Installing lights in a boxcar

Jerry,

You might want to consider making it battery operated with an on-off switch mounted in the car floor. There is plenty of room in a boxcar for a battery box. You'll get many hours of operation from a set of batteries when powering just a single LED. I have the lights in all my dummy engines powered this way.

Jim

I took Jim P's suggestion and came up with this!

Evans Designs Flashing Led's, a AA batttery holder and a 3 way mini toggle switch underneath for directional lighting!

Thanks, Jim.  I would prefer a battery powered LED too but for me that might prove impractical as my track is suspended from a ceiling, so clicking the battery switch on and off would mean a trip to the garage for the ladder each time I ran the train.  I was looking at Lionel's 6-14251.  It seems to have a 3 rail roller. 

PRR that is one professional job.  And I really enjoy Evans lights and products as well.

Jim

I have several dummy diesels by MTH that have no lights or pick up rollers. I have wanted them to light and the obvious solution was there all along. I knew of the battery EOT devices that and never put 2 and 2 together to solve my diesel illumination need. Thanks for stating the obvious !!

Sam

Or since set-up is rarely re-configured, if boxcar isn't way back run a pair of wires from the engine maybe with low-cost 2-pin connector(s). Wire could be disguised as a brake hose if that matters. Also could daisy-chain the wires so multiple boxcars could be lit - like Amtrak HEP cabling.

To answer the OP's question, depending on what trucks are on the box car now, you may be able to just snap in a pickup roller and you wouldn't have to replace the whole trucks.

Which boxcar do you have?

  --Joe

Thanks all for your ideas.  Stan, I never had considered your idea which is a good one.  Rail Reading, I have a number of boxcars including CSX, WP, UP,, etc.  Most are MTH but I have some Weaver and Lionel.  I did not know you can snap in rollers.  Learn something everyday!

Lionel has snap-in rollers for plastic trucks, many parts venders have them.  I think there are some for the diecast trucks as well, but I haven't used them.