Is there any place that sells the tiny little connectors that come on some locos? The kind that connect the tender to the loco electrically. I tried Radio Shack but had no luck.
J.P.
What brand of loco?
Rich
I believe that Micro Mark might sell what you are looking for.
Magnus
How about larger connectors? I have a couple of liftoff areas on my layout with structures on the liftoffs. I realize now that this is something to avoid in the future, but for now I’m kind of stuck with it. What kind of connectors could I get for a dozen or so wires? Some of these wires carry current for multiple incandescent bulbs or Miller Engineering neon signs, so I don’t want to go with small-diameter stuff. Thanks in advance.
Try Jameco or Mouser. Jameco even still carries the old Cinch-Jones plugs that modular groups used to use.
Both carry all sorts of sizes of mini connectors.
I get small male/female matching connectors from Litchfield Station. Also, muti-pin. The six pin I sometimes cut into a two pin and a four pin. Depends on the installation. They are a little smaller than the ones from Micro Mark. Here is a link to making your own connectors. They also have small shrink tubing.
http://members.shaw.ca/sask.rail/plug-and-socket/Little-Plugs-and-Sockets.html
Rich
Don’t be afraid to wander out of the train department at the LHS. The model airplane guys have these connectors called Deans Plugs which are nice and small. I HAD aquired a small supply of them, from the Tool Lady actually, to use where the lights would be in the shell of the loco and the decoder fastened to the chassis, so I could totally remove the shell if desired, not leave it dangling by some wires. In this case I had 3 pin ones - blue, white, and yellow DCC leads.
–Randy
How about automotive trailer light connectors? They come in mating pairs, up to 6 conductors, heavy gauge wire, high current capacity, very sturdy.
That’s what I was thinking. If you just need a generic plug/socket, check out an RC car/plane shop. I’ve seen all kinds of them for those hobbies.
I got these connectors at a local electronic supply warehouse for just a few bucks. You can cut off whatever number of pins you need with a utility knife, then solder on whatever length of wire is required.
I used them to add power pick-up from the tender on my modified Athearn Mikados.
I used a small drill bit in a pinvise to make shallow holes in the plastic, then filled them with a dab of paint to ensure that the plugs get connected properly.
Wayne
I have started to convert to a 2 pin plastic connector that is used in building computers. It provises a more solid mechanical connection and a very reliable electrical connection. I started converting after the male side of the single pin connector put in got broken off after a violent wreck. On our layout, we have 2 main lines and a branch, the connection for the power between modules goes into a Bus bar, then out the otherside and into a 4 pin trailer plug for the main and a 2 pin plug for the branch.