Another dumb question.

[tommann]

Hi;

I want to put lights in my N Scale passenger cars and cabooses. What is the best way to get power into the cars? Does anyone make N Scale trucks with electrical pickup built in? [?] I suppose I can replace the plastic wheels with metal ones, but whats trhe best way to get contacts on the wheels?

Thank you,
Tom Mann. [8D]

[mondotrains]

Hi,
I just wish you would be more considerate when posting a subject. Instead of just saying "Another dumb question", you could have said "I need help installing lights in an N scale car". Then, considering I know nothing about N scale, I could have saved myself the time clicking on your subject. You see, most of us guys want to help, so we will click on your "Another dumb question", but then we realize we've wasted our time because we cannot help. Why wouldn't you want to be more specific? Is it because you know we will click on your "another dumb question" and you will delite in all the responses?

I'm not trying to be mean....I'd just like you to realize that the time I wasted trying to help you, I could have helped another guy with a question I have some information about.

Mondo

[TurboOne]

Hello Tom, [#welcome] to the forum. I am glad you came by, and took the time to ask a question. Too many people never have the courage to ask a question. None are dumb, unless they never get asked.

As Ed on here would say, I have Horribly Oversize for my trains, N is just to small for me, I do have a book that tells how to add lights to N scale. Tomorrow I will see if the writer has a website. If not I will see if my scanner will get the two pages that help.

By the way where in CA are you. I am in San Diego

Mondo take a chill pill. Obviously Tom is new, he has 6 posts. You could have skipped writing anything and save time to go help someone else. If that is how you great someone new, please don't help them. You end by saying

QUOTE: I'm not trying to be mean

but you were. Play nice. We all like trains no matter if they are Z to G.

In fact I hope to get a N or Z as a toy train for my HO amusement park.

Take care Tom and again [#welcome]. Stop by the coffee shop and say hello to the gang.

Tim

[Anonymous]

Tom -

Kato makes kits for putting lights into Normal scal passenger cars... I am sure there are other manufacturers out there as well.... I would suggest adding metal sheels to your cars and using some sort of spring type device off of the trucks to get the power inside.... Check the Bachmann Plus passenger cars sometimes they come with lights installed in them.... maybe take a look at one in your LHS (Local Hobby Shop) and see if they will let you look at one out of the box.

[egmurphy]

Further to what Brian already mentioned, I'd just point out that the new N scale California Zephyr passenger cars issued by Kato have metal wheelsets made to pick up current to support their interior lighting kits. You might check with your LHS (Local Hobby Shop) to see if those Kato passenger car trucks are available separately.

If you want to try searching on their website, it's www.katousa.com.


Regards

Ed

[turbine682]

Hi Tom,

I haven't done this, but I've heard lights draw alot of power. For those of you who have expereince with lighted cars, please advise.

FYI, I have 2 N-Scale passenger trains (not lighted, but could be). Anyway, I'm heavy freight!

--Ed

BTW, who cares if someone's subject is "... dumb question"? That signals that someone needs help/info which is what we're here for....[:)]

[Leon Silverman]

I have a HO scale light caboose that has a thin brass strip that rides on top of the axels and under the bolster center. The center boltster has grooves in it to hold the brass strip in place. This allows the strip to contact the metal screw retaining the truck. The power is transmitted from the axels to the bolster screw and into the caboose body. I don't see why this system could not work in N-scale also.
As far as sucking up the power is concerned, an led should have sufficient light for an n-scale caboose, just use a dropping resistor. If you place eight or nine leds connected in series in a passenger car, you can light up the entire car without resorting to resistors.

[tommann]

Leon, Ed, Ed, Brian and Tim - [^] Thanks for being helpful and the good suggestions. As for Mondo, maybe you should go to another forum, and, yes, that was mean [V] and uncalled for. I might have never returned here except for the nice replies from Leon and group. Tim, I am in Littlerock - near Palmdale and North of LA (about 60 miles from downtown LA).

Thanks,
Tom

[selector]

Take that, Mondo!

[mondotrains]

Hi Tom,
I know we're all supposed to think before we speak and to take that one step further, we should think before we reply on this forum. I must have been in a bad mood last night and would like to apologize for what I said last night.

Also, I didn't notice that you were fairly new to the forum and certainly I'd be the last guy to want to discourage you. Having been a teacher in the past, I have always said that there is no such thing as a "dumb question" and I certainly didn't think your question was dumb.

Here's what I should have said, now that I'm thinking more clearly.

I should have said....Hey Tom, I see your fairly new to this forum....welcome aboard! I'd like to help you get more responses to a question you may have. I know that a lot of guys skip over topics that are unclear....I only know that because of the number of responses they tend to get. If you have a question like how to add lighting to an N scale passenger car, put that in your topic because then all those N scale guys will jump up and try to help you. By being vague in your Subject, you're not going to get the dialogue that you could get.

Again Tom, please accept my apology. Your question is legitimate and deserves all the response it can get. Just for the heck of it, you might try another posting with the subject "I need help installing lights in an N scale car" and I bet you'll get many more responses.

Good Luck,
Mondo