what is the best way to pick up track power to light 14v incandesent bulbs--pick-up shoes? wire from wheels or axels? (touch lead from each wheel & bulb lights, touch to axel no light) where to get components?
Lighting kits were/are made for heavy weights, etc. If you wanted to do it yourself, I have done so with using metal wheels and making wipers for EACH wheel for all wheel pick up. The kits only pick up half the wheels and were not nearly as reliable.
Richard
There's axle wipers available at wathers. You install them under the truck and they rub on the wheel axle. One side was usually conductive to the wheel, while the adjoining wheel has insulation around it. It works quite well.
I'll see if I can get the part # at walthers when I get home.
Walthers sells a light bar kit for the RR cars. The DC version will work on DCC but I dont' recommend it.
Don - Specializing in layout DC->DCC conversions
Modeling C&O transition era and steel industries There's Nothing Like Big Steam!
I bought Walthers lighting kits for my Rivarossi cars. They were very cheap. I think they were actually made for an earlier model, and they were clearing them out.
The kits comtained replacements for some of the truck parts, but not whole trucks. They were all-wheel pickup, and depended on a screwhead on the top of the truck and a metal plate on the floor of the car for power. This worked fine at first, but now the lights are mostly dark, and flicker occasionally. One of these days, I'll just install some thin wires and do it right.
While I had them open, I painted the interiors and installed some passengers. They're a pain to open up, so I didn't want to do that too often.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.