I have an old PS1 E8 that will need a battery replacement. Should I go with a BCR or the standard 8.4v NiMh? And if you guys have found any deals on either, please post a link or source. 
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A BCR is around $25, and NiMh batteries can be had for $5, they last at least 4-5 years. So, if you're going to be running this 20+ years from now, the BCR may pay you back. 
Here's a NiMh 9V Battery that I've personally used.
My rule of thumb for BCR vs. battery depends on two factors:
1. How many engines you own.
The more engines you own, the more difficult it is to remember when the battery was last changed. For a few engines - no problem. But if you have many engines, it can become a challenge to be sure that each engine is run often enough to keep batteries charged. BCRs solve that problem for large fleets. You can be sure that every engine is ready to go no matter how long it has spent on the shelf.
2. How difficult battery installation is in a particular engine.
Battery installation is easy in some engines such as steam engines with the battery in the tender. However, some engines require moving wiring harnesses or loosening circuit boards to get at the battery. For these, I would only want to go through that once - they definitely get a BCR.
Jim
Thanks everyone! I picked up one at Batteries Plus for $10. Popped her in and she's back up and running.
Thanks John, that cost-benefit analysis was awesome! LOL
I will be acquiring a new/old stock of 2001 PS 2.0 5 volt board Alco PA's and I would like to know the pros and cons of replacing the white battery with the following. Also, which one would be safest with the above mentioned PS 2.0 5 volt board?
1) The J&W Electronics BCR
2) The MTH NiMH 8.4 Volt Green Battery
3) The Energizer 8.4 Volt NiMH Battery
Truthfully, I'm a big leery of the BCR in 5V PS/2. The circuitry in those is close enough to the limits that I dislike putting any additional stress on them. I'd stick with the NiMh battery. You can use pretty much any NiMh 9V battery as long as it's a 7-cell battery with a nominal voltage of 8.4 volts. I personally have been using the EBL brand that I get for around $3/ea, they've worked fine and I've never had an issue with a ton of them used.
