# Model Power Searchlight Car Question



## xrunner (Jul 29, 2011)

I ordered this with some other things because the price was pretty low, and I didn't think the light would actually "work". I was going to use it as a non-running model at my air base and maybe install an LED in it - but, lo and behold, the thing has a small light bulb in it and has fully functional power pickups from the wheels.

My question dear friends is - should I put this thing on a functioning DCC track? What do you think will happen - LOL.


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## NIMT (Jan 6, 2011)

Send it to me and I'll DCC decode it for you so you can contol the light!
It will work on DCC tracks without chiping it....I think with out issue?


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## xrunner (Jul 29, 2011)

NIMT said:


> Send it to me and I'll DCC decode it for you so you can contol the light!


Cool!



> It will work on DCC tracks without chiping it....I think with out issue?


You think? Hmmm ... I don't know ... Should I give it a shot?


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## NIMT (Jan 6, 2011)

The worst case scenario is that it will fry the bulb. Keep an eye on it for overheating.
If you put a decoder in it you could make it dual color, with controlled on off or blinking? Maybe white and blue or white and red?


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## xrunner (Jul 29, 2011)

Well ...

It works - sort of. Basically the design is a piece of junk. The light flickers as it goes down the track. The reason is that the pickups are poorly designed. Not only that, the trucks are stiff moving because of the small solid wires they used that run from the pickups. As if that wasn't enough, the couplers are not anything I've seen before, they don't couple to Micro Trains. LOL, it is a pretty bad set of kit, as the Brits would say.

But, it's still kinda cool looking even if the light won't come on. I think I'll install new trucks so it will roll well, to be an interesting looking car, or later remove the bulb and use it as a static model on some tracks.

Here's a shot of the thing, and it took me a while to make the light stop flickering -


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## Xnats (Dec 5, 2010)

Pretty cool getting a Lionel product in N Scale. I really thought you and Sean were nuts putting that on DCC rails. I thought that bulb would have been fried in 2 seconds but :thumbsup:. Now you'll have to get the rest of the cars, troop carrier, tanks, missiles, ect, ect, ect :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:


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## NIMT (Jan 6, 2011)

It needs a diode and a capacitor and a DCC decoder and a new set of trucks with proper couplers!
We can do it ....we will call it the six million dollar flash light on wheels!


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## xrunner (Jul 29, 2011)

Xnats said:


> I really thought you and Sean were nuts putting that on DCC rails.


Oh we're nuts, just not for doing that.  It's really not that nutty, it just presents a resistive load to the signal on the track.



NIMT said:


> It needs a diode and a capacitor and a DCC decoder and a new set of trucks with proper couplers!
> We can do it ....we will call it the six million dollar flash light on wheels!


Yea it would be fun. I'm putting it back in the box for now, since I need to be working on other things, like a track plan hwell:, but that will prove to be the toughest thing for me - deciding on a plan and locking the design down. Wish me luck.


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