| Discussion Forum: Thread 321806 |
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| | | Author: | LegoDadVa  | | Posted: | May 29, 2022 19:52 | | Subject: | 9V train purchase - battery a problem? | | Viewed: | 114 times | | Topic: | LEGO products | |
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| Hi,
I have been away from Lego a long time and have a poor understanding of 9V and
12V trains. I do understand they run on electrified track and contain and internal
battery. If I were to purchase one - new/sealed or used - should I have concerns
that the battery may have leaked into its compartment in both cases? I was
looking at instructions for these trains and it seems the battery came built
in. I would imagine in any instance like this (and I have dealt with older battery
operated toys before so I have some experiences) the battery may leak/corrode
over time. Anything to disabuse me of this notion? Just trying to figure out
the best approach to purchase. Should I look for a used and confirmed work model?
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| | | | | | | Author: | LegoDadVa | | Posted: | May 29, 2022 20:32 | | Subject: | Re: 9V train purchase - battery a problem? | | Viewed: | 44 times | | Topic: | LEGO products | |
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| Amazing. Thanks for clearing that up. That was my initial impression but I was
not sure.
While we are at it, do the more recent train iterations contain a type of battery
I should be wary of if I ever purchase a set that is several years old?
In LEGO, brickablocks writes:
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| | | | | | | | | Author: | kzinti | | Posted: | May 29, 2022 21:12 | | Subject: | Re: 9V train purchase - battery a problem? | | Viewed: | 46 times | | Topic: | LEGO products | |
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| In LEGO, LegoDadVa writes:
| | Amazing. Thanks for clearing that up. That was my initial impression but I was
not sure.
While we are at it, do the more recent train iterations contain a type of battery
I should be wary of if I ever purchase a set that is several years old?
In LEGO, brickablocks writes:
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Older 9V sets have metal covered rails and use the speed regulator. Newer 9V
sets are RF controlled using a remote controller, do not have metal covered rails,
so they have an on board battery pack, rechargeable. The life on them isn't
the greatest, but they do a fair job.
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| | | | | | | | | | | Author: | jonwil | | Posted: | May 30, 2022 19:52 | | Subject: | Re: 9V train purchase - battery a problem? | | Viewed: | 43 times | | Topic: | LEGO products | |
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| | | Older 9V sets have metal covered rails and use the speed regulator. Newer 9V
sets are RF controlled using a remote controller, do not have metal covered rails,
so they have an on board battery pack, rechargeable. The life on them isn't
the greatest, but they do a fair job.
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There are 3 generations of battery powered trains that replaced 9V. 2 sets came
out in 2006 that had a large single piece train base with in-built battery box.
Then sets came out in 2010 that featured Power Functions parts. And in 2018 they
replaced Power Functions with Powered Up. All these sets came with battery boxes
and remote controls that take normal batteries (AA and AAA).
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| | | | | | | | | | | | | Author: | builderpro90 | | Posted: | May 31, 2022 11:42 | | Subject: | Re: 9V train purchase - battery a problem? | | Viewed: | 28 times | | Topic: | LEGO products | |
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| In LEGO, jonwil writes:
| | | | Older 9V sets have metal covered rails and use the speed regulator. Newer 9V
sets are RF controlled using a remote controller, do not have metal covered rails,
so they have an on board battery pack, rechargeable. The life on them isn't
the greatest, but they do a fair job.
|
There are 3 generations of battery powered trains that replaced 9V. 2 sets came
out in 2006 that had a large single piece train base with in-built battery box.
Then sets came out in 2010 that featured Power Functions parts. And in 2018 they
replaced Power Functions with Powered Up. All these sets came with battery boxes
and remote controls that take normal batteries (AA and AAA). I also had this problem
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| | | | | Author: | wildchicken13 | | Posted: | Jun 12, 2022 17:02 | | Subject: | Re: 9V train purchase - battery a problem? | | Viewed: | 32 times | | Topic: | LEGO products | |
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| In LEGO, LegoDadVa writes:
| | Hi,
I have been away from Lego a long time and have a poor understanding of 9V and
12V trains. I do understand they run on electrified track and contain and internal
battery. If I were to purchase one - new/sealed or used - should I have concerns
that the battery may have leaked into its compartment in both cases? I was
looking at instructions for these trains and it seems the battery came built
in. I would imagine in any instance like this (and I have dealt with older battery
operated toys before so I have some experiences) the battery may leak/corrode
over time. Anything to disabuse me of this notion? Just trying to figure out
the best approach to purchase. Should I look for a used and confirmed work model?
|
I'm not old enough to remember the 12V system, but 9V trains for the most
part do not have batteries and instead power is supplied to the motor through
metal rails, similar to most real-life light rail systems. So, battery corrosion
is not so much of an issue as is the lifespan of the motors and keeping the rails
clean and free of debris so that the power supply to the motors is not interrupted.
At some point in the early 2000s, the U.S. government passed legislation restricting
toys that draw power from AC line voltage. Furthermore, metal rails are expensive
to produce (TLG actually never produced metal rails, they simply purchased large
spools from a third-party supplier and cut them to size). So, around the year
2006 lego started producing plastic rails and trains powered by onboard batteries.
The two train sets released in that year,
and
both feature a battery pack integrated into the frame of the locomotive, which
as far as I am aware is unique to these two sets. However, the battery pack itself
is powered by six AA batteries that can be removed to prevent corrosion. Starting
with the release of the 10194 Emerald Night in 2009, all trains have been powered
by removable battery packs powered by six AAA batteries.
The old Power Functions system also featured a rechargeable lithium-ion battery
pack for anyone willing to pay an extra $50/£43/€57, but the new Powered Up system
features only a AAA battery pack with no option to upgrade to rechargeable batteries
(which, in my experience, have much better performance along with eliminating
the problem of corrosion when the batteries are left in the locomotive for an
extended period of time).
If you are considering purchasing any used battery-powered train sets on BrickLink
it is worth asking the seller about the condition of the battery pack since it
is easy to forget to take the batteries out and end up with a corroded mess.
I hope that helps clear things up a bit. Play well. 
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USA, Virginia
Australia, Queensland
