# Track Powered Passenger Cars



## Mwaldmann (Jan 11, 2013)

I have been searching around the internet for a solution, i have found several ideas but no clear ways to do it.

I have a 2 Bachmann passenger cars that have battery powered lights, and i am tired of replacing the batteries and want to convert them to Track Powered. I ordered from Bachmann a set of the Jackson Sharp powered Trucks to convert them, but i know it can't be as easy as disconnect the battery terminals and connect them to the Truck wires.

I am in process of creating a new ceiling layout for my nephew, which will make changing batteries difficult and annoying, so I want my two Passenger Cars Track Powered.

The Cars are each powered by a 9v battery, while running the trains i get maybe 5 hours total of battery ( That is of use in the batteries, no i am not running the train for 5 hrs)

If there is someone out there that can help me. I am not an electrician, so i may have more questions if you tell me wiring stuff.


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## FlagstaffLGB (Jul 15, 2012)

Good morning, since you hint that your wiring skills may be limited, you might want to get help from a local club or G-scale hobbyist who isn't afraid to tackle this. I find it kinda funny since I have five Union Pacific passenger cars that I am removing the track pickup shoes from so that I can use battery power...oh well. Anyway, normally the pickup wheel set are metal with two small spring loaded brushes that push against the inside of the wheel flange are located adjacent to the truck and between the axle(s). My real problem is that this adds a lot of friction and can then limit the number of cars pulled. Regardless, this allows power from the track to be transferred through the metal wheels to the brushes and then the wires that can be snaked through the bottom of the car or a small hole drilled to allow the passage of the wires. I prefer to use LED lights since the power draw is very small and they will stay lite for much longer than most 9 volt batteries would use in a couple of weeks. Anyway, if you remove the roof to your passenage car(s), the lights a probably connected in parallel with a red and black or white and black leads to the battery pack. All you should need to do is to snip the wire leads and then reconnect them to the two leads coming from the trucks under the train car. Add power to the track and the lights should come on. If you don't have "constant" lighting circuit, the lights will dim or get brighter as the power is applied and if you have any dirt on the rails or glitches in the power to the track, the lights may flicker. Of course if you have DCC, you can control this through the rails and keep the cars lite, even if the locomotive isn't moving. Good luck, I'm sure you'll find it is easier than you think. Ed


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## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

it can't be as easy as disconnect the battery terminals 
Well, it is almost that easy! The battery produces 9V and your track-power is probably 12-14V. All you have to do is keep the track power down to 9V and you'll be fine! 

However, it isn't the best solution, as one day you will run the train faster and the bulbs will all blow due to the high voltage. One option would be to put two sets of lights in the coach, connect them end-to end (in series) and feed them track power. Two 9V light sets = 18V required, so they should be fine. 

Another option is a rechargable battery that is charged from the track power. That way it works all the time the train is running - but you will have to disconnect (turn off) the battery after each run as they don't like being completely run down, which might be a pain for a ceiling track. 

You really need a 'voltage regulator' that will prevent too much voltage getting to the lamps. I'll let the experts tell you where to find one of them.


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## Mwaldmann (Jan 11, 2013)

Thanks for the insights. I am curious now about the idea regarding rechargeable batteries being charged by the tracks. That would be i think more manageable....

Any ideas where i can find information about that?


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## Mwaldmann (Jan 11, 2013)

Thanks for the information, i Just found this website - Does this make sense?

http://www.trainweb.org/girr/tips/tips5/pass_lighting_tips.html#reg


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## Dan Pierce (Jan 2, 2008)

Change to LED's. Battery will last a lot longer especially if you wire them in series and limit them to 10ma. 2 9 volt bulbs in parallel can be 100 ma, so the battery with leds can last maybe 10 times longer. 

Start with a 330 ohm resistor and 2 leds at 3 volts/20 ma each in series with the 9 volt battery. As the battery voltage drops with use, the current average will be approx 10 ma. 


Of course track power with leds, bridge rectifier and a storage capacitor to eliminate flicker would be better in the long run, but when the analog train stops, no lights unless you have digital track power.


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## lownote (Jan 3, 2008)

It's very easy to connect them to track power: left hand track power lead to one light wire, right hand track power wire to the other light wire. but as mentioned the lights in the coaches are probably 9 volt incandescent bulbs, and if you get much above that--by turning up the power--you will blow the lights. You could connect them as Pete mentioned, or get a voltage regulator from radio shack and wire it into the circuit. 

