Installing Track Lighting on Passenger cars

[New ChooChoo]

  OK! So I have the train set and now I was going to install the optional track lighting on the passenger cars. I must be doing something wrong and don't know it. Everytime I hook up the wires and turn on the power, the power supply says I have a SHORT. Am I only supposed to use ONE of the trucks for the power or both? Looking at the wheel sets, are they insulated on one side. They don't look it to me.  I am connecting neg to neg to the neg terminal on the battery box and pos to pos on the positive terminal. Tried different connections and it still does it. Take the car off the track and everything is OK. I must be missing something??

PS....the cars are the Jackson & Sharp battery operated G scale.

[Loco Bill Canelos]

New Choo choo,

It is best to use both trucks to reduce flicker from dirty track.  The trucks are insulated and must be wired the same way.  The red wire for example MUST go to the wipers on both trucks on the right hand side of the car, and the black to the left on the other side.

If you place one truck on the tracks and the lights work fine, and then place the other truck on the track and get the short then all you have to do is reverse the wiring on one of the trucks.

If you retained the on off switch one side must be wired to the switch for it to work.  I recommend it, as keeping it off during daylight will extend the bulb life.

Some have made the mistake of hooking up the wires at the battery box, or the on off switch incorrectly.  This would cause a direct short.

See if this works!

[New ChooChoo]

    Well I have been working on the train layout this week. All the track arrived and I have been busy laying it out. One thing I did find is that all NEW track necessarily isn't made right. The engine seemed to have a problem going around a couple of the curves, like the drive wheels were binding with the track. I narrowed it down to the section causing the problem and replaced it with another piece and that took care of it.

     The power supply that came with this set, surely is NOT large enough. I do have the Bachmann 44902 but have an idea that I am going to need the 5 amp booster to go with it. Once in the past when I ran LS I used an MRC 6200 power supply and that gave the engine enough oomph to move good!

   As far as sound.....I would like to add a whistle and bell to the chuffing it already has. I don't know if I want to go with DCC though. I am finding that Digitrax is about the only one that offers a decoder large enough to handle the LS....5amps......and that is a motor and function decoder only. I can add the SoundBug and get the sounds but I am not sure what to do. I just want to be able to push a button or two and get the whistle and bell sounds. So many decisions!! LOL!! Any suggestions??

[Loco Bill Canelos]

Did you get the lights working?

[New ChooChoo]

No not yet. I may work on that tomorrow. I think I know how to hook them up although I am not really sure. Will give it a try.