The LocoFi System is NOT primarily a Dead Rail (Battery on Board, Power on Board) control and sound system! It only requires some type of pure DC input to the decoder/module to work.
Dead Rail uses battery power, an excellent pure DC input type, therefore the LocoFi System works well with Dead Rail.
I would really, really appreciate some input from LocoFi Users, and Potential Users, regarding the use of Dead Rail in HO scale model railroading.
I would like to know what is your biggest obstacle or objection to giving Dead Rail a try in HO scale?
I’ve gotten extremely little input or questions regarding Dead Rail using the LocoFi System either here on the forum, from my Website or from my YouTube videos.
Some possible obstacles or objections that I can think of are;
Going Dead Rail is too complicated with having to charge and maintain batteries.
Going Dead Rail is too dangerous when using Lithium-ion batteries.
Dead Rail locomotives have short running times.
Creating a HO battery car, with easy access to the battery, is too complicated.
Using a dedicated battery car is not very prototypical and I just don’t like the idea.
It just takes too much work to do and having a plug and play system would be better.
The cost in time and money is too high.
Lithium-ion batteries are too expensive.
I just prefer to use DC or DCC. Why?
I don’t know enough about using Dead Rail to make intelligent purchasing decisions.
There is almost no real, or useful information, on the Internet, or YouTube, regarding Dead Rail.
Dead Rail is mostly used in scales larger than HO and is too fiddly for HO.
It’s just not a “real” model railroading “thing”.
Hardly anyone in HO scale uses Dead Rail, so there is no deep knowledge base to draw from to learn more about it.
Dead Rail is just a passing fad.
I’m sure that there are other reasons or ideas about Dead Rail, that you could share, that would really help me understand why Dead Rail, with all of its advantages and benefits, is not really catching on.
I would appreciate a few moments of your time to comment about your thoughts regarding Dead Rail. You can comment here in the forum or you can send me an email. There is a link to my email address right at the top of my Webpage.
Thank you so very much,
Ken Myers
I have documented the build, thus far, on my Website, “A Journey Into HO Scale Model Railroading in the 21st Century”.
I have created a playlist for “My First HO Train Layout in a Long, Long Time” which has a series of 10 videos on YouTube, at this time.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLREtyERkF2NzDv2XyP7SC-0UTB83w7WlJ
I’ve also created a playlist for my “Making and Using a Portable Dead Rail Demonstration HO Layout Parts 1 - 10
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLREtyERkF2NxlxysmkTpJwUcXrZVXu45m
I'm currently (pun recognized) working on an old HO P2K SP PA-1 Daylight Scheme for services that used a single PA-1 for 3-5 car trains between Oakland Mole and Sacramento 4-5 times daily in the early 1950's. I've set my SP 2-8-0 conversion aside for the moment. I am using nano plugs for the wiring connections which has been a small learning curve. Particularly creating a 3 nano-plug connection junction for the front and rear truck pickups. I had not planned to run this as dead rail but I have a dummy (yes one of the last) dummy PB-1 unit that I am interested in using as a battery car. Any ideas on how to switch between track and battery power without having to take the PA-1 shell off. I removed the old mother board from the P2K PA-1 and created a sheet plastic replacement structure to go over the exposed rear truck gears.