I bought a PS2 Locomotive new in box with the 5 volt board. I don't want to run it with the original nicad battery in it which is certainly dead. So can I use a Duracell or Energizr until I get a BCR for it?
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It will work temporarily, but I'd be cautious since there's a charging circuit in the locomotive. You'd probably be better served picking up a NiMH rechargable instead.
At risk of adding another notch on my belt of guru annoyances...
A regular battery is fine for testing, but is not advisable for actually running the engine for any long duration. The charge circuit, to the best of my understanding, constantly charges the battery when the engine is powered, and as such it will be putting power into the battery... not a good idea for regular batteries, unless you like them to start leaking.
If you're going the BCR route, I'd wait until you get it to run the engine for more than a few minutes of testing. You could also pick up a 9v (8.4v) NiMH battery from any store with a large selection of batteries. The sort marked as 'pre-charged' or 'Low Self-discharge' can be used right out of the package without needing to be charged. As a note if you go this route, make sure the battery is the NiMH type, not Li-ion.
JGL
John,
Good advice!
Personally, given the propensity of the ancient 5-volt boards to fail and the relative costs , I'd just get a battery, to see how the PS2 unit works and give it a chance to work its components. The battery should last 5-8 years, and by then the situation may have changed.
JGL,
Absolutely good advise, and sense this is a P2 Engine, I recommend the BCR be installed to eliminate any problems in the future.
PCRR/Dave
Dave, is it a good idea to spend $20 without knowing for sure if the 5-volt board is any good? If it fails and you don't have a fleet of 5-volt locos with batteries, you'd have no use for it other than try to post it on the for sale forum. Half of my 5-volt fleet failed, and I just lined up the rest assembly line style and upgraded them to 3-volt, selling off the good 5-volt boards.
I just want to test it while i'm waiting for the BCR to arrive. Our bathroom scale is due for a new battery so I'll put the duracell in it after lol. Thanks everyone for the replies and info. Gene
Gene,
Our bathroom scale is due for a new battery so I'll put the duracell in it after
A weighty decision, for sure. 
Barry, don't start pounding on Gene.
Robert, your statement doesn't scale for large quantities.
Your response weighs heavily on my mind, Barry, so maybe we should lighten up.
I'm stopping before this thread gets overloaded with puns.
RJR posted:I'm stopping before this thread gets overloaded with puns.
That ship has sailed! 
Barry Broskowitz posted:Gene,
Our bathroom scale is due for a new battery so I'll put the duracell in it after
A weighty decision, for sure.
I agree Barry lol.
gunrunnerjohn posted:RJR posted:I'm stopping before this thread gets overloaded with puns.
That ship has sailed!
Bad puns bad puns! Whatcha gonna do? Whatcha gonna do when they're thrown at you?
Would you believe I went to Wal Mart and got this off the rack? The last one I checked the price $1.00. They must have had them on clearence. That store always has good mark downs.
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Gene, I hate to burst your bubble, but are you sure it's 8.4 volts? The old 9-volt alkaline batteries had 6 cells, each yielding 1.5 volts. When the rechargeables came out, they also had 6 cells, but NiCad & NiMH yield only 1.2 volts per cell, or 7.2 volts. Nevertheless, the battery makers still labeled them as 9 volts.
The 5-volt boards DCS units need an 8.4 volt rechargeable, which have 7 cells that yield 8.4 volts. If you battery doesn't say 8.4 volts in fine print somewhere, it probably isn't suitable for the DCS unit.
The lower left hand corner of the package says 8.4 V.
Ah-ha. The fine print. That should do it. Good buy!
NiMH '9v' batteries have typically been 8.4v types, I've not seen one that was 7.2v.
In the topic of the pictured battery, I've never had any luck with that brand. It will probably be ok, and the price is right, but I'd never pay retail for that brand.
JGL
For me, quite the contrary, John. Most all the rechargeable 9-volts I've come across are 7.2. Now maybe most I've seen over the years are NiCad. It's academic for me; I switched to PS2 3-volt with supercaps.
It's a 8.4 volt, thats what suprised me. It's printed right below the positive post. I messed up a 5 volt board a few years ago using a 7.2.
I don't recall a 7.2V NiMh, it used to be most all the NiCad batteries were 7.2 volts. I know it was a big deal and talked about a lot with MTH that you needed the "special" 8.4 volt NiCad for the 5V PS/2 systems.
