Adding lighting to an unlit Lionel traditional O gauge tool car.

@Mark V. Spadaro

It's hard to tell form the pics.  Are those trucks held in with a screw or a rivet?  Are the trucks metal or plastic?  It might be difficult to install a pickup roller on those trucks without some modifications.

An easier fix may be to install a battery and switch.  A simple 9 volt or even a couple AA's powering LED's would work and last a long while.

If you really want to get fancy, you could use rechargeables and install a charge port.

Ron

Hi, Ron. Thanks for the thoughts. They are the run-of-the-mill Lionel diecast sprung freight trucks, affixed with a screw and collar to the body of the car.

Mark,

I believe that this is the most common approach to adding a pickup assembly, because it simply snaps in.  Unfortunately I haven't been able to verify in the parts documentation and service manuals that it's precisely the correct one for your trucks, because 6-16701 isn't listed in them:

Check out the following for more details:

     Wiring a Caboose for Lights (2/4/19) | M. Mitchell Marmel

Look at Mitch's point number 4 specifically.  He lists another, older, part number as well (581-10).

Mike

Thx, Mike. Greatly appreciated.

By the way, you'll need a ground spring as well, such as 581-9 if you use the 581-10.  The pickup brings in power from the center rail.  For the return part of the circuit this spring electrically connects your common (ground) to the outside rail by contacting the truck's wheels or axle.

Mike

This and the other cars in the set are generally considered "traditional" O gauge, even though the set comes with O-27 track.

@Matt_GNo27 posted:

This and the other cars in the set are generally considered "traditional" O gauge, even though the set comes with O-27 track.

Thank you for clarifying.

@Mark V. Spadaro posted:

They are the run-of-the-mill Lionel diecast sprung freight trucks, affixed with a screw and collar to the body of the car.

Part number 600-9050-150, posted by @Mellow Hudson Mike does not fit the diecast sprung trucks. For the longest time, there was no collector assembly available for the sprung trucks at all. The assembly Lionel eventually developed is comprised of six parts, plus the truck.

Nickaix - thanks for that clarification. Appreciated.

Personally, before I'd mess with this project (which may or may not work) and pay for parts and the $10 shipping charge from Lionel, I'd just buy a traditional lighted bunk car or tool car on Ebay (there are plenty of them) and swap body shells, i.e., put your Southern body shell on the lighted chassis. The least expensive of these cars I see is about $28 and there are many to chose from in the $30 range (and these prices include shipping). This will save you a bunch of time (and probably cost no more, or be less) than if you tried to do it yourself.

@breezinup posted:

Personally, before I'd mess with this project (which may or may not work) and pay for parts and the $10 shipping charge from Lionel, I'd just buy a traditional lighted bunk car or tool car on Ebay (there are plenty of them) and swap body shells, i.e., put your Southern body shell on the lighted chassis. The least expensive of these cars I see is about $28 and there are many to chose from in the $30 range (and these prices include shipping). This will save you a bunch of time (and probably cost no more, or be less) than if you tried to do it yourself.

I’ve already looked into that, and, if I recall correctly, the tool cars are one piece of molded plastic, floor, walls and end caps. The only part that lifts off is the roof. Guess I could still swap out the guts, but it’s a little more difficult than just changing a shell. Still might do that, cause I don't know that Lionel has the parts. I would like to keep the sprung trucks, if possible. Thanks for your input.

You're right. These cars are one piece shell/chassis units. However, these may give you some ideas that you could possibly use to add trucks or adapt pickup parts to your existing car. (Lots of choices on Ebay.)

These Lionel smoking and illuminated bunk cars have twin pickups with diecast trucks:

No. 5726 Illuminated Southern bunk car (an add-on car to your tool car if interested):

These cars use a different pickup - this example is No. 19656 Mil. Rd with smoke & illuminated - plastic trucks but you could use/adapt the pickup parts: