I knew MTH engines will run in command mode without a battery(sort of). I knew the engines would also run with a weak battery. I didn't know that a dead battery will play havoc with not only the engine it's installed in but also seems to affect other engines under the right circumstances, Example..I was running a proto-2 mikado from around 2000. I don't think the battery was the original but still pretty old..one of the white ones.Anyway every time I turned the smoke on the engine would come to a complete stop and shut down. We were also having run away problems with another train.
Bottom line..after replacing the battery the engine runs fine with no headlight shut down or runaways after turning the smoke on. I must have tried turning smoke on/off a doz or so times. no problems.
I post this part on a different thread a while back ,,we had a engine that wouldn't move even in command mode, everything worked. tried a feature and factory reset, Finally a new battery fixed the problem.
Again this battery was completely dead.When shutting off track power, sounds immediately quit.
Question.... How many are using BCRs and are there any drawbacks? Most of our engines are old and are in need or will be shortly of new batteries. BCR or battery?