As mentioned also, changing to LEDs would make a big difference. They draw less power.

Dave Bodnar has some really excellent articles here:

http://www.trainelectronics.com/articles.htm

I don't like batteries either, and run all the lights on my cars through the track, but I use a DCC system and so I have a constant 20 volts on the track. For each coach, I have a bridge rectifier and a large electrolytic capacitor, to prevent flickering


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## J Dale (Dec 15, 2011)

Looking at the web site offered it initially looked manageable but for those of us with limited electrical talent are there products that can be purchased completed for rechargeable or replaceable battery with LED lighting


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## lownote (Jan 3, 2008)

Try here:

http://www.dallee.com/LED_lighting.htm


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

*http://www.dallee.com/LED_lighting.htm*


Greg


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## Dick Friedman (Aug 19, 2008)

When I started building my passenger car fleet, I began with Bachmann Jackson and Sharpe cars. Some I bought new, some used, some I built from kits, some came in sets. It seemed that each production run was slightly different. Some were track powered, some were batter powered, some were unpowered and hence had no lights in them. 

Because I wanted to run long trains of the lighted cars, I decided to use LEDs. My design uses a single ower supply to take power from the track, rectify it and reduce the current to .02 ma, and then connect the cars together with small power cables. The power supply can light as many as 20 LEDs or as few as those in the combine (three). 

It does not use resistors, but an LED driver which controls current rather than voltage. Since I began this, I've developed a printed circuit board to make wiring this simple. I removed all the incandescent bulbs and installed electric wires in the clerestorys, and hooked and soldered LEDs across them. Since you've already got the power pickup trucks, that's probably the most complex part of the process. And LEDs leave a lot of power for running trains. 

This isn't as complex as it sounds.


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Dick, I believe you meant .02 amp, as in 20 milliamperes, not .02 ma as in 2 hundredths of a milliampere .... would not correct you except it is the beginners forum... (those would be some damn efficient LEDs huh?) 

20 milliamperes or 20 ma is 0.02 amp... this is a typical current draw for a LED, although often in lighting 10 ma is plenty. 

I assume you use the CL2 current regulator IC Dick? 

Greg


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## Dick Friedman (Aug 19, 2008)

You are correct Greg. 20 ma is the correct current drain. Yes I use the CL2 IC. I've got a schematic of the circuit I use. Word of warning. CL2 doesn't work after you've wired in backward! The CL2 circuit seems to power an unlimited number of LEDs on either AC or DC, or variable DC to the limit of my power packs.


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Yeah, I have hooked them up backwards! working voltage tops to about 90v if i remember right. 

Greg


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## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By Mwaldmann on 11 Jan 2013 09:23 AM 
Thanks for the information, i Just found this website - Does this make sense?

http://www.trainweb.org/girr/tips/tips5/pass_lighting_tips.html#reg



Yes, it makes perfect sense. George's 'tips' are invaluable. 
What he suggests is a voltage regulator, which was also mentioned by quite a few other posts. It prevents excess volts getting to the bulbs.

However, as you stated you know very little about electrics, you might find it a bit tricky. (Which I why I suggested stringing two sets of lights together - an easy solution.)

LEDs were mentioned, and they have the advantage of not being very tricky - once you include the resistor in the circuit, and if you add a full-wave bridge so that they work both forward and reverse.


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## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

Any ideas where i can find information about that? 
The sound system suppliers, notably Soundtraxx, used to charge the battery from the track so their sound system never lost power. They did incorporate a voltage regulator (as discussed above) so I would consider it a refinement.


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## Mwaldmann (Jan 11, 2013)

Thanks all.. A lot of Food for thought. I may have to put some more time into this. I am going to see if there is someone from a Local Train Club who might be able to help. 

Ok I went looking around at the LED Lights... What about the 12v Led Cuttable flexible Lighting Strips? Has anyone Used them in an application light mine. I Know that some of them would be very bright, but there are lower intensity ones. Thoughts?


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Aristo heavyweight cars with stock lighting (notice the bulbs beaming right into your eyes and the "hot spots" and uneven lighting.











two strips in series running from abut 23 volts DCC on the rails:









more even lighting, lower profile makes it so no beaming out the clearstory, lower current.

Greg


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

By the way, incandescent lamps need a constant voltage... LEDs operate on constant current. So a voltage regulator does very little for LED lighting. 

I've simplified my response to keep it helpful. 

Greg


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