Detectable wheelsets, how do you make them?

[johnnyrails]

Hello all...

can anyone direct me on the best , most inexpensive way to add detectable or resistor wheelsets to my HO scale rolling stock.

how easy is it to make them yourself?

where do you buy the components needed?

thanks,,,JR

[Paul3]

Sure, there's a couple ways.

One method is to solder a surface mount resistor (of the correct amount of ohms) from the back of the insulated wheel to the metal axle.  You'll have to scuff the soldering area and use flux, and be careful not to melt the plastic insulator around the axle.

Another is to drill a hole in the web of each wheel just a smidge bigger than the leads on a normal 1/4 watt resistor (1/2 watt is too big).  Then feed the resistor leads into the holes from the back, then bend over the leads and snip them.  The nice part about using this method is that you don't need a metal axle.

Yet another is to use a 1/4 watt resistor and two wheelsets with metal axles in an all plastic truck.  Flip one of the wheelsets over so that one insulated side is opposite the other.  Wrap the resistor leads around each axle, then snip the overage.  You can also glue the resistor to the truck bolster with a little Goo.

Let's see...  If you have metal trucks, you can mount the resistor in the car body with wire leads up through the floor.  The wires could be connected to the truck screws, or soldered to the truck frame.

Of course, you can also just add a track powered light of some kind (useful in cabooses and passenger cars).

Jay-Bee makes resistor wheelsets for about $2 per.

Paul A. Cutler III
*******************
Weather Or No Go New Haven
*******************

[rrinker]

 Here's one method, all you need is CA, conductive paint, and some surface mount resistors. Most methods I've seen are variations of these.

http://mpmrr.net/resisted_wheels.htm

 

                                 --Randy

 

[Phoebe Vet]

http://www.rr-cirkits.com/wheelsets.html 

 

[richg1998]

 Here are some possibilities

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ned=us&q=detectable+wheel+sets&btnmeta%3Dsearch%3Dsearch=Search+the+Web

Rich