Technical

apolegies if this has allready been mentioned or is simply not possible due to a overlooked feautre on my part.

i have this idea for making the live steam work on a dcc layout even with other trains running on it

now keep in mind that im very new to both live steam and dcc so if theres something i've overlooked then please point it out! i do however have a little bit of experience with radio controll. and the hobby is progressing fast. So heres my idea:

assuming the 14 volts on the dcc layout will be enough to keep the heaters making steam.

youd have a reciver and small 2s lipo in a 2nd tender or freight car.

something like this one should be more than enough http://www.bigskyhobby.com/Untitled-Product-p4435.html and then you either replace the servo motor for a regular servo, or even simpler. you connect the wires from the motor to the reciver (or esc) thus keeping the original mechanism. this way you would have the motor connected as a well motor. so youd use the throttle on the radio to open/close/reverse the regulator. This will also alow you to make fine tuning in the radio, in terms of how fast the valve can be open and shut.

this should also work on a garden layout. set the heater to simmer and use your radio around the yard to controll the train.

now i dont know how the electronics work in the locomotive, so i have no idea if the pcb board would somehow be negativly affected or how much current you would need to even make the motor rotate.