For model train power supply’s, there is a set maximum safe voltage but what about amperage?

What if I connected a car battery to my G Scale train; It’s only 12 volts and they can go to around 20 at least I believe; but what about the 800 amps?

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2 Comments »

  1. The motor will only take the amps it needs, so theoretically your plan will work. You’ll need a controller of some sort to regulate the speed, so look for one with 12 volts DC input and 0-12 volts output.

    Now the fun starts when something derails and shorts across the track, then you get to full amps from the battery. IF the controller has a good cutout on the input side it and the train should be protected, if the cutout is on the output then maybe there’s enough wattage going through the controller to cook it.

    As rule of thumb, voltage decides how far a spark will jump, amps how ‘fat’ it is. IF you get the full amps for even a moment during a short, it is quite capable of welding the wheels to the track. A friend still has a scar on his wrist where his metal watch strap spot welded itself to the positive terminal on the car and the adjacent body work. Fortunately he could reach a screwdriver to pries it free but the watch strap heated enough to give a severe burn. (Watch still works!)

    Are you sure the battery is 800 amps, you’d start a real train on that, 80 amp hours is more likely for a small pickup.

    Before there was mains electricity in some places some folk did use batteries, usually a set of six lead acid accumulators to give 12 volts, now your car battery just happens to be 6 lead acid batteries in series. However if you’ve ever seem a short in a car wiring system you’ll know the wires can easily melt.

    So yes it will work, but be careful.

    Frank

    Comment by Frank — October 30, 2009 @ 10:51 am

  2. The amps would be a no-no.
    A typical HO scale locomotive operates well at between 0.4 and 1.6 amps, the higher indicating a too-heavy load or a lot of dirt. That’s why you need a voltage regulator to ensure that no more than 4-5 amps gets into the track (for more than one locomotive.) O scale trains are not mich higher than HO, and N scale trains can be half the amperage.
    For all scales, see the manufacturer’s specs – safest way to avoid burning out the motor.

    Comment by railbuff — October 30, 2009 @ 10:51 am

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