My article on truck electrical pickup has moved to:
http://www.darksidemodeler.com/tender_wipers/
Thank you if you visit
Harold
Clever use of "found" materials that we all have handy. The material is phosphor bronze, which is mostly used for springy electrical contacts; Kadee's adaptation of phosphor bronze to coupler springs is an unusual use, and converting those springs to electrical contacts is a great idea.
I've built supplemental pickup shoes that ride the railhead on tenderless locos, and put wipers on tender trucks; it really helps. I find that a little less friction is created when the contacts touch the axle, but on an insulated wheel, the back of the wheel is fine.
Hi,
Thank you for this wonderful idea.
Frank
"If you need a helping hand, you'll find one at the end of your arm."
Harold, thank you for the original idea, from way back. I use them on my caboose trucks to power the markers.
Nick
Take a Ride on the Reading with the: Reading Company Technical & Historical Society http://www.readingrailroad.org/
Hi Harold
Thanks for the link. It would be nice if all your projects could be modified to PDF and available somewhere. I have the HTML's of a few of your projects I have Zipped and sent to a few people here.
I use a Linux operating system and have not figured out how to convert to PDF's.
Removing lettering was one of them.
Your ideas are used by many people. You probably have received very few emails about this.
Rich
If you ever fall over in public, pick yourself up and say “sorry it’s been a while since I inhabited a body.” And just walk away.
I don't get it Harold--I thought you were now doing "vitrual" model railroading and had stopped working with 3d real models.
I build railroad models in 3d and model railroads virtually. I never have stopped modeling just changed my priorities.
I discovered building a model railroad at my age is overwhelming and my main interest is really finding new and interesting ways of doing things. Small diorama-ish railroading is fun when I can think of new creative methods.The idea of endlessly doing the same things on a large model railroad has lost my interest. My main 3d interest is Sn3.5. It requires the most creativeness to develop models from HO and Sn3. Now I have the big layout syndrome off my back. Hallelujah!!!
Virtual railroading gives me the opportunity to truly "rubber". I can build my Interstate in the 1950's and the B&O in the 1870's. Operating a railroad in a realistic fashion alone is only possible in the virtual world. In the virtual world I can move a 112 coal train on the Clinchfield.
hminkyMy main 3d interest is Sn3.5.
This week, anyway.
Midnight RailroaderhminkyMy main 3d interest is Sn3.5. This week, anyway.
What does it matter what my interests are? I have supplied a whale of information to the model railroad world that no one else has because of my "weekly" interests. Which is really surprising.
It is terrible when no one has anything interesting on the internet. If my crap was some of the most informative the hobby is really sorry. Why there have been people on this forum who have even rehashed my material as their own and their "posse" have said how great it is.
As someone once said "What have you done for us lately, bunky?"
Edit: I have been building Sn3.5 models since 1973.
Hi
Great idea Harold! Do you know roughly how long before the "fingers" wear out?
Jim
dieselsmoke HiGreat idea Harold! Do you know roughly how long before the "fingers" wear out? Jim
It is the same phosphor bronze that is used in most locomotive pickups. It should last a reasonable length of time.
Hey harold.
I used your method to power my athern snowplow and other projects great idea. I would never have thought of that. I tried your link to update my favorites page but it did not come up. Did you remove it?
Mike
alco's forever!!!!! Majoring in HO scale Minorig in O scale:)
rs2mikeHey harold. I used your method to power my athern snowplow and other projects great idea. I would never have thought of that. I tried your link to update my favorites page but it did not come up. Did you remove it? Mike
If you mean the old Pacificcoastairlinerr.com site, I am between computers and webhosts. I will eventually re-load the old site.
Was that the link you posted at the top of this thread? If so then ok I will wait till you get update.
The link in the thread is the new one.
Harold, Thank you for the HowTo, very good idea.
How do you isolate the two sides?
Wolfgang
Pueblo & Salt Lake RR
Come to us http://www.westportterminal.de my videos my blog
hminkyWhat does it matter what my interests are? I have supplied a whale of information to the model railroad world that no one else has because of my "weekly" interests.
Relax, no need to be so defensive. See that smiley face after my comment?
Thanks, I saved the page for future reference.
Enjoy
Paul
Thank you Harold, I have always found your website top be very helpful.
"The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination."-Albert Einstein
http://gearedsteam.blogspot.com/
real glad i saw this. been wanting to put lites in my cabose cars for a long time but didnt know how to try it. what a good idea and i got a big pile of kd springs. can i use the same lites thats in athern engines?
nbrodar Harold, thank you for the original idea, from way back. I use them on my caboose trucks to power the markers. Nick
Hello All
Realize, only works like the photo for non metal trucks. Can be done with metal trucks but isolate one wiper somehow. I use #30 wire for connection to decoder.
When you see something like this, save the site to your PC as a HTML. File/Save As.
You will end up with two Icons. A HTML Icon and a Files Icon.
That way when the site goes away, you have the original data in your PC.
Click on the HTML file in your PC and the page opens up as if the site was still around. Just no click-able links.
I have saved a lot of Harold's stuff to my PC as his site goes away eventually.
I do this with many other sites owned by one person.
I sometimes store pages from this fourm like that.
i counted 5 caboses i want to lite up. been cheking my parts pile for lites. got a couple of athearn engine bulbs but they look way to brite when lit up in dcc and get hot. is there soemthing better?
I tried this soultion on a couple of locomotives of my own, for auxilliary power pickups on the tenders. And it really, really works!
Except that now I have all of these #5 Kadee coupler parts that I have no idea what to do with...
I have figured out what is wrong with my brain! On the left side nothing works right, and on the right side there is nothing left!
stebbycentralpt that now I have all of these #5 Kadee coupler parts that I have no idea what to do with...
That is why I bought the coupler springs separately.
richg1998 stebbycentralpt that now I have all of these #5 Kadee coupler parts that I have no idea what to do with... That is why I bought the coupler springs separately. Rich
Wasn't aware you were allowed to do that..
DJOi counted 5 caboses i want to lite up. been cheking my parts pile for lites. got a couple of athearn engine bulbs but they look way to brite when lit up in dcc and get hot. is there soemthing better?
If the lights get hot, you probably have 12 volt bulbs in the locos. Switch to 1.5 volt bulbs and use a resistor. Miniatronics has some nice 1.5 volt, 1.2mm diameter light bulbs. You can also use LED's and a resistor to limit the current to about 15ma. A 750 ohm resistor is a good size to use for LED's.
stebbycentralrichg1998 stebbycentralpt that now I have all of these #5 Kadee coupler parts that I have no idea what to do with... That is why I bought the coupler springs separately. Rich Wasn't aware you were allowed to do that..
Check the Kadee site.
Caboose lighting. Below is what I use. It has a Super Capacitor.
I have complete instructions from the author but do not want to post them here. I can PM the instructions if anyone is curious.