Has anybody had experience with installing lighting kit #933-6004 in a new Walthers Amtrak Superliner II (like #932-16132)? Any tips on getting the cars’ hook shaped electrical contacts over the small metal strips on the light bar? I can’t seem to get the contacts over the strips on the end of the light bar with the transformer. Don’t want to start whittling away at the interior walls on which the light bar sits unless necessary.
Thanks for any advice,
It’s very difficult. I thought it would be a lot easier, but it sure isn’t.
First it’s tough enough to get the cars open and the interior out. But then those electrical “hooks” just don’t seem to want to catch the light bar. I had to use a very small screw driver to bend and flex the contract until it would snatch the light bar. But then, once on, it wouldn’t hold with enough force to keep electrical conductivity. I’m going to have to solder the light bar to the strips to ensure electrical conductivity. But this will have to wait until I finish painting the interiors.
I tried installing the light kit into a Superliner I sleeper, other cars may be different although the Superliner II sleeper has the same interior. And both omit the upstairs restroom. Fine for the Superliner I since they did not originally come with this so it’s understandable if they used original floor plans, but the Superliner II’s had them from the beginning…why there’s that one missing window upstairs.
Thanks for the advice, Matt. Finally got the hooks in place using small screwdriver as you suggested and luckily they’re tight on the Diner car so no contact problems. Wasn’t much trouble opening and closing that car. However, the next car I did, the Lounge (#932-16194), was a bear to open and close. Had to use multiple toothpicks to keep sides open while disassembling. However, the hooks were easy to attach on this one because they were loose and now have continuity contact problems as you reported. Apparently each car model of this series has its own quirks and personality (design/quality control deficiencies?).
I’m not sure if they are design/quality control deficiencies per se. I think it’s just a pain in the you know what to light double decker cars with full interiors and a non removable roof.
I went through heck trying to light my Santa Fe Hi-Levels. Mostly due to the TSP trucks and frame being non powered to start with, but it’s not easy getting the lights in there and even worse trying to fit in an interior after wiring everything. Here’s a link to a previous post where I posted multiple photos (14th entry):
Hi-Level lights
What I might do for the Superliners is make my own interior lights with multiple small LEDs, much like I did for the Hi-Levels. Makes more sense to do my own since I’ll be adding marker lights to one car and will probably back light the car ID numbers too. The best part is these Walthers Superliners are ready to light and have great trucks with even better power pickup abilities.
I hear you about the lounge. But the sleepers will still the toughest to get into, at least for me. If you thought opening the lounge was tough, don’t try taking the diaphragms off. Quite possibly the most frustrating disassembly I’ve ever done. Not really worth the effort just to paint them. Well maybe it was, since I certainly don’t want to mare the beautiful “metal” finish.
I just installed these kits in a coach, a sleeper, a diner and a lounge. It was tricky.
I used needle nose pliers to pull upward firmly on the contact strips. After the first car, I started with the end with the transformer first and then did the other end. I also found that I needed to make sure the hook part was pretty square to the opening in order to get it to slip over the wire on the light bar. A couple of times I kind of had to wiggle things a little to get the hook to grab the wire. It seems like one of the times I held the contact strip with upward pressure with the pliers and used a toothpick to help coax the hook over the wire. I tried using a screwdriver per the instructions, but that was not very effective. It took a few tries but I successfully installed them all without making any modifications.
I tested each car before replacing the body to make sure the contacts were working properly. I then reinstalled the body and tested again.
One problem I did have with a couple of the cars (I forgot which ones) was an electrical short after installing the body back onto the car. I figured that the light bar was touching the body somehow and with the plated finish, caused the short. I put electrical tape on the top of the light bar where the contract strips hook on and also in the center of the light bars, which had a slight upward bow. That solved the problem.
The cars look great with the lights on. Just be patient and persistent. Good luck!
Russ Litchfield
Yes they do look great with the lights on…once you get them installed [:)]
I think the new Superliners are some of the best HO passenger cars made to date. They are even better then some earlier brass Superliners by far.
Some good news for modelers of the earlier Amtrak eras. I just found out that Walthers will be issuing Superliners in phase II, III, and IV for the appropriate models. And the best news is they also are releasing a Coach Baggage in all the appropriate paint schemes. No official word on a Transition Dorm yet, but I’m sure they are in the works as well.
Here’s a link to the newly announced Superliners:
I really hope the new Superliners are a hit out there. If so it could mean we’ll see more Amtrak, and perhaps more “plated” trainsets from Walthers in the next several years.