Caboose lighting... how to pick up power?

[gmpullman]

Hi, All

I just recieved my Pennsy N-6 b cabin cars from Walthers and I'd like to be able to light the interior as well as have lit markers and I was wondering if there is a reliable way to pick up rail power through the trucks. There's a bunch of other cabooses that I'd like to have lit as well.

I really don't care for axel wipers because of the drag. Is there an aftermarket truck available that would have the bronze side frame strips that the axel bearing points fit into like some passenger car trucks have? These would be ideal.

The metal wheels have plastic axels so if I had to use a wiper it would have to be rubbing the back of the flange area...

Any Ideas???

Thanks, ED

[csmith9474]

I am not familiar with trucks on the Pennsy cabooses, but you may want to try to find some trucks here.....  http://www.greenwayproducts.com/a_brass_trucks.shtml .

These trucks should allow for a lighting circuit using track power fairly easily (I do use "easily" with reservation). I hope this helps

[cacole]

You will have to fabricate or find electrical pickup wipers that can be fitted to the trucks.  After doing this with one caboose, I have begun to put batteries with a small on/off switch inside them instead of trying to get power from the track.

I did one caboose with track pickups for the lights and used pickup wipers that rub on the axles, but I don't remember where I got them from.  Since I was going to be powering LEDs, I had to also insert a bridge rectifier and voltage regulator citcuit in the caboose, along with a 1 Farad memory retention capacitor that was intended to go into a VCR.  I can take that caboose off of the track and the marker lights and interior LEDs will continue to glow for about 15 minutes before the capacitor is discharged.

[Don Gibson]

I LIKE the Jay Bee caboose lighting kit.

1. It has a superior track electrical pickup that includes Metal wheels. 2. The lighting board puts out 3 v for LEDs. 3. The flashing tailight can be disconnected or left on.

I like to add 2 #807 1.5 v. TOMAR Adlake  marker lanterns (in series) for looking prototpe.

http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/369-157

[pcarrell]

It's not too hard to do yourself.  This is an N scale steam loco tender, but it's the same idea.

 http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j319/pcarrell/N%20Scale%20Trains/Model%20Power%204-4-0%20Camelback/agn.jpg

[gmpullman]

Thanks guys.

The N scale tender truck conversion is exactly what I'd like to do... in HO

I'll check out Greenway and Tomar and see what I come up with. Does anyone make those brass inserts that slip in behind the side frame in HO???

ED

 

[Don Gibson]

Thooper Thimple:

For N scale - (1) a pair of Tomar track wipers feeding your lighting.

(2) a AAA battery, on-off switch, and a 1.5v GOR bulb.

[pcarrell]

Thanks guys.

The N scale tender truck conversion is exactly what I'd like to do... in HO

I'll check out Greenway and Tomar and see what I come up with. Does anyone make those brass inserts that slip in behind the side frame in HO???

ED

Those could be made in HO with some tin snips, some filing, and a center punch to add the dimples.

[Anonymous]

I believe both Walthes and kato all have ready made kits.

[DigitalGriffin]

You didn't specify if this was DCC or DC.

Either way:

Tomar pickup shoes.  (And there is nothing wrong with axle wipers.  The friction isn't as high as you would think.)

And Miniatronics caboose light bar and rear end flasher.  (Or get some leds and attach to a 2+ function DCC decoder)

http://www.tonystrains.com/products/mini_effects.htm
http://www.miniatronics.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Category_Code=2

 

[Anonymous]

I tried the miniatronics caboose lighting kit for my new Walthers PRR caboose.  Installation went very nicely (including the wipers for the wheels, which didn't seem like they would cause a problem, and which I was going to paint with Neolube if they showed).  EXCEPT that the interior detail of the caboose interfered with the resistor assembly (if that's the right word).  I tried various ways of fitting it in but ended up wrecking the whole thing (not the caboose, just the miniatronics kit). 

 Presumably the Miniatronics kit is intended for empty cabooses.  Does anyone know of similar kits that would work for the Walthers?

[John Craig]

Does anyone know how to open the Walther's PRR n6 caboose to install something. has anyone actually done this?

[PennCentral99]

This is over in the Electronics and DCC area:

http://cs.trains.com/TRCCS/forums/t/203813.aspx

[bogp40]

gmpullman

Thanks guys.

The N scale tender truck conversion is exactly what I'd like to do... in HO

I'll check out Greenway and Tomar and see what I come up with. Does anyone make those brass inserts that slip in behind the side frame in HO???

ED

 

I've used them, but they create far more drag than axle/ wheel wipers. The JB truck PU along w/ the heavier JB wheelset works the best for me. That bronze"H" shaped axle wiper fits routes the power through the supplied truck/bolster screw for connection @ the floor above. Just need to make sure the wheel insulators are reversed on each thuck to allow each axle to power from each rail. (same as tender PU).

[PHARMD98233]

Take a look at these items from Streamlined Backshop

 

http://www.sbs4dcc.com/nandhocabooselighting.html

 

He also has the back of the wheel wipers available separately.  I have found them to be "bullet proof".

 

Also, the guy who makes the cars for " DCC Uncoupling" builds a nice axle point pickup.  He might sell them separately.

 

Tomar has started making a kit for Adlake Marker Lights using LED's instead of bulbs.

Walther's has it as 81-807L     This is another "bullet proof" product.

This is what I have been using for my cabeese and passenger tail cars along with the wipers from Streamlined Backshop.

 

[hobo9941]

Ring Engineering makes power pickup trucks suitable for cabooses and freight cars. It is the same truck used in their EOTs.

[gmpullman]

Hello Everyone...

This was an old thread that got reserructed recently.

My solution for the truck pickup quandry was the Bowser kit #74060 that was made to fit their PRR N-5 and N-5c caboose. The bronze wipers in the kit snap easily into the truck sill and are easily soldered to. Then for DCC I wire the pickups to the AC side of a rectifier and then to a resistor and an LED. The kit comes with an incandescent lamp and metal wheelsets.

Works for me! Thanks for all the responses...

[John Craig]

Thia may well work for me. Thank you.

[hobo9941]

After purchasing several EOTs from Ring Engineering, I Emailed them suggesting they sell me just the power pickup trucks for caboose lighting. They said they would consider it. This is what they now have. I purchased several, and they work great! I have no connection with Ring Engineering. Just a happy customer!

http://www.ringengineering.com/PowerPickUpTruck.htm

[yankee flyer]

Ed

For get about all the brass strips and such. This is the way you power your caboose.    
An MKT caboose on the katy trail in St. Charles Mo.
Enjoy

Lee

[View:http://cs.trains.com/TRCCS/themes/trc/utility/:550:0]

[View:http://cs.trains.com/TRCCS/themes/trc/utility/:550:

[John Craig]

I actually ended up using some protoypicaly accurate PSC brass truck with soldered wires.

[rrinker]

 Double belts, that's rather odd. Usually the generator hangs off the end of the truck, sort of where the middle idler pulley is. Looks like maybe a later update/retrofit, the way the bracked clamps over the truck sideframe there (sure there is some regulation about drilling or welding to the sideframes, like there is for heavy duty truck frames)

                       --Randy

 

[yankee flyer]

Randy

Big pulley driving small pulley two times to increase the speed of what looks to be a generator, as opposed to an alternator.
I just thought it was a fun photo.

Enjoy

Lee

[gatrhumpy]

Does anyone make pickups for N scale cabooses?