# Lighting a Great Northern Coach



## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

I recently completed a lighting project for my friend Matt. I thought it would be simple but it got complex fast. I have never seen a coach with so many pieces. Luckily I got it apart with a tiny flat bar I made from some wire and hammered the end flat. Here are the pieces.








Luck continues and it is ready for lighting with pickup The trucks are isolated with plastic axles and each side has two screw heads that press against a metal button through the fram to the big flatbars. The faltbars connect to two smaller pieces that go to the top. No lighting was found after that.








Next I got creative and cut a piece of plastic from a cookie container. I stripped two pieces of wire the length of the coach and soldered four lights in between.The lights are 12 volt micro lamps from Radio Shack 272-1092 I placed insulation from the stripped wire on the lights.








Then I installed two small push connectors on the wires and they fitted on the tabs above and to the left.
To steady everything out I hot glued the wire to the plastic. I had to use the solder iron to melt holes through the plastic for the roof joints to fit and lock. Snap together the rest.








And Test. Perfect!


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## tw001_tw (Jul 24, 2008)

very cool! the lights look great on that car.


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## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

Thanks. The contacts are stainless or whatever it didn't take the solder. I used two 3/16ths quick disconnects to do the job. Radio Shack 64-3134.


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## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

*Time for another!*

Recently I have acquired to Walter Coaches that need lighting. I plan on using two 6 volt bulbs in serires and maybe four sets for each car.

I pulled these biubs from a line light in a plastic hose. Placed two together across a transformer and monitored the voltage with a meter. They have around seven volts shown in the picture.











The best part is that the coaches are light ready. They have the isolated axles. They use nuber two screws to hold them on. I am planning on using a nut to hold a homemade wiper to get track power onboard. The number two nuts were from Radio Shack. I was lucky the threads weren't metric.










So that's the project and the plan.


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

T-Man said:


> Next I got creative and cut a piece of plastic from a cookie container.


The trash man cometh ... and goeth ... no trash to be picked up outside of T-Man's house, again. Doesn't that guy ever throw _anything_ out ?!?!? 

~~~

Excellent repair / improv job, T ... as always. Thanks for sharing!

TJ


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## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

A little progress today. I soldered my mini lights between two copper leads and tested. I went with 5 sets. The picture shas a constant 12v DC source beiing used.


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## Reckers (Oct 11, 2009)

Nice job, Bob!


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## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

Howdy! Len! Good to hear from you.

Louisville must be nice this time of year.


Now for the wipers. I had to go to a 3/4 rule spring. I couldn't find my old stock. Here, I started a hole with a nail and worked it with a tungsten carbide bit to round and flatten the burrs off. This stuff is sharp!!!!. Drilling is just not worth it. Being wide this is good since the width is trimmed and the spring action is adjusted this way. After all the axle has to turn. This spring is stiff. Here I show the nail hole and the actual width and some narrow pieces that will be close to the adjustment.










Tin snips work fine, though the spring is curly.

Parts lists: one bad measuring tape and a bum string light.!


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

T-Man said:


> Parts lists: one bad measuring tape and a bum string light.!



... and leather gloves, right ?!?


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## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

After a couple nicks and miscalculated cuts I have one fit up. I used a sligtly longer screw than stock ,1/8th inches more. I have lug and wire on the other side. The wire is visible on the lower right. It checks out with the voltmeter and the wheels still rotate. Good to GO! Now for the other three.











Time for cookies, I need the parts!


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

T,

Nice! Clever improvisation with the pickup plate.

On my Lionel tinplate locos, I had good success using a locknut with nylon insert to mount the truck screw. I found that I could adjust the tightness of the nut just right, so that the truck had "gap" to pivot OK, but wasn't so loose that it wobbled.

Cheers,

TJ


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## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

A locknut won't work here because of the clearance. Plus I don't have one that size, a number 2, that's small. The truck does have a long threaded shaft. The nut is for show really the spring is held on by the axles. I may use a dab of epoxy to lock it.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

I just took my full vista MTH coach apart to see about wiring the lights for TMCC. What a PITA! I put it back together, I'm going to stick diodes in the pickup wires to drop the voltage to half.


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## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

It's suppose to be fun and a " Labor of Love" 

The new screws are 1/2 inch long the original were 3/8ths number 2 screws. Small stuff!!!










All the trucks are assembled and I have them tested too. 

Next is hanging the light from above.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

T-Man said:


> It's suppose to be fun and a " Labor of Love"


I have seven of those cars to do, so I'm looking for a shortcut.  One plus of the LED's would be power draw, the full dome one has six bulbs and draws almost half an amp at 14 volts! I'm sure that the bulbs would not be happy with 18V, they look pretty bright with 14V, so something needs to be done.


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## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

*Ceiling Time*

It's always good to keep busy.

Next I cut the cookie packaging to support the lights from the ceiling. The plastic will sit on the windows and hold the bulbs up. First I had to hot glue the wire to the packaging.










Then more testing.


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## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

*Finished*

Here are the lighted Passenger and Diner coaches.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Lights look good, nice job.


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## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

Thanks! I need to hide the wires.
At least I don't have seven more to do!


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

I also have 14 Lionel Amtrak coaches, and a bunch of Williams and Pullmans that are buried in the closet. If I update them all, I'll have to order more LED's.


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Awesome job, T ... as always! Thanks for the "follow along".

TJ


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## trainsrfun (Apr 9, 2011)

Thats some cool lighting! Now you just need people  Good pictures too!


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## yak-54 (Nov 7, 2012)

Hello Buddy how does one stop it from a dead short ?
they are metal wheels and Axles 
Now that was dumb question on my behalf Sorry ( Axel isolated one side ) :lol_hitting:


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