Recharging batteries in place

Or a rotary plastic vent switch. File two slots up the sides of the stem with a triangle file and put in a piece of copper wire bent in a U. Super glue it at the tip. Turn it 1/4 turn in above contacts it's on, 1/4 it's off. Retain it in a plastic socket so it stays straight and in. FRED
 

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Or just cut a slot....

Instead of cutting groves and using a piece of bent wire, you could cut a slot and insert a piece of brass shim....

I would think that putting the batteries in the roof would make the car top heavy..

So putting them in the floor is a better option..

If the cars have skirting, then you would be able to mount the batteries under the floor, hidden behind the skirting... They would be easier to access this way too...

AAA batteries could even be disguised as water tanks or reservoirs. Or battery boxes (Ironic).
 
Just thinking out loud here.....

We are talking about lights in rolling stock and vehicles, buildings are simple, run a wire.

For rolling stock, can you use metal wheels and take the power from the tracks just like a locomotive? I saw a fellows HO scale layout where he had a set of passenger cars lighted and he said the power came from the rails.

For Vehicles, can't something be setup like a slot car set?
Instead of a slot, just run fine wire along the road. have each vehicle have contact wires down to the road wires. The vehicle has no motor, but the lights would get the power from the "road wires".

Like I said, thinking out loud. Please let me know if I am making sense. :)
 
Originally posted by Pitchwife
Will
The only problem with taking power from the tracks is that when the train pulls into the station and stops the lights go out (unless you are using DCC).
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And building it makes two. It's difficult to make durable pickup assemblies that are reliable, invisible, and economical. FRED
 
Originally posted by dash10
And building it makes two. It's difficult to make durable pickup assemblies that are reliable, invisible, and economical. FRED
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Which of course is some of the reasons the guy wanted to put rechargable batteries in each car in the first place...:p :p
 
Clark, I did not realize they would go out if the train stopped.

Fred, I thought that if a wire could be fastened inside the trucks and touched the inside of the rail between the wheels, it would be good enough to make contact.

Oh well, I never said I fully understood model RR wiring. it is not my strong suit.
 
It's hard Will to make pickups that will make good contact without causing derailments or wearing out fast. I tried one week on a bobber caboose and finally said screw it and went to NIMH AAA batteries to power my EOTDs. I use a self contained flasher LED that works 3+ weeks 24/7 between charges. 4 AAA NIMH will also power two 20ma Leds about 10 days 24/7 (be they white or red). I see no reason to add switches or pickups to my equipment but some people can't stand to waste energy I guess :D or just want to shut it off when parked. I ordered the stuff to make the reed flip/flop magnetic switch discussed already. The stuff will be in next week and I'll get on it after I finish the computer parallel port relay control box. FRED
 
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