Lighting N Scale Passenger Cars?

[wombat457]

I have a couple of sets of Micro Trains Heavy Weight Passenger Car Sets and am considering putting lighting into them. Yes I know there is that Rapido Easy Peezy stuff, but I'd like regular lighting that gets its power from the track through the wheels.

So has anyone lit their passenger cars and, if so, how did you do it?

 

[Iron Horseman]

I have a couple of sets of Micro Trains Heavy Weight Passenger Car Sets and am considering putting lighting into them. Yes I know there is that Rapido Easy Peezy stuff, but I'd like regular lighting that gets its power from the track through the wheels.

So has anyone lit their passenger cars and, if so, how did you do it?

Don't know if you really want to know or not. Way back when I was in N-scale (1969 or so). I got a set of MRC passenger cars that were not lighted. I loosely wrapped a piece of fine wire around the wheel axles. One truck for each side of the rail. Ran the wires up into the car and glued one of those new newfangled miniature Christmas tree replacement bulbs (from a 15 bulb set) onto the bottom side of the roof. Done.

I obviously do not recommend that today! They were hard to pull and flickered a lot.

 

[wombat457]

What was the saying - necessity is the mother of invention? The more I think about it, the more I am convinced that it would not be difficult to make your own lighting "board" - some 1/16th styrene, a 3 SMD's a bit of magnetic wire (+ and -) running through the floor down to axle brushes for the power. The hard part would be making the axle brushes or whatever they are called, the rest is easy.

 

[Smudge617]

I used these to light my OO and HO, easy to adapt to N scale.

And a anti flicker/dimmer.

There are also these wipers, which are easier to install, my preferred method.

 

[wombat457]

@Smudge617

Mate, where did you get the wipers from please? Please don't tell me UK only

If I could get a stack of them, I'd be 95% home

 

[Smudge617]

@Smudge617

Mate, where did you get the wipers from please? Please don't tell me UK only

If I could get a stack of them, I'd be 95% home

Wipers are from DCC Concepts, which was based in Perth, I think they still have a office there.

These are their dealers in the US.

Heartland Hobby Wholesale

Home

www.hhwonline.com

Spring Creek Model Trains

Model Train & Railroad Hobby Store in Nebraska - Spring Creek Model Trains

Serving all of The Central United States, Spring Creek Model Trains is where hobbyists go to purchase popular and hard to find model trains and supplies.

www.springcreekmodeltrains.com

Iron Planet Hobbies

Iron Planet Hobbies

www.ironplanethobbies.com

And one just over the border in Kingston, Canada

Kingston Locomotive Works

Online Model Train & Hobby Supplies Shop -- Kingston Locomotive Works - Retailers of New and Used Model Train & Hobby Products in Kingston, Ontario, Canada

www.locomotiveworks.ca

If they can't help, give me a holler, sure I can send some over for you.

 

[wombat457]

@Smudge617

I should have known they were DCC Concepts. I don't know about their Perth Office, I have a gut feeling they only operate from the UK now? Might be wrong, either way I'd have to get them shipped to the US anyway. A pity HATTONS doesn't sell them but I'll get some from one of recommended places.

Thanks for your offer to send me some as well mate, that is very kind of you and I appreciate it - you have no idea how long I have been trying to find wipers.

 

[wombat457]

Looks as though I'll have to buy them direct from DCC Concepts but that's okay, I'm not in a hurry for them - one of those items I would like to have on hand when needed cos sure as eggs, if I waited - they'd stop making them

 

[Smudge617]

Looks as though I'll have to buy them direct from DCC Concepts but that's okay, I'm not in a hurry for them - one of those items I would like to have on hand when needed cos sure as eggs, if I waited - they'd stop making them

Shame, their pretty fast with their posting, bought some stuff from them over the years, quite often get it in 48hrs here, US, may take a bit longer I think.

 

[Smudge617]

I have a gut feeling they only operate from the UK now

Now based in a small Yorkshire village called Settle.

 

[wombat457]

To be honest, I think the British shops are a darn site quicker with processing and shipping orders than 99% of American places, with some notable exceptions. I recall one order I put in with Hatton's (some years back) I placed the order at midday here in NY State and DHS was handing it to me exactly 3 days later to the minute - no joke, 3 days exactly from placing the order on line to having it in my hands. Some (most) places here can't seem to even process an order in 3 days let alone get it shipped and delivered.

 

[wombat457]

Now based in a small Yorkshire village called Settle.

I'll have to drop in and take a look around one of these days - oh wait - does Settle have a Pub?

Of course it does - it's British - ALL towns in Britain have Pubs

 

[Smudge617]

I'll have to drop in and take a look around one of these days - oh wait - does Settle have a Pub?

Of course it does - it's British - ALL towns in Britain have Pubs

Yeah well, not so many anymore now, you'd best let them know when your coming tho' they'll need to stock up if an Aussie's visiting

 

[bnsf971]

Tony, before you get all gung-ho on installing lighting in those Micro-Trains cars, remember they have plastic wheels, and plastic doesn't conduct electricity very well.
Just sayin'...

 

[wombat457]

@bnsf971

Thanks Terry and yep I knew that. When I was going to do this zonks ago, I bought a heap of Micro Train metal wheel/truck sets. The whole thing came to a grinding halt due to not being able to find axle wipers.