Very informative. I've been pondering over dead rail for sometime now and I think I agree with most of what Neil said here. I really want to get to it sooner than later - as soon as I recover my current investment in traditional DCC. It's a great way to offset the negatives of rail powered layouts and run a layout like the real thing where the locomotive is 'self-sufficient' and is not dependent on rail power. I think despite the challenges, dead rail has tremendous merit and potential - think about it, not to worry about reverse polarity, frog wiring, track cleaning, hundreds or thousands of feet of wire and it's management, post installation maintenance of the layout... the list simply goes on. I think a dead rail system with optical/infrared based LCC protocol to control the interlocking, signals and safety is what the future looks like for Model Railroading. Exciting stuff!
@@ModelRailroadTechniques Once power density on batteries gets high enough I see no problem with N Scale. With the work being done on Solid State and Carbon Nanotube battery systems the power density versus battery life should be doable. HO, TT, and O scale applications are easy IMO. It's going to take one of the locomotive manufacturers to jump in with a ready to run system.
I was thinking about the backdrop idea and the (cheap) idea came to me of using just white sheets to project onto. The image goes right through the cloth...it is a reversed image but it's just the sky, so it wouldn't matter.
I'm 3d printing an Sn30 steam loco for an amusement park layout I'm building. Decided to go deadrail with electronics from rc planes servos for turnouts and other animatronics. I think deadrail is the wave of the future!
Dead rail is also perfect for Vintage engines going back to the days of New Bright, Echo, and Eztec/ Scientific Toys, though there were using(4 for the Eztec/Scientific toys trains and 6 for the New Bright trains) C batteries to power the trains. now there's a chance to bring those vintage engines into the modern times.
Sorry for seeming like I'm poo pooing dead rail, but, I think I'd rather have a stall out here and there on a standard DCC system than go through ALL the work required to have Dead Rail, if in the end the only advantage OF dead rail is no stall outs !! Yes, DR makes the model more like the 1:1 scale; cold steel rail/locos under their own power..But, again, until DR becomes perfected, offered to hobbyists with no work needed to be done, I really don't think it's worth ALL the hurdles it presents at this time... I do know the day will come when even DCC will seem archaic..But to me it's still the best, only requiring clean rails and pickup wheels, leave alone no problem with having enough power for all the lights in a fully lit, say, 7 car passenger train and loco + all the sounds each makes (horn, whistle, bell, clanks, screeches).. Also, 'Keep Alive' is becoming a common feature in locos, or relatively easy to install, making stall-outs pretty much non-existent as well.. I DO though salute you who are kind of the pioneers of Dead Rail and hope you are able to finally reach an end to the installation work it requires and be able to haplessly run trains under it.....
Of course battery power and power assist on energized rails is the next big thing, long overdue by 25 years. Another disappointment from an industry dominating the NMRA. We'll see what they make of it.
Very informative. I've been pondering over dead rail for sometime now and I think I agree with most of what Neil said here. I really want to get to it sooner than later - as soon as I recover my current investment in traditional DCC. It's a great way to offset the negatives of rail powered layouts and run a layout like the real thing where the locomotive is 'self-sufficient' and is not dependent on rail power. I think despite the challenges, dead rail has tremendous merit and potential - think about it, not to worry about reverse polarity, frog wiring, track cleaning, hundreds or thousands of feet of wire and it's management, post installation maintenance of the layout... the list simply goes on. I think a dead rail system with optical/infrared based LCC protocol to control the interlocking, signals and safety is what the future looks like for Model Railroading. Exciting stuff!
Thanks for your comments Kaustav. There are some many positives here. Only negative I can see the tech can. It get it into small scale locomotives.
@@ModelRailroadTechniques
Once power density on batteries gets high enough I see no problem with N Scale. With the work being done on Solid State and Carbon Nanotube battery systems the power density versus battery life should be doable. HO, TT, and O scale applications are easy IMO. It's going to take one of the locomotive manufacturers to jump in with a ready to run system.
I whole heartily agree with you. It will take one of the manufacturers to get on board with this. I see so many positive re this.
I was thinking about the backdrop idea and the (cheap) idea came to me of using just white sheets to project onto. The image goes right through the cloth...it is a reversed image but it's just the sky, so it wouldn't matter.
I'm 3d printing an Sn30 steam loco for an amusement park layout I'm building. Decided to go deadrail with electronics from rc planes servos for turnouts and other animatronics. I think deadrail is the wave of the future!
That sounds really awesome
“the one I tore down after a bicycle crash”. Why were you riding a bicycle in the layout room?
Dead rail is also perfect for Vintage engines going back to the days of New Bright, Echo, and Eztec/ Scientific Toys, though there were using(4 for the Eztec/Scientific toys trains and 6 for the New Bright trains) C batteries to power the trains. now there's a chance to bring those vintage engines into the modern times.
Great idea. Love to see your progress on this
Sorry for seeming like I'm poo pooing dead rail, but,
I think I'd rather have a stall out here and there on a standard DCC system than go through ALL the work required to have Dead Rail, if in the end the only advantage OF dead rail is no stall outs !! Yes, DR makes the model more like the 1:1 scale; cold steel rail/locos under their own power..But, again, until DR becomes perfected, offered to hobbyists with no work needed to be done, I really don't think it's worth ALL the hurdles it presents at this time...
I do know the day will come when even DCC will seem archaic..But to me it's still the best, only requiring clean rails and pickup wheels, leave alone no problem with having enough power for all the lights in a fully lit, say, 7 car passenger train and loco + all the sounds each makes (horn, whistle, bell, clanks, screeches)..
Also, 'Keep Alive' is becoming a common feature in locos, or relatively easy to install, making stall-outs pretty much non-existent as well..
I DO though salute you who are kind of the pioneers of Dead Rail and hope you are able to finally reach an end to the installation work it requires and be able to haplessly run trains under it.....
it is definitely a growing niche. See it takes off with some bigger manufacturers.
I'm really hoping Deadrail makes DCC bite the dust.
I’m sorry to say DCC is here to stay, but to have more dead rail functionality us the way forward
@@ModelRailroadTechniques Yes indeed.
Of course battery power and power assist on energized rails is the next big thing, long overdue by 25 years. Another disappointment from an industry dominating the NMRA. We'll see what they make of it.
Thanks for watching. SoundTraxx are looking into this I believe.