Carriage lighting for DCC layouts, a How-to.

Discussion in 'Hornby RTR' started by Keith M, Sep 9, 2016.

  1. Keith M

    Keith M Staff Member Moderator

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    My Lenz system is supplied by the 5 amp transformer, so I've probably got a way to go yet, and if needed, I can always upgrade it further. Anyway, Toto wanted to see what I made of the Bachmann buffet car, so here we go. This was a bit more difficult to do than the Hornby's, but still do-able. The weight of these is still on the light side, and the base weight is awkwardly shaped, so I left it in place, just adding in extra lead under the interior moulding. You can see the 4 grey strips, each 2 layers of lead strip.

    Attached files [​IMG]
     
  2. Keith M

    Keith M Staff Member Moderator

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    The LED's install exactly as per the Hornby coaches, managing to sneak the circuit board into the end compartment where it cant be seen. Reassembling the interior after painting, adding passengers (and a couple of white jacketed 'stewards'!), it leaves just the underside/bogie pickup to do. This is a bit more difficult to clear the pickup wires through from the body, so as there was a small hole in the 'roof' of the bogie itself, I drilled two more at each side of this hole, blending all 5 holes into a crescent shape and thus allowing the bogie to swivel whilst still clearing the pickup wires. Hopefully you can get some idea of what I've done in this pic.

    Attached files [​IMG]
     
  3. Keith M

    Keith M Staff Member Moderator

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    With the pickup wires now soldered into place , this is what it looks like. The coupling setup is somewhat more complicated than most Hornby coaches (though I have some 'Pullmans' with a similar assembly), and careful positioning of the pickup wires is necessary on assembly to make sure the wires don't foul the coupling assembly as it swings from side to side.

    Attached files [​IMG]
     
  4. Keith M

    Keith M Staff Member Moderator

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    Having got it all back together, it's now testing time, and all is well!

    Attached files [​IMG]
     
  5. Keith M

    Keith M Staff Member Moderator

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    This is the Hornby brake coach, with red rear lamp fitted.

    Attached files [​IMG]
     
  6. Keith M

    Keith M Staff Member Moderator

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    .....and finally, the five coaches, finished and lit up on the tracks. Another job jobbed!
    Keith.

    Attached files [​IMG]
     
  7. Keith M

    Keith M Staff Member Moderator

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    As an aside to this, the only snag I've experienced with these coaches is that the Bachmann 's couplings are lower than Hornby's. Normally, I remove the tension locks and fit Kadee's, as my entire stock is so fitted, but having tried No 20's, the height difference is more obvious, and the coaches won't stay coupled, so I've reverted to tension locks at both ends of the Bachmann, and the ends of the Hornbys that couple either side of the Bachmann to solve the problem. Since I'll be keeping these 5 coaches in a complete rake anyway, it isn't a problem, but once again, why can't UK manufacturers stick to the NMRA height standard??? Incidentally, apologies for the 'junk' visible in the left lower corner of the last pic, an 'occupational hazard' when I have a number of jobs 'on-the-go', which is pretty much all of the time!:avatar:

    Keith.
     
  8. paul_l

    paul_l Staff Member Administrator

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    Hi Keith

    My only suggestion for the coupling height issue, is to remove the NEM pocket and fit a Kadee Draft box, you can pack the box using plastic shims, and then have access to the over and under center couplings.

    Paul
     
  9. charliepetty

    charliepetty Full Member

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    Hi all!
    ESU have introduced DCC carriage lighting that allows separate compartments to be on or off as required, video attached.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBmCSc1pJfw They are in White (Modern Stock) & Yellowish for older stock. Brilliant. Charlie
     
  10. Toto

    Toto I'm best ignored Staff Member Founder Administrator

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    The lighting level looks spot on. Neither too dull or blinding. Look really good Keith.:thumbs:

    Toto
     
  11. charliepetty

    charliepetty Full Member

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    charliepetty wrote:
    Also the Live Axle wheels with pre-fitted pickups are available in 12mm & 14mm too, making wiring them up dead easy.

