Stopping passenger car flicker

[RRaddict]

Does anyone know if you can stop passenger car flicker by adding capacitors to the lighting system in the cars?

Kevin

[phillyreading]

Yes it can be done, but you need the correct parts from the start or you will get frustrated and quit, like I did. I just live with the flicker and clean the track and wheels more often. Another possible solution is to have two center rail rollers or double rollers per passenger car if you don't have that already, some pre-war and post-war passenger cars don't have two center rollers.

[steinmike]

Kevin:

I hate flickering.

I've had a lot of luck by just doing the simple things - making sure the track is level and clean and making sure that the pick-up rollers and wheels are clean.  Depending on the age / manufacturer / model of the passenger car, the pickup roller spring may be weak and not keeping the roller in contact with the center rail (MPC / Lionel had this problem with the six wheels trucks on the later "Baby Madison" cars and eventually recommended using a metal spring in place of the plastic spring on the pickup roller).

On some cars I've added a second pick-up roller / contact wiper assembly and that has helped also.

I know there are folks who have used capacitors as part of a constant-lighting system for their passenger cars, but I wonder about the heat produced - in a post-war 2400 series car with a metal floor that's probably not an issue, but may be for a car that is all plastic.

I'll defer to the "wire heads" in the Forum, but you may be better off going with LEDs for illumination.  There are some that are sold as plug-in replacements for the existing bulbs (pretty simple) and kits that would involve some wiring.

Good luck!

 

[KRM]

All good suggestions and there are many threads on this issue. For me I like some flickering. After all these are TOY trains. The grandkids have never complained.

JMHO

[balidas]

http://cs.trains.com/TRCCS/forums/p/189819/2072892.aspx#2072892

Scroll down a bit to find directions to install a cap with a bridge rectifier to stop flickering.

[phillyreading]

I have noticed this on some slightly older K-Line passenger cars, namely the Golden State series cars, the spring breaks that holds the center roller wheel in place. Easy to spot a broken spring, turn the car upside down and look for the roller that has fallen.

[gunrunnerjohn]

You'll have to add some monster caps to handle the issue with incandescent lighting, it's much easier if you convert to LED lighting.

 

[lionelsoni]

Only about 5 millifarads per lamp, not too monstrous.

It's true that the reduced current of LEDs will allow you to eliminate flicker with much less capacitance, which is probably what John meant.  However, don't think that LEDs by themselves will reduce flicker--they will actually make it worse because they lack the thermal lag that incandescents have and which the rectifier-capacitor scheme supplements.  So you need to add those components in either case.

[arkady]

phillyreading

...Another possible solution is to have two center rail rollers or double rollers per passenger car if you don't have that already, some pre-war and post-war passenger cars don't have two center rollers.

That's what I did for my Lionel 027 NYC passenger cars of late-80s vintage, and it worked great.  The pickup assemblies are not expensive, nor is installing them difficult.

Adding a bit of weight to the cars, helped, too.

 

 

[lionelsoni]

But see the link posted above for the downside of double pickups and a fix for it.

[gunrunnerjohn]

I converted to LED lighting with a bridge rectifier and a constant current source.  I have a 2200uF cap to help with the flickering, and the only flicker I see is for conventional when you interrupt the power for direction changes.  Running command, which is 99% of my use, I've never seen the light flicker.  All my passenger cars have dual pickups, which also helps.

 

[traindaddy1]

I kind-of like the flicker.  It reminds me of the old LIRR and NYC Subway cars I "endured" for so many years.

[Gray Cat]

Just chiming in something totally off the wall BUT..

After reading this thread I was wondering about using LED's and a rechargeable battery utilizing the track power to "charge" the battery. This would stop the flicker and also allow the lighting to remain on when the train pulls into a station at night.. I'm sure there are bugs to work out. But might be a fun little thing to do. a few LEDs, a pair of AA rechargable batteries, maybe a switch to shut it off? Much like those little solar garden lights that charge with the sun, but here we might be able to utilize track power. Average running voltage of track around 12 volts? Maybe a car phone charger to lower the voltage to the batteries? Ah who knows just bouncing a few random thoughts..

[lionelsoni]

That's entirely practical.  You would probably need 4 or more cells, at 1.2 volts each, to power white LEDs with a reasonably simple circuit.  A USB port puts out only 5 volts.  That alone would probably require a custom design for the charger.

[Texas Pete]

The flicker is part of the toy train experience.  I enjoy it.

Pete

 

[chucky2025]

im with you i enjoy the flickering and if youve ever been on the subway or commuter cars they flicker to adds realism to the experience.

[ADCX Rob]

Power the bulbs in each car with two small bridge rectifiers - each one getting it's AC from one of the truck's two collectors(one on each truck), and chassis ground.  Connect the DC sides of the rectifiers in parallel and to the bulbs.