Passenger Car Lighting

Technical Question for the group:

I'd like to add lighting to my passenger cars (I have already come up with a decent way to do this using LEDs and a capacitor for dirty track). The dilemma for me is the one grade on my layout (I'm not sure the %).?

I'm running Marklin equipment and steam locos are notoriously bad pullers and any grade can seriously hinder their pulling power. The problem with lights I find are the wheel wipers required for pickup. Even when you can get them to touch the wheels or axels just enough to provide power this increases drag on the cars and that means you need more pulling power.?

I realize folks may use double headed options like in the prototype but I have an idea which I'd like some feedback on before I experiment with rolling stock. It goes like this:

Let's say I want to pull four to five cars with lighting. Depending on the style of passenger car that is at least two axels/wheels needed/car to provide power. In a five car train that's at least 10 wheels/axels with wipers and that's a lot of drag.?

Now if I can reduce the number of wipers while still getting sufficient power my idea is this: ?with my five car scenario I would only tax two cars with wipers and connect each car together in line with two wires. Each set would run from one car to the next and be soldered onto the next car's LED board and each car would have a capacitor on it's board for dirty track. Obviously this would mean the cars would be permanently ?attached to each other but I am fine with that as most passenger sets come together as a set and I can still detach them from the locos.?

I am running my locos in DCC so there is no shortage of track power. My real question is am I missing an obvious (or not so obvious) hiccup with this possible solution?

Thank you all in advance for your input.

Anthony

#76373
Edited

?

Since you have DCC:

?

Change out wipers for Phosphor-Bronze .010 wire feed through the bolster, to reduce drag. Wire a SuperCap or LiPo battery, charge current id more than enough, if learn the minimum pre-charge time.

?

Or do the same SuperCap or LiPo battery but charge with a micro-JST connector underneath. (you can get R/C or others, and Amazon) prewired.

Jeff
NorCal Z (Sacramento)
’San Francisco Bay Area Z’
a.k.a. 'The BAZ BoyZ'

kirksanton

#76374

Have you thought about picking up power via the axles rather than the wheels? It’d reduce the drag especially if you could use a graphite contact such as a modified motor brush. You’d need to ensure that the wheel sets were suitably aligned in order to pickup from both rails. Good luck in developing a solution.

#76375
Edited

So far I have ONLY tried picking up from the axels and bending the phosphor bronze pickups is tricky because even a tiny bit to snug creates drag on the axels

#76376

Check out High Tech Modellbahnen (HTM). Their web address is?. Achim Grob is easy to deal with and has no ?problems shipping to the US. Just do not be in a hurry, may take a few weeks for items to arrive. He has set ups to do exactly what you are trying to do. HTM is also about the only place to get LED replacement bulbs for the Marklin 8953 bulbs and others. Will warn you the bulbs get kind of spendy but what the heck, WE are Z Scalers: We know all about that. Hope this helps

High Tech ModellbahnenHigh Tech ModellbahnenHigh Tech Modellbahnen

#76377

Anthony,?
Thank you for your post.

You have inspired me to once again attempt to model this Train (With Lighting) for the 1896 -1906 Era.

After many failures in N Scale with specifically this scene; since 1977....I may be able to do it next time.
Partially due to the easy access of 100 ?SMD lights via China PAK mail at $17.51.

What I am about to do...was not possible just five short years ago...
Pre-Pandemic.
For one, I didn't have the attitude required.
Much of what I use today in modeling was/is NOT found in Brick & Mortar Train Store Shelves...of yesteryear.
(Many of which have since closed.)

I have become far more serious at times...even a bit Mean.
Example....
I have adopted 21st Century tools...from one simple tweezer to a variety of surgical tweezers.

Along with an all new for me Workbench with Incra 1/4's Channels to hold things in place with both

Sun Natural and LED lights to illuminate my work
====
My next attempt is to create a 4 Poster Stanchions of Code 40 (discarded from failed attempts at hand laid) Rail.
The tiny metal stanchions are replacing failed 4 poster stanchions from Plastic and Toothpicks.

I am not using failed Mini JST Connectors between the cars but instead very thin wiring to resemble two pairs of the 1886 Westinghouse Air Brake Dual Systems between cars.
Meaning ...The Passenger cars will be wired as one train.

Each four post metal stanchion to fit precisely into the corner of the chassis with just enough room for the top shell/roof with windows (perhaps replaced with thin Microscope Glass) to fit over the array.
Yes, I just ordered N Scale 3D printed interior parts for such 19th Century Cars.

The lighting to each side of the Stanchion and down the center to reflect (literally) the lighting of the era 1896-1906.
With the Swinging Oil Lamps (x3), since the Civil War, being augmented with electric lights (x6) above the passenger seating.

I have a wide collection from Other People's Failed and/or Defunct layouts of the?
Bachmann Cars.
Micro Train Civil War era Cars
and?
Athearn/Roundhouse cars & Kits...(pennies to the Train Store MSRP+$)
Meaning ...I am bit less afraid to fail.
... all re-equipped with Z Scale MTL Couplers
but for this next endeavor...
I may try the new MTL couplers which are not meant for switching...(not so easily decoupled).
There may be a bit less Slinky Effect as well, though my trains don't often show that phenomenon.

I use varieties of tiny neodymium magnets from eBay ($19.95 per 500) to test and re-weight not only the individual car but in groups of three or more till the whole train begins to have it's own Center of Gravity, down the center of the train; in conjunction with my #1 Test Steam Locomotive from Japan.

>> I also make my own cheat conductivity end cone devices; ?from Kato Caboose & Tender Parts.

What I am doing today on my dual FUBAR and SNAPFU Layouts resembles little to what I was attempting to do prior to 2018, in my last Basement Train Room:
Freight and Urban Basically Articulated Railway.
Stockton Normally Articulated Passenger, Freight and Urban.

I could not achieve what I am doing today in such an inhospitable basement of a Train Room.
Then after just four years of occupancy 2012-2016); I began to find warped Kato Unitrack.

I could not achieve what I am doing today in such an inhospitable basement of a Train Room
/g/LayoutConstruction/message/1335?p=%2C%2C%2C20%2C0%2C0%2C0%3A%3Acreated%2C0%2CDFW%2C20%2C2%2C0%2C89572139

Prior to 2018, I was a strong Kato Unitrack sort of guy with boxes of Peco, Shinohara, Atlas and Flieschmann Snap Track as well.
Now...
Post Pandemic, where I believed I died three times...I became even more serious.
After 100% success with Code 55, I am failing and learning all over again with Code 40 Rail.

I will be making my 4 poster Lighting Stanchions with such Failed Rail.
Time to Begin Again !
We who are about to live 100 years...Salute You!
:)) Mark

Muddvile, California.

开云体育

Passenger Car Lighting