Walthers passenger car lighting kits

[dadret]

I’m putting Walthers lighting kits in my new HO passenger cars (Pullmann standard cars) on my DCC layout. There is a specific DCC kit (933-1084) for all cars but the dome car. They make a DC version (933-1083) for the dome cars but no DCC specific version. It looks like the difference between the two versions is that the DC version has a couple of resistors or capacitors on the circuit board that the DCC version does not have. The dome car edition is split into two pieces to provide clearance for the dome seats. Can I use the DC version in one ca on my DCC layout while the other cars have the DCC version? Or should I try to cut the one DCC kits into two pieces?

[cacole]

Yes, the two types of lighting kits are interchangeable on a DCC layout. The only difference, as you have noted, is the removal of a couple of capacitors (to save money for Walthers) on the DCC version, since the theory is that there is always voltage on the track so no constant lighting circuitry is necessary.

[dadret]

Thanks - that’s kinda what I thought and you’re right - the DCC version is cheaper which is pretty rare in itself.

[cmarchan]

Yes, the two types of lighting kits are interchangeable on a DCC layout. The only difference, as you have noted, is the removal of a couple of capacitors (to save money for Walthers) on the DCC version, since the theory is that there is always voltage on the track so no constant lighting circuitry is necessary.

The DCC lighting kit wires the three 5 volt lamps in series. The DC version uses not just capacitors, but a bridge rectifier (for bidirectional operation), a filter capacitor and a 5 volt regulator. The lamps are wired in parallel. The DC version draws 3 times the current of the DCC version. A train full of the DC versions on DCC systems will affect the total available current for the DCC locomotives. Not a good idea for more than a few on the layout. If you examine the DCC and the DC versions together, you can figure out how to rewire the DC version to match the DCC version.

[MisterBeasley]

The DCC lighting kit wires the three 5 volt lamps in series. The DC version uses not just capacitors, but a bridge rectifier (for bidirectional operation), a filter capacitor and a 5 volt regulator. The lamps are wired in parallel. The DC version draws 3 times the current of the DCC version. A train full of the DC versions on DCC systems will affect the total available current for the DCC locomotives. Not a good idea for more than a few on the layout. If you examine the DCC and the DC versions together, you can figure out how to rewire the DC version to match the DCC version.

Now that’s an answer! Thumbs up. Very valuable information, particularly about the relative current draw of the two systems.

[cacole]

The comment about current draw is something I forgot to mention. I have never used the DCC lighting kits, but a member of our HO scale club bought the DC version for his 8-car UP Heavyweight passenger train set. They overtaxed our 5-Amp DCC system and caused other engines to slow down when in the same power district. I measured each car’s current draw as being slightly over .5 Amp, so 8 coaches were drawing over 4 Amps. Tony’s RRAmpmeter measured a definite increase in current draw as each coach entered a particular power district.