TeufelHund Posted June 26, 2015 Posted June 26, 2015 My wife brought a Lego train set on the weekend and after one week of heavy duty use from the kids the AAA batteries are already running down. If there a way to power trains off regular electric power and if so what should I buy to achieve this (there are quite a few power functions listed on the S@H site)? Quote
lostdriveway Posted June 26, 2015 Posted June 26, 2015 Your best bet would be to invest in some of the rechargable PF battery boxes - they are expensive to start with but will last a lot longer and a cheaper option in the long run. Older Lego train systems like 9V etc did run off power provided to the track with metal rails etc like conventional model trains but only available now on the secondary market. So you would need to buy all new track and motor system for it to work. Quote
Vorkosigan Posted June 26, 2015 Posted June 26, 2015 You can't convert it to plug into the wall. I believe the best option is rechargeable batteries, I've heard good things about eneloop batteries from panasonic. There is an official LEGO rechargeable battery pack but it is expensive and seems to never be in stock. Quote
zephyr1934 Posted June 26, 2015 Posted June 26, 2015 If the batteries survived one week of heavy use by the kids that sounds good. I would agree with Vorkosigan, start with standard rechargeables (hint- do not screw the battery box back together). If you find the train is getting a lot of use or you start thinking of ways to customize it with the battery built in, then the lego battery might be worth it, but the battery is $50 and the charger another $25. They work just fine for me but it is a high cost of entry. Quote
Commander Wolf Posted June 26, 2015 Posted June 26, 2015 I think all the aforementioned solutions are reasonable depending on what you value. Some quick tradeoffs I can see: For 9v the big benefit is that you can run the trains forever without swapping batteries, etc. The biggest drawback is the price. For the rechargeable Lego battery, it's still expensive compared to other batteries, but cheaper than 9v and probably has better energy density than Eneloops in the AAA box. Another drawback is that you can only use it with Lego. Eneloops are cheaper than the Lego battery, but it's easier to loose them, more trouble to charge them, and again, probably has less energy density than the Lego battery. Another plus is that you can use them for other things as well. Quote
v6TransAM Posted June 26, 2015 Posted June 26, 2015 Eneloop. I tried them because of this site and Amazon reviews. Every time I place an order now I pick some more up or stumble upon a sale for them. Never had a bad one yet and they last a lot longer than any other rechargeable battery I have used yet. Get enough to keep a set always charged for backup and get an extra battery box or two and your always ready to go. Quote
dr_spock Posted June 26, 2015 Posted June 26, 2015 With rechargeable AAAs, you can get 12 batteries. 6 in the box running, and 6 recharging or recharged ready to swap in when the others are drained. What is your budget? How much are you willing to spend? Quote
JopieK Posted June 26, 2015 Posted June 26, 2015 I would go for the LEGO LiPo. It is VERY reliable, believe me I have had students torture it and that didn't stop it! Quote
legoman666 Posted June 26, 2015 Posted June 26, 2015 Eneloop. I tried them because of this site and Amazon reviews. Every time I place an order now I pick some more up or stumble upon a sale for them. Never had a bad one yet and they last a lot longer than any other rechargeable battery I have used yet. Get enough to keep a set always charged for backup and get an extra battery box or two and your always ready to go. I use a mix of Eneloops and Tenergy. As far as I can tell, they are exactly the same except for price. I have a charger that tells me the capacity and they're all within 50mAh. Tenergy are about half the price. I have about 80-100 and I've not had a bad one yet. Highly recommend. Quote
Legoboy22 Posted June 26, 2015 Posted June 26, 2015 Use the 9 volt system if you are willing to spend a lot of money on equipment or you could use rechargeable aaa batteries and never have to buy batteries for your trains for a long time;) I use a mix of Eneloops and Tenergy. As far as I can tell, they are exactly the same except for price. I have a charger that tells me the capacity and they're all within 50mAh. Tenergy are about half the price. I have about 80-100 and I've not had a bad one yet. Highly recommend. i use good old energizer batteries Quote
jtlan Posted June 26, 2015 Posted June 26, 2015 (edited) If you find the train is getting a lot of use or you start thinking of ways to customize it with the battery built in, then the lego battery might be worth it, but the battery is $50 and the charger another $25. They work just fine for me but it is a high cost of entry. Charger is actually way less than that -- you don't have to use the official Lego charger. Any charger producing between 9V and 18V will work (as seen in this thread), although 10V is "optimal". I use a charger from a discarded modem. Edited June 26, 2015 by jtlan Quote
SavaTheAggie Posted June 26, 2015 Posted June 26, 2015 The only problem I have with the LEGO Rechargeable battery box, aside from the price, is it doesn't weigh anything. It would be good if your battery isn't in the same unit that's powering the train (i.e. motor in the locomotive, battery box in the tender), but all of my trains are all-in-one, so the extra weight of the batteries in my battery box equal greater tractive effort. --Tony Quote
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