I have a bunch of passenger cars (Rivarrossi Heavyweights,N scale) that I'd like to add interior lighting to.Nothing very fancy though...no decoder control...simply a dim lighting from DCC powered track.There are probably a few ways to do but the simplest and reliable with LED's would fit great.Thanks.
Unless these passenger cars have metal wheels and electrical pickup wipers on the trucks, powering interior lighting from track power could be very difficult to achieve.
For the actual lighting, some of the newer inverted cone LEDs would be best because they radiate light in a 360 degree arc instead of being a point source like previous LEDs.
LED Christmas light sets are nearly all inverted cone LEDs. The LEDs labeled as Warm White would be a more realistic color, something like an incandescent bulb. The Cool White LEDs are too blue and are more like a fluorescent bulb.
You'll also need a voltage rectifier circuit and resistors to keep the applied voltage down to around 1.2 Volts, and the correct polarity applied to them. Keeping these components hidden could be very difficult in N scale -- it's hard enough in HO. Unless your track and wheels can be kept immaculately clean you will have problems with flickering lights.
The Easy Peasy battery powered passenger car lighting kits from Rapido would be much easier if they are available in N scale, but if you forget to turn them off with the magnetic wand the batteries don't last long at all.
Short Answer: There is no 'simple' way, not even in larger scales. Even with the Rapido kits, you have to open up the cars to change batteries.
You might want to take a look at the S12WW - 12v LED Lighting Strip or the S12K - 12v Lighting Strip Kit from TrainsAidA. The work at 12v-19v. I've used these for building lighting. Note: even the warm white are a bit blue; haven't tried the yellow ones yet. [Link to TrainsAidA]
Alan
Co-owner of the proposed CT River Valley RR (HO scale) http://home.comcast.net/~docinct/CTRiverValleyRR/
I took a clinic from the gentlemen that runs this company. He does some pretty amazing stuff with LED's. He has interior lighting kits all the way down to Z SCALE. http://www.richmondcontrols.com/ I suggest taking a look at his website.
Colorado Front Range Railroad: http://www.coloradofrontrangerr.com/
Renegade1c I took a clinic from the gentlemen that runs this company. He does some pretty amazing stuff with LED's. He has interior lighting kits all the way down to Z SCALE. http://www.richmondcontrols.com/ I suggest taking a look at his website.
I have done business with this gentlemen. He is very courteous and fast at getting orders through.
Will