Electrical Pickups in Micro Trains N Scale Heavyweight Passenger Cars

[gatrhumpy]

I have eight of these heavyweight passenger cars, and want to add lighting to them. I want to use track power for this project. Other than using Richmond Controls pickups or the others from SBC4DCC, is there anything out there that would allow for this in six wheel passenger trucks? Specifically, say from Kato, that have the built-in electrical pickups?

[ChicagoNW]

How complicated do you want to get?

You might consider this idea…
https://www.nscale.net/forums/album.php?albumid=439
One, two or three axles the technique works. It’s been around since electricity has been used to power model trains. You could probably light all your cars for the price of a pair of Kato trucks, plus enjoy your favorite beverage.

[gatrhumpy]

Those are high-drag trucks. I'm looking for less rolling resistance, similar to what KATO does, with their temruck pickups. They use the metal contracts that go outside the pointy parts of the wheels.

[MRLdave]

That's a tough one.........Kato does make a 6 wheel truck, but I'm not sure if it would be correct for a heavyweight car. It also would require cutting holes in the bottom of the car for the contacts to stick thru and installing some sort of wiper to transfer the power. And you would have to figure out the LED installation, AND you'd probably get a lot of flicker without some sort of stay-alive in each car. The MT cars also have plastic wheel sets, so you'd have to install metal wheels (maybe you already have). In the end, you are probably looking at spending twice what the cars cost. Walthers used to make passenger cars with optional lighting, but the 2 cars I have drag like the cars weigh 10 pounds each........I wouldn't recommend them at all. And Rivarossi/Atlas/ConCor used to make lighted passenger cars, but it would be hard to modify an MT car to take those trucks. Just wondering.....what is your opposition to battery light? At one time I thought MT was building their cars to take Easy-Peasy light kits. I know Rapido is also using E-P lighting.

[gatrhumpy]

I kind of wanted it controlled by DCC so I would not have to turn on the lights in each car individually. I have done exactly what you describe in your post for my N scale Polar Express passenger cars to get lights in them. They were no problem, as I enjoy the projects. If the battery option is the only way, I suppose I can live with that.

Does Kato even make six wheel passenger trucks with electrical pickups?

[ChicagoNW]

The amount of drag on the axles can be adjusted. The simplest way is how hard the pickup contacts the axle. A simple bend can reduce a lot of it. Also you don’t have to have the contact on all the axles, one per truck can do the job. Lastly there is the width of the contact itself. The album shows two types of contact strips. One is brass, the other an original factory contact from Arnold/Rapido. Narrow contacts = less drag. A wire is an extreme example of thin.

In addition to the contacts shown in the photos, I’ve used, phosphor-bronze wire, copper wire, aluminum and copper strips. The strips have multiple ways to reduce drag. First is the pressure the strip applies to the axle(s). Second, is the width of the strip as seen in the factory versus the homemade strip. Third is material, brass, copper, phosphor/bronze and aluminum, each with a different flexibility and amount of grab. Applying graphite to the axle and contact will reduce the minimal friction.

High drag is a relative thing. Sure, I couldn’t blow on my non-Kato passenger cars and have them roll away but I didn’t use many single powered truck Lima and Model Power locos either to pull and push them. I couldn’t tell you which cars had lighting until the track was powered. Plastic trucks with plastic axles have drag too. Real Heavyweight cars with friction bearings weren’t known for their ability to roll easily. Even when equipped with roller bearings, it still took a locomotive to move them around.

Since the MicroTrains cars are essentially re-pops of old Rivarossi cars the easier solution is the older one. Kato passenger trucks cannot be soldered to. I tried for my camera car and melted one. Removing the contact works until reassembly, when the wire+contact is too thick to fit. Enlarging the slot weakens the truck and makes the contact floppy. The wires can limit rotation of the truck, increasing derailments.

Kato makes several different six wheel trucks, buying the correct one can be difficult, not all of them have pictures…
http://search.cartserver.com/search/...l=AND&bool=AND

[nicki6]

I have at least 8 pairs of Kato 6 wheeled Baggage /RPO type black trucks with power pickups part # 800135 with couplers, clip mount. You can see a picture on the parts page. These are off the Pennsy passenger cars.. Take a look ,if you think they will work, you can have them...Let me know, Jim

[nicki6]

I am not seeing the soldering problem. Have done it many times and just ran it up though the slot. I used thin, flexable wire with no problems.

[gatrhumpy]

Yes!! I want them!! How much would you like for them?? @nicki6

[nicki6]

Send me your address and you can have them...no good to me...Jim

- - - Updated - - -

Have enough for eight cars....Jim