Is there any easy way to do this please?

Why batteries? Use the track power.

yup

https://evandesigns.com/produc...ote-control-for-leds

I don't see the value in using batteries in my rolling stock, just another thing to manage turning on/off and of course, changing batteries.

DC12V 50M One Way 1 Channel Relay Switch Module Receiver+Wireless Remote Control | eBay

Use the above to turn it on and off.

You don't need "two radio batteries in sequence."  You need one 9-volt dry cell and one LED. Or as the other guys suggest, use track power, rectified, and reduced through a 5 volt regulator.

There are much cheaper options for a simple LED control.

Wow!  Thanks for all of the suggestions!

Can't use a 9 volt drycell, though, because it won't fit inside my caboose.  :-)

If I try to use track power and a rectifier, I guess I would have to add a roller to the bottom of