Bill, I guess you could entitle these recent advancements as such:
Back to the Future with String boB! <G>
boB has never indicated if he goes back to steam days, but I know he's
talked about Alco switchers and Andre has also mentioned them--(probably
semi-crude by today's standards). Just watch the latest commercials by
GE and their talking locomotive--it's happening all over. It's up to
you to decide it's value!
Bob Werre
PhotoTraxx
On 3/26/13 10:07 AM, Willam Fraley wrote:
I've been in S gauge from the beginning [my beginning 1957] first as a
American Flyer collector, then into S scale with Frank Titman and the
Delaware Valley S Gaugers [1962] a mighty influential group of S
scale modelers back then.
Now, 50 years later I find myself wondering about all the
equipment I have accumulated and where I'm going with it,
especially after just reading Peter Vanvleit's posting ......
/"Today I completed the installation of the S-CAB with battery
power supply system into my American Models FA-2 engine. I
started Friday and
worked on it over the weekend as I had time. This is my second
install of this system, so it was a lot easier. I didn't have to
figure out where all the wires needed to go. Overall the
installation went smoothly. I took my time (no deadlines). The
engine, of course, has a lot of space inside. However, I opted
for the custom-order two-battery solution for fear of the motor
and gearing being too much of a drain on the normal
single-battery solution. I still need to do my "endurance &
quota; test (to see how long this battery lasts), but so far so
good.
The one BIG thing I noticed was that I have a completely
different engine now. This thing is smooth, quiet, and responds
wonderfully. I previously had a Digitrax decoder in it, so the
only real significant difference is the pure-DC battery power
that the motor is driven by. I still need to play with the CVs
to set the overall speed curve. The S-CAB system has 28 speed
steps, but I could only max it out at speed step 15. It was
super fast; too fast for my small layout."/
//
I guess all of us have to wonder about the modern technological
advancements of future model railroading.
Myself? I'm already behind the proverbial "Eight Ball", as my
layout is fine, but is technologically old in so many ways.
Shortly, a year, maybe two, many more model railroads will be
operating on batteries, which I think is a great idea and I'm
only sorry that I'm not young enough to switch over to. But I
have enough trouble /brain wise/ keeping up with what I now
have. Yes, I love my desk top computer and my cell phone and my
model railroad that operates off of three DC Powers packs and so
on, but I know my old fashioned ways are coming to an end in so
many ways.
So, as Jim Kindraka just put it ...... "O.K., back to the
workbench... And in the interest of full disclosure, the concept
of "digital natives/ digital immigrants" was originally
described over 10 years ago by educator Mark Prensky, cert ainly
not me! You can whip out your iPad and "Google" his name!!
(GRIN)... Enjoy the ride!!!!!... "
Amen,
Bill (Fraley)
//
