Are there any MR magazines that provide instructions on how to wire a circuit for a red/green 2 light signal tower as well as circuitry for lighting Athearn passenger cars. I'm in the process of upgrading my rolling stock and building a temporary layout.
Ernie Ern
By 'signal tower' do you mean a building, like an interlocking tower, or are you talking about wiring a railroad signal??
What do you want the signals to do? You can wire them to a panel switch and make them change color manually. You can use them as a turnout position indicator. Or, you can have them detect the presence of a train and behave appropriately. Each is a different situation from a wiring standpoint.
Passenger car lighting is generally a simple circuit, but the effort is in the mechanics of bringing power to the car. The "Easy-Peasy" (yes, that's its official name) system uses a replaceable battery to drive a string of LEDs, so there are no wires involved.
Are you using DC or DCC? There are some car lighting options (and signalling options, too) which are better with one power source than the other.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
Not tryin to hijack the thread, but I would like to know how to get power into the Athearn Ready To Roll passenger cars, for lighting. I can hook up some lights, if I can get track power into the car.
Dalee electronics has a schematic for signal lifghting using their train detection circuits in a PDF file at their web site. www.dallee.com
For lighting a passenger car ,there was an article floating around in here years ago that used the copper spring from a #5 Kadee coupler spring plate. ( I used this technique to light my cabooses.) All that is needed is to cut off one end from the copper spring plate with a pair of scissors, then bend the two metal prongs into an arched shape that can drag across and against metal wheels when it is mounted to the truck. To mount the spring plate to the truck, drill a hole and use a 2-56 screw to screw the copper plate to the truck where as, the plate prongs can pick up power as they drag along the inside of the wheels. You'll also have to solder a wire to the copper plate and then drill a hole in the undercarriage of the passenger car so the wire connecting the plate can be threaded into the passenger car. Do the same thing to the opposite truck . The two wires that pick up power thru the two kadee copper spring plates from the opposing trucks can then be wired to the light circuit.
It works great for lighting my cabooses but I don't know if it will work on passenger cars since the wheels are a bit further apart on a passenger car truck than a bettendorf type truck....chuck
Thanks, I'll try it.
i mean block signals for temporarily setting up my layout