I know its a bit early for some, and way too early for others, but its just the right time to start any Christmas related railroad projects you may be planning… Especially buying the train set that will be your child’s Christmas Present…
I didn’t begin this thread to advertise for any of the hobby shops we might frequent, but I was buying supplies for Christmas Villages today and actually had a lighting question for anyone who might have an opinion…
I want to light my christmas villages, using either pea or seed bulbs… But the package says… use a/c powerpack… In the old days, last time I used lights on a train layout, they used 12v dc, I am not going to buy the peel and stick lights until I know if they will work with the 12v dc power adapter like you would use for lighting a doll house.
Help…
Jim
Howdy, pardner.
All of the DC model railroad power packs I own (a LOT, everything from toy train types to top-line MRC products) have AC terminals for powering accessories. If they aren’t powerful enough, any electronics store (I don’t want to use names) can provide you with a 12.6 volt filament transformer (center-tapped for 6.3V) rated up to 3 amps output. You’ll have to wire it yourself, but the 120V side is dead simple - hot and neutral to the input leads, ground to the transformer frame. I assembled mine (used for structure lighting) inside a plastic freezer box, then glued the top on. Three screw terminals in the lid provide me with 2 6.3v circuits and a 12.6v circuit. The wire-nutted 120V connections are inside the box, and the power cord started life as a cheap extension cord.
Or, for gross overkill, you could use a transformer intended for low-voltage outdoor lighting.
Chuck (modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
Last X-Mas I bought some grain of rice size lights that were battery powered. I think they were made to be put in a car or truck. They came in colored and all white. I think they take 2 AA batteries. I bought them at CVS pharmacey.
Quote “I know its a bit early for some, and way too early for others, but its just the right time to start any Christmas related railroad projects you may be planning… Especially buying the train set that will be your child’s Christmas Present…”
Well, for buying it may be early, but if you mess around and take as long as I do, it may be too late. I try to do specific and special things for special people, and some take a long gestation. Here is one that is not railroad but it is modeling. My cute 2nd cousin has a home that has been in her family for 3 generations. Would that not be a cool subject for a “heirloom” modeling project. My cousin has a daughter who could appreciate for time to come. I sneaked by Cousin Rhonda’s house when she was away and took some snapshots. It took a while to scale plans from the photos, to order parts and to fabricate, scratchbuilt and kitbash parts to match the prototype. It was nearly two years from the budding of the idea to completion. But one Christmas, I surprised Rhonda and her daughter with a dollhouse of HER house.
Another time, it was a small table-top-size layout for an elderly friend. The layout was built to represent the part of the country she grew up in, as it looked when she was a young girl, as it looked at Christmas.
Christmas?.. Yeah. I’m afraid I’m one of those that it’s a little too early for. As a matter of fact, I’m right in the middle of building a life size dummy of Frankenstein that I hope to sale on eBay around Halloween and double my money that I have invested in it.
Tracklayer
Regular incadescent style bulbs will work on both AC or DC. We use regular 120V incadescent bulbs on both our 120Vac lighting and 270Vdc Emergency Lighting systems on the Sub. Just watch the total voltage 
That will get ya everytime!
leighant - this isnt a christmas store located close to Falfurrias, run by 3 sisters, who decorate their home and open it up for visitors is it. If so, we were there back in March or April, and will probably go again later this year. Wonderful people.