction so it
never gets interfered with by this reverser.
The two sets of points at the ends of the parallel section are biased by
very light coil springs, rubber bands would work too. With this arrangement
the passenger train always goes to the train station while the freight train
always passes through to the marble loading station (still manual so far :-)!)
The points that lead to the spur are controlled and are driven by a 4.5 volt
technic motor, a small gear wheel and a single track section, the Control
Centre gives this motor a very short burst in the required direction. All
track and all points are the early blue type.
In this configuration the train batteries are being recharged from the
Control Centre while the trains are stopped, this seems to work OK although
of course the life of the batteries in the Control Centre is being reduced,
maybe I can convert the Control Centre to run from a wall wart.
Sorry I have been so long winded!!
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Message has 1 Reply:
 | | Re: Keep those 4.5volt trains alive!
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| (...) Rayovac Renewal (tm) rechargable alkalines put out 1.5v. They are also cheaper and safer (for us and the environment) than NiCads. How about NiMH batteries, what voltage do they put out? -chris (22 years ago, 5-Dec-02, to lugnet.trains)
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