interior lighting for old time passenger cars

[noviceho]

any ideas for easy interior lighting of durango and silverton passenger cars

[AGSB]

LED strips.

[noviceho]

thanks will give it a whirl

[Doneldon]

novice-

The lights in those old-time passenger cars would have been kerosene so
try to use warm LEDs rather than the bluish high intensity or daylight LEDs.

Good luck with your project.
                                             -- D

[noviceho]

thanks for the tip

[jward]

led voltage and current draw is low enough you could power them off batteries. I did this years ago for flashing marker lights in several cabooses. my flashers would run about 18 months off a single aa battery. your interior lights will undoubtedly dray more current, but you could still power them off batteries and save yourself the hassle of trying to install pickups off the wheels to power them. battery holders are readily available at radio shack.

[Doneldon]

led voltage and current draw is low enough you could power them off batteries. I did this years ago for flashing marker lights in several cabooses. my flashers would run about 18 months off a single aa battery.

Jeff-

You are so right. Rapido's Easy-Peasy passenger car lights use tiny watch batteries and a magnetic reed switch for power. I don't know how long they last but it has to be a reasonable amount of time or they wouldn't be able to sell them. One could put three AA or AAA cells in the aisle between the seats and I'll bet they would last a very long time, like years. The only hassle would be waving the magic wand over every car to turn the lights on or off.
                                                                                                                                -- D

[jward]

in my cabooses I didn't use an on off switch. it simply wasn't worth the added cost and complication when my batteries lasted so long. I figure that it would have taken me over ten years to recoup the cost of the switch.

[trolley]

If you refer to the past issues of Railroad Model Craftsman, around September of 1993, there was an article about A New Constant Intensity Lighting Circuit.  There was a correction to this article in a subsequent issue, a few months later.   I used this circuit to install such Bi-directional Constant Intensity Headlights in an original version of the Bachmann E60CP, along with Low-Voltage Bulbs, and LED's later.

This Circuit utilizes one or two LM317T Voltage Regulators and one or two 1N4001 Diodes.   The article will contain the exact part numbers, in case these are incorrect.

You can use Trucks with Insulated Metal Wheels and Axles, such as those from Jay-Bee or Northwest Shortline, and the Power Pickups, for the Truck Axles, from the Lighting Kits which were available from Athearn, for the old 72 foot Streamlined Passenger Car Kits.   These Lighting Kits may still be available from Athearn .   The Diodes and Voltage Regulators are available from Jameco.   The Diodes cost about $.05 each and the Voltage Regulators $.50 each, or less.   Bulbs and LED's are also available from Jameco, at very reasonable prices.

This Circuit, with either Low-Voltage Bulbs or LED's, could be installed inside the car, under the ceiling, with wires leading to the truck bolts, and therefore the power pickups for the wheels.

Please note that this  Constant Intensity Lighting Circuit, and possibly others, will NOT work with a Power Pack that has Proportional Tracking Control or some similar system which uses AC superimposed on track DC Voltage, in order to provide better performance by a Locomotive.  If used with such a Power Pack, the Light Intensity will still vary with the track voltage.   Power Packs such as the Control Master 20, by MRC, have the option of turning off this feature.

[RAM]

Old time passenger cars would not have much light.  oil lamps did not put out much light.