# Replacing Battery With BCR for MTH Engine



## nemo (Aug 20, 2011)

I want to replace battery on MTH Engine with a BCR. Where can I purchase a BCR for my MTH PS2 Engine? Also is there anything I need to know about replacing the battery with a BCR?


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## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

I did find a BCR thread from a few weeks ago. BCR is Battery Capacitor Replacement? The thread never said. I am tagging these threads with MTH Battery.

This thread has the actual picture of the BCR at the end. I am sure gunrunnerJohn will chime in.

I missed these threads. Another good one. 

I just did a bcr search and found a list. These are the top three.

This is a vendor first mentioned in this thread.

Ahhh a battery component replacement. It just has a capacitor.


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

nemo said:


> I want to replace battery on MTH Engine with a BCR. Where can I purchase a BCR for my MTH PS2 Engine? Also is there anything I need to know about replacing the battery with a BCR?



I don't know what a BCR is, but if you wait till our in house "MTH ASC Certified Tech" (gunrunnerjohn) wakes up and downs a coffee he will surly know.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

First off, what model of locomotive is it? There are two different types of BCR products, one for the 5V PS/2 boards, and the one for the 3V PS/2 boards. Around 2004-2005 there was a transition to the newer design boards, and they take a different battery pack.

If you're at all handy, you can actually make your BCR if you want to save some money, especially the 3V model.

J and W are the folks that make the commercial BCR product, and many dealers carry them as well.


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## nemo (Aug 20, 2011)

How do I make my own BCR? Do you have any instructions


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Funny you should ask, see attached.


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## fitz04 (Jun 12, 2013)

thanks john i also got it great to have


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## fitz04 (Jun 12, 2013)

really dunb question how to check which board i have ?do i have to look in the loco?


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

If you look at the loco or tender, look for the charging port. The round charging port is the 5V system, the square one is the 3V system.


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## Jim M (Jun 21, 2015)

GRJ, would these work for the BCR?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/5pcs-goldca...r-Panasonic-/281482528995?hash=item4189aa88e3


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Yep, you need two in series for 3V systems and four in series for 5V systems. You also need the 2.7V Zener diodes to balance the charging.

I've attached the document of how to build them to this post.


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## Jim M (Jun 21, 2015)

Thanks, that's very helpful. I saw that a long long time ago on another forum and I bookmarked it but it seems to have disappeared for some reason.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

The "other" forum has an advertiser that makes the unit, so they complained.


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## Jim M (Jun 21, 2015)

That figures. Just another in a long line of useful threads that went poof.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

For Lionel use, here's a circuit to charge the BCR from track power so that you can use it in locomotives that use RailSounds and have no charging circuit.


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