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If anyone wants to use that rechargeable Lego Battery Box, sure. When fully charge, it does have a much longer life than my powerowl AAA or even Gabe’s long lasting Enerloop, I think. So anyone running the trains should try it for sure.
If staff need to augment the 64 powerowl AAA batteries on hand, I’m also fine with them using the Enerloop or other rechargeable AAA batteries in the trains, if anyone has some to spare. My chargers can recharge those batteries too as they are not limited to powerowl brand.
Today as I left, I had some of your AA batteries in the UFO (it can fit both types) from the RC car chassis that was used for the film idea. Thanks for that. After about four tries, I got some footage of a Lego minifigure driving up to the exhibit. 🙂
I’m on first shift tomorrow so I’ll try the LEGO rechargeable battery box first thing and time how long it lasts. @playingwithechoes, do you have a preference which one to try it on between the Big Boy or the Challenger? I’ll also time how long it takes to recharge the battery box.
Last night I did run some of the LUG rechargeable AAA’s in both trains because the Powerowl’s hadn’t finished recharging yet, but with similar results in that they only lasted about an hour. I also took one of the cars off of one of the trains to “lighten its load”.
@argonvesher, thanks for hanging in there on taking care of these RC trains. Even though it’s outdated technology (at least from LEGO’s standpoint), battery life is one of the reasons we still run the 9v trains. Hopefully those ran OK over in the Worlds area.@rcgrier3406 I’d say the Challenger 3985 as that one’s thermal fuse is better than the Big Boy 4005 so it should be running the show better. (I notice the Big Boy gets cranky and needs to cool off after running for a long time though they’re identical PF drive trains internally.)
If it helps, remove the yellow UP water car from the Big Boy consist and replace with the lighter Uranium Fuel transport (the turquoise frame carrying two red stacks of triple dark gray cylinders). I noticed that the six axle yellow UP water car had an axle off track now and then which adds resistance to the train.
Also, take advantage of when the crowds are gone to let the trains rest between the surges. That can help save battery life. It’s curious to me because of how well the powerowl AAA were during CSC Locomotion Weekend. If they’re lasting just an hour now, I will have to look into more and better batteries for next time, so please keep me posted about their utility.
@argonvesher @thoga1109 I am so sorry but I have had a family emergency come up this weekend (my dad was admitted to the hospital). It is not super serious at this point but it will prevent me from staffing tomorrow (Monday). I have removed myself from the staffing for Monday.
@kacierno @watchwmarcella at this point I am hoping to still be able to staff on Wednesday with you but I will not know for certain until later. I will let you know.If anyone was thinking of picking up a shift and could cover Monday and/or Wednesday that would be great as only two people (the minimum) are now on for tomorrow (and possibly Wednesday).
Again I am so sorry for the last minute notice. I feel horrible.
On the plus side, the display looks amazing and it sounds like everything went well the first several days.
@timf not a problem! Family comes first, especially emergencies! We got it covered!
@playingwithechoes – did you have a battery tester there? There were 2 – I marked one as the lug’s and one as mine…but I just found another on my desk, now I’m wondering if this was an extra I bought or you had an identical one, possibly. Maybe @gabevistica? It’s possible I did buy another for my airbnb and I have forgotten to take it up there.
I did not bring a tester.
Also apologies to the other folks staffing this afternoon, post-church stuff took longer than expected today, I’m waiting for the bus to leave Gold Lot now.
@playingwithechoes, I ran the LEGO rechargeable battery box on the Challenger 3985 today (Blue – inside loop) and got about an hour and a half of run time, so better than the rechargeable batteries have been doing. I ran the second rechargeable battery box on the Challenger after that with the same results. I also brought in a 3rd rechargeable battery box (belongs to the LUG that I had at home to run my Grist Mill), so we’ve been using those all day on the Challenger. Charging time for first one of those was about 3 hours, so if the others run take the same amount of time to charge we might be able to just run the Challenger on those for the duration.
Run time on the Big Boy 4005 (Red, outer loop) on rechargeable batteries was about the same as @argonvesher experienced yesterday, i.e. 45 minutes to an hour. I checked the batteries after it stopped each time and they still had 1/2 to 3/4 juice in them, so it looks like it’s the thermal switch. I let it set for 30 minutes several times today and it started back up easily to confirm that it’s heat build-up that’s affecting it. I also pulled one car off of it to lighten the load again.
By running the Challenger on the battery boxes that will free up more rechargeable batteries for the Big Boy, so I think we’re OK there. There’s also nothing wrong with running just one of the RC trains at a time to avoid getting caught up in constant battery changes, especially during the week this week when the shifts are shorter and the crowds should be less.
Thanks @rcgrier3406 for the info. Keep using the better battery boxes on the Challenger 3985 as the main show runner. That thing was hauling the Schnabel Car and wasn’t complaining. I agree with using the AAAs on the Big Boy 4005. Fortunately, the weekday evening shows will be shorter so hopefully less stress on saving batteries. On my next shift Saturday, I’ll take a look at the Big Boy and see if something like Lego dust buildup in the drive train is causing extra resistance to the motors or if the motors are worn out. It is older than the Challenger and has gone through more shows. If you have to run the Big Boy on reduced runs, sure, especially when there are no crowds around.
@joshhall, I don’t have a battery tester. I don’t know whose it is, but I’d guess it was you or John, since we were using them last year to check some odd batteries.>> Is the snuggle station there all week?????
I know, right? It’s too bad I will be out of town the next three weeks, I would also be interested in the snuggle station. It’s been a running joke in my family that Ben loves baby goats ever since I saw them hopping around at Plymouth Plantation and I thought they were super cute, when I was, um, about to start my senior year of high school. To this day, every time we’re at a restaurant and goat is on the menu, somebody in my family will say “Hey Benjie, I bet it’s *baby* goat” and then my dad will make baaa-ing sounds.
I signed up for tomorrow to help out. I’m hoping someone will be joining me for the late shift on Saturday!
I signed up for tomorrow to help out. I’m hoping someone will be joining me for the late shift on Saturday!
I’m arranging my plans to be there. It will be the st Patrick’s day parade, and John singer will attest to the flood of people as a result. The more the merrier for Saturday, for sure.
Does that Snuggle Station remind anyone else of Severance?
“They’re not ready yet!!”
I signed up for tomorrow to help out. I’m hoping someone will be joining me for the late shift on Saturday!
Denise and I also just signed up for the afternoon/evening shift on Saturday 3/15. We’ve been waiting on the playoff schedule for our grandson’s hockey team this weekend, and they play Saturday morning down in Mt. Lebanon so we’ll probably be there shortly after lunch for the rest of the day.
>> Does that Snuggle Station remind anyone else of Severance?
Hahaha, I hadn’t even thought of that. NO SPOILERS!!! We’ve only watched two episodes of season 2, and probably won’t be able to pick it up again until April.
waiting on the playoff schedule for our grandson’s hockey team this weekend, and they play Saturday morning down in Mt. Lebanon
Good luck to the Hornets this weekend!
@rcgrier3406 and @joshhall – I’m so thankful to see that one or both of you will be there for second shift Saturday, because I was anxious I would not be able to handle the trains efficiently.
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