# Lighting in AMS J&S Coaches



## rrdude (Feb 21, 2008)

I love my new coaches, but the axles drag so bad the wheels hardly move.  While some I'm sure is due to the bushings not being worn in yet, the wipers (as on the caboose) add a LOT to the problem.

I'd like to convert them to battery, but am not sure on how to proceed.  (What size battery?  Direct connect (with switch) or need resistor, etc.)
The first idea is to place a battery in the corner without the window, but I have not had it apart yet and am not even sure if that is a lou or a cast iron stove/heater.  If a lavoritory, it would be great to hold a battery and I was thinking the chimney cout be modified into a rotery switch.  Perhaps a 9 volt could be placed under a bench if it is a stove in the corner. . . 

= = =

Has anyone already done this?  If so, How?


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## East Broad Top (Dec 29, 2007)

Scroll down on this thread to see how one fellow is doing it. The lavatory is an ideal place for batteries. The charging jack and switch are mounted to the floor. 

The J&S coach doesn't lend itself well to quick and easy removal of either the roof or floor, so access to the inside to change a battery requires a good amount of time. On my coach, I've replaced the metal floor with a scribed wood floor that's screwed to the plastic beamwork below, so it's one solid piece. Then, I cut off the "flanges" that fit inside the coach walls, so the floor can easily drop out without having to pry the sides out. Much, much easier. You could do that with the metal floor also, just trim the edges a bit, but since I'm redoing the interior, I figured it just as well to replace the entire floor. The metal adds some unnecessary weight. The car's plenty heavy without it. 

Later, 

K


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## East Broad Top (Dec 29, 2007)

*RE: Lighting in AMS J&S Coaches*

Okay, cut and paste the link--the URL tags don't seem to want to work for me recently. 

Incidentally, I'm using 12 volt lamps powered by a 9 volt battery in my car. I don't know what the lights in the original car are rated at, but the power does go through a voltage regulator first, so I'd guess 6 or 12 volts. 

Later, 

K


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## jimtyp (Jan 2, 2008)

*RE: Lighting in AMS J&S Coaches*

Has anyone tried the new Accucraft BB wheels with electrical pickup?


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## weaverc (Jan 2, 2008)

I've installed AMS ball bearing wheels on all my JS Coaches. They fit with no shims or modifications. It is an easy installation with only one journal bracket end screw to loosen and two small screws to remove for each wheelset installed.  When I reinstalled the small screws, I put a small dab of removable Loktite on the threads. I removed the wire slides and did not hook up the wires because I run the cars behind live steam K-27, but wire attachment looks like an easy task. I just cut the wires at the slides and tucked them under the frame to be out of the way. Now the JS Coaches roll beautifully.


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## jimtyp (Jan 2, 2008)

*RE: Lighting in AMS J&S Coaches*

Carl, did you use the old Ball Bearing wheels or the new ones? The new ones have a curved flange and a thinner end axle.


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## Madstang (Jan 4, 2008)

Well I wired in a MU plug in the back of my Hudson to power the lights on my USA Passenger cars..I rerouted the wires from my truck pickups, being careful that I could re-attach them back if I sold them...not!

ANYWAY.....I rerouted the track pickup wires and attached MU plugs so I could inter connect car-to-car....attached a MU plug in the Hudson's tender....that plug being attached directly to the battery...to the first's car MU plug.....some like Marty place a double pole double throw switch to select just what he wants to light or not light...my wife likes to watch the lights travel around the layout around the fence....so the full 18 volts are fine for my usage.  

In my railbusi my lights are powered by a battery pack of 8 cells, through the top mounted 9 volt plug..this battery pack is the kind bought at Radio shack, and holds 8 cells, 1.2 volt 2650 mah rechargable batteries....giving the power to 9.6 total volts...more then enough to give a glow.

In a couple of my caboosi I use the lights connected to a 9 volt battery...also giving the desired glow.

You can use the battery packs to light up your cars to give you what you want....rerouting the pickups to releave the drag will be worth it enough. 


Bubba


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## weaverc (Jan 2, 2008)

Jim,
I don't know if the BB wheels I installed are the new or old type, so I attached a picture. Also, I attached a picture of the truck with the BB wheels installed and I show the screw to be loosened and the 2 to be removed to install the wheels. I installed a battery box with a switch and a 9v battery to run the Tracksde Details brass lanterns I added to the back of the last of 5 JS cars. I did check to see if the battery would run the interior lights, and it does because there is a voltage regulator inside. The 9v battery seems to be sufficient, but I just use mine for the lanterns.


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## jimtyp (Jan 2, 2008)

*RE: Lighting in AMS J&S Coaches*

Ah, those are the old style. I think you said you run battery so you should be good to go, but they can cause shorts on track power. The new ones have a fix for that problem. 

Thanks for the pics and info on what to remove, gives me more confidence that I might be able to do the same. 

Nice addition of the marker lights and good detail. Whose did you use?


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## Gary Armitstead (Jan 2, 2008)

Carl

Thanks for the info on the wheels. Also great pix of the marker lights added and battery location.


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## rrdude (Feb 21, 2008)

*RE: Lighting in AMS J&S Coaches*

See my forum entry for info on how I did the bearings in my trucks, added lighting and even converted on into a combine.


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## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

*RE: Lighting in AMS J&S Coaches*

Phil Dippel sells an 'upgrade kit' consisting of a set of Sierra Valley wheels and 8 ball bearings that replace the stock brass ones. It's a very easy upgrade and only $30. 

http://www.philsnarrowgauge.com/ 

Once I had removed my wipers I connected a 9V battery and the lights worked great. As K says, they have a voltage regulator so you can use any battery that will light them - probably 3V is the minimum? (Anyone know?) If you plan on running with them on regularly, I'd use rechargeables.


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## Larry Green (Jan 2, 2008)

*RE: Lighting in AMS J&S Coaches*

rrdude, any chance of posting pictures of your combine here ay MLS? 

Larry


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## Big65Dude (Jan 2, 2008)

RRDude -


Here's how I installed rechargeable battery packs (from BatterySpace.com) in my two J&S coaches.














I kept the original 12vdc lighting system in place but used battery packs to power them. (Of course, I removed all the stock power pickup wipers and wiring from the trucks.) Here's a close up of Coach No. 29 at night.











Power for the lighting comes from rechargeable 7.4 volt lithium-ion battery packs hidden in the heads (pardon me for talking like a marine.) Coach No. 47 - shown here - has a three-way toggle switch that turns on all the lights or just the rear marker lamps only. That's the recharging jack just aft of the bulkhead, sticking down through the deck and held securely in place with *JB Weld* epoxy.) I could probably run a month or more between chargings. (I really can't say for sure - I've never actually run them down all the way yet.)











I put frosted glass in the bathroom windows to help hide the battery packs. To make the frosted windows I sprayed an even layer of _*Testor's DullCote*_ on the back of the clear ABS then, to add a touch of class to the "etched glass," I added the railroad logo. It's just a white decal (from Stan Cedarleaf) applied in reverse to the back of the "frosted" glass.


Good luck and have fun with your project.


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