    Charlie
     
  12. Toto

    Toto I'm best ignored Staff Member Founder Administrator

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    Very impressive. Some great defects and very programmable by the looks of things.

    Cheers
     
  13. Keith M

    Keith M Staff Member Moderator

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    Wonder how much? Bet you can't do about 10 coaches for £20!!!!! Not at ESU prices anyway. I've just received my MERG coach lighting kit to experiment with, it only switches lights on upon movement, turn off time after becoming stationary is variable. I'll report back when I have time to build the kit.
    Keith.
     
  14. charliepetty

    charliepetty Full Member

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    I totally agree, the MERG stuff is cheap, especially if after the first purchase you then source the additional components yourself, sadly not every one has skill & knowledge to electrically do this, so the ESU cost of around £17.99 is not too bad, especially if you have not a clue re electrics.
    Charlie
     
  15. Keith M

    Keith M Staff Member Moderator

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    paul_l wrote:
    Hi Paul.
    Only snag is that the Bachmann coach has a similar setup to some of my Hornby Pullmans inasmuch as when the bogie turns, it moves the entire coupling in the same direction (ie- coupling is fixed to each bogie as opposed to the ends of the body itself). I did experiment a while ago exactly as you suggested, but ended up reinstating the original setup as the coaches just derailed on bends since there was much more 'swingout' of the body. Since I intend keeping this set of coaches together, it's no problem to have 'non-standard (for me!) couplings in the centre of the set.
    Keith.
     
  16. Keith M

    Keith M Staff Member Moderator

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    Hi Charlie.
    I appreciate where you're coming from with your point. I guess I'm fortunate in being a bit more "electrically savvy" than many, but in all honesty, ANYONE can 'push the boundaries' if they can handle a soldering iron, and lets face it, it's difficult to do much railway modelling these days without the ability to use one, especially if you are using DCC. Now that some coaches are fast approaching the £50 each cost, I can also understand some modellers being reluctant to risk taking a new one to pieces, and I know some will run scared of taking a £100+ loco apart to fit a decoder, but nothing ventured, nothing gained, and most folks find that after doing a couple of "easy" ones, it becomes commonsense. I'd guess that since there are many members who have DCC layouts and have chipped loco's themselves, advice would quickly be forthcoming if someone needed help or advice in doing it. I'd say that if you can successfully chip one of the dreaded Bachmann "split-chassis" loco's (I've done a couple), then not much else will cause you problems.
    Keith.
     
  17. Keith M

    Keith M Staff Member Moderator

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    Keith M wrote:
     
  18. Keith M

    Keith M Staff Member Moderator

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    Well, having received the Bachmann coach couplers, it seems that, at least on my tracks, there is insufficient length in them and buffer lock occurs, causing derailments. I'm back on Daughters bathroom/bedroom conversion presently so not much modelling time, but I'm considering making some longer couplers out of suitable 'Plasticard' and trying that. It doesn't really matter about appearance, as they'll be under my 'standard fit' carriage bellows, so not easily seen. I've been converting five Bachmann Mk1 Pullman coaches (the ones with the lighted table lamps) to my standard coach lighting setup, removing the table lamp optic fibres (the lamps only look like glow-worms anyway!), leaving the lamps themselves in place. These coaches are slightly more complicated as they have a small PCB fitted in each coach end which I remove, but pickups on all wheels are a bonus. I've just linked both sets of pickups and use one of my PCB's to feed however many LED's I deem necessary, fitted into the coach roof as normal. I've not bothered taking pics of this conversion, as it's really only a slight variation on my previous 'how-to', so anyone attempting this will be able to do it with little difficulty, though if anyone has questions, just ask and I'll do my best to help.
    Keith.
     
  19. paul_l

    paul_l Staff Member Administrator

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    Keith

    Are the buffers sprung - if so you could try sticking them in the retracted position, might just give enough free movement.

    Paul
     
  20. Keith M

    Keith M Staff Member Moderator

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    Hi Paul.
    Unfortunately the buffers are fixed, so no joy there. I'll be taking another look at possible alternatives when I have some free time.
    Keith.
     

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