Remote Control Locomotive

Hey folks:

WLBZ, WABI & Bangor Daily News are stopping by Monday to check out your favorite RCL.

Oh forgot to tell you. We are looking into adding to the design platform, Solar Power charging. That will complete 4 sources of charging power for onboard AC and DC power:

1. External power hock
2. Automatic Locomotive charging, 72 to 12vdc Wilmore converter
3. 20 amp electronic charger
4. 85 watt solar panel with PWM controller

Note: This is totally stand alone. The Catron Theimeg package is independently sourced from the locomotive, totally separate power feed.

robc wrote:Hi everyone:

VB-3 ready to put in Service. Shakedown testing complete, Issues with the strobe lights resolved. VB-4 in construction at Derby. Looking like towards end of Summer for roll out.

Any update on VB4 yet? I have not seen it around yet...

robc wrote:Hey folks:

WLBZ, WABI & Bangor Daily News are stopping by Monday to check out your favorite RCL.

Great,

I'm nosey, I'll hang around and check things out

robc wrote:Oh forgot to tell you. We are looking into adding to the design platform, Solar Power charging. That will complete 4 sources of charging power for onboard AC and DC power:

1. External power hock
2. Automatic Locomotive charging, 72 to 12vdc Wilmore converter
3. 20 amp electronic charger
4. 85 watt solar panel with PWM controller

Note: This is totally stand alone. The Catron Theimeg package is independently sourced from the locomotive, totally separate power feed.

Is this power necessary? What would call for this consumption? Certainly not switching?

The caboose has a 265 AH battery bank to run the man down radio as well as the AC Inverter for lights, outlets. As for VB-4, still in construction at Derby. It will be a nice project to work on during winter months.

BTW, all 3 of the power sources are devoted to keeping battery bank charged. The AC power hock is used when the VB's are in shop and power is needed to work on it.

robc,

Solar power is an absolutely necessary enhancement, putting a router inside and going wireless is a really neat enhancement. I think you are having altogether way to much fun with this project, hahaha Great chatting with you today!!

E

The VB-4 is getting close to completion. The original design from the other 3 are doing very well. Very few problems have shown up since put into service. Some enhanced features include: 3 stage graham white heater/dyer syncronized with the locomotive compressor along with micron filter and onboard reserve tanks guarantee 100 clean dry operating air. To date, all micorn filters have not had to bleed of any moisture, great sign.
All reserve tanks have water bleed off valves. High gain UHF antenna added for beltpack reliability, 50 watt solar panel with solid state controller to keep battery bank fully charged when RCL in not connected to locomotive or plugged into external AC. GPS antenna has a clearer view of the sky for faster GPS lockup. We also are using AGM style batteries whixh do not freeze during extreme cold weather. Always looking to improve the design.

Robc - any idea what GPS transceiver they're using? What is MMA using it for? Is it wired with engine condition sensors?

Hi Cowford- I believe it is Harris Corporation but not sure, will look it up.
It's main use it to establish Master timing for the data packets to and from the Beltpack to/from the Receiver/Decoder. This sets up timing window "slots" so up to 10 RCL's can be used in a given area, using 1 radio channel. they also have their own unique address so there is no chance for interference.

As wired for sensors. yes the RCL monitors main cab engine alarms and wheel slips and stop operations just like the Engine does. It can also activate sanders remotely from beltpack. The operator can even toggle the rolling display to see: speed, brake pipe pressure, independant pipe pressure, Beltpack ID, alarm status and fault messages.

So far, turned out to be a design with very little changes or flaws.

Hello all:

VB-4 is just about done, going through the system checks for quality assurance & operational checkout. A solar panel and controller was added to keep battery bank charged up while unconnected to any power source.

Has VB-4 been released yet?

It seems that the crack management of the mechanical department is over 18 months late in getting this done (it was due out at the end 2005!!!). It makes you wonder what they get paid to do--play train or manage?

Too bad they can't seem to get out of the old BAR "wait-until-the-last-minute and add a year" attitude. This may be a reason for the bad locomotive performance in the past.

and the fact that all the units are GE's

A typical comment from those who watch and don't do!

GE power can be maintained and used if a railroad wants to do that. MMA has capable mechanics but poor mechanical leadership.

As for power, Wisconsin Central took over 200 cast off unwanted SD45 units, maintained them, and built the best railroad of the 20th century. How and why did they do this? Because they had the desire to do so.

The sooner the MMA managers that were BAR managers realize that the BAR went bankrupt because they were poor managers, the sooner they may change their ways and make the MMA a second WC.