Flickering Lights

[8ntruck]

I have a project going where I want to add flickering lights inside a car like the Hallows Eve cars.  I opened up one of these cars and found a small circuit board with a couple of capacitors and a couple of transistors.

These boards are not listed on the Lionel web site as service parts.  The next choice is to make one.

I am guessing that there is a resistor somewhere working with the capacitor to produce a on/off sort of signal.  This signal probably turns the transiston on and off, which in turn turns the light on and off.

I suppose another way to do this would be to use LED's instead of incandecent lights and eliminate the transistors.

Any of you electronic experts out there have any ideas or comments on how to do this?

Thanks.

[gunrunnerjohn]

You can buy the battery powered flickering votive candles, they have a flickering LED that requires no external circuitry.  I got three for a dollar at a local Dollar store, and just ripped them apart.

[dougdagrump]

Although I like the Hallow's Eve cars I am not that crazy about the lighting in them, seems more distracting than "spooky". IMHO, they would have had a better appearance with color changing LED's like you find in some of the discount house halloween accessories. Just my .

Unfortunately I am the covershot for "Electronics for Dummies" so I am not a lot of help.

[Gray Cat]

The following statement is made with tongue in cheek...

When I read the heading I have to admit I was a little tickled by it.. most of us are trying to figure out ways to get our rolling stock lights to STOP flickering! This is the first time I think I've ever heard anyone that wants to "MAKE THEM FLICKER"

You can borrow my dirty track and dirty wheels if that will help!

[8ntruck]

Color changing LED's would be neat in these cars.  I'll bet that somebody somewhere has done something like this - all I've got to do is find it.  I too belong to the 'dummies for electronics' group.  I know enough to be dangerous.

As far as the dirty track idea goes, my first thought was to put something on the pick up rollers to partially insulate them.  Could not think of anything that would last long enough, though.

Thanks for the idea on the electric votive candles.  I think my wife might already have some.  I'll look into steal, er, I mean borrowing some.