I would like to add marker and interior lighting to my cabooses.I remember seeing phosphor bronze pickups in a “H” shape,that rubbed on the axel and was secured with the truck screw,but can’t locate or remember the manufacturer.I need help !
Maybe the old MDC trucks? That’s what I recal, but it’s been awhile.
Here’s another method that works fine with any plastic truck and can also work on metal trucks if properly insulated. I use Tichy phosphor-bronze .010" wire and whatever extra flexy wire (30 gauge, available from NWSL, or the wire found in the cords of computer mice as a frugal option) you can source.
For plastic trucks, drill a small hole in the bolster, solder the wire lead in the middle of an appropriate length of the Tichy P-B wire, and fasten with epoxy or other suitable adhesive. Depending on whether just one side is insualted or both wheels are, you can do one rail on one truck and the opposite side on the other or double both up. If on a metal truck, get some of the pcb tie material (Clover House or others) and cut a tiny pad, solder the lead to one side and glue (or solder) the other side to the truck.
Here’s a metal truck that I did dual wipers on. This shows the under side with one wiper installed and another made up visible above it.
Here’s what the top side looks like. Be sure and position things so that there’s no interference with the truck rotating.
Done right, there is very little extra drag from adding these wipers compared the the stamped metal H wipers.
Kadee and Ring Engineering (maybe more) make trucks with power pickups. It would be far easier to pick up a pair of those than trying to roll-your-own.
I just got over this problem, my fix is the Kadee Centering Spring wheel wiper.
Check out the thread that got me there.
http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/88/t/256973.aspx
The Kadee fix works extremely good, you end up with all wheel power pickup.
http://www.pacificcoastairlinerr.com/1905/tender_wipers/
Edit:
I have finished 8 cabooses and six old time coaches and all the truck power pickup mods work fantastic.
Hi, Riley
Bowser makes a wheel wiper kit that works pretty well. Maybe that’s the one you had in mind?
It easily clips into the Bowser caboose truck but may work with others.
http://www.bowserorders.com/.sc/ms/dd/ee/12082705
There was some discussion about caboose lighting here:
http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/744/t/221225.aspx
Athearn makes modern trucks with all-wheel pickup (the Bowser and Kadee pick up from 2 wheels on one side of the rail and 2 on the other) The Ring truck picks up on all wheels as well.
http://www.athearn.com/Products/Default.aspx?ProdID=ATHG61383
Athearn also makes specific caboose trucks with electrical pickup and generator, too (two styles)
http://www.athearn.com/Products/Default.aspx?ProdID=ATHG4592
Hope that helps,
Ed
Hi Riley:
If you want pre-made pick up contacts check out Streamlined Backshop:
http://store.sbs4dcc.com/wheelandaxlewipers-2.aspx
They offer both axle contacts and wheel contacts. The advantage to using wheel wipers is that you are getting power from all four wheels on the truck. With the axle wipers you are only getting power from two wheels.
Both the Kadee coupler springs and the simple phosphor bronze wire methods work well too, but the Streamlined Backshop wheel wipers are the easiest to get lined up properly. I have used all three methods with success.
Dave
This looks great I will give it a try,thank you for the tip.
Thank you for your response, I can’t have too many choices.
Thank you for your help,it is great to have a resource like this at your finger tips from people that have tried to do what I am looking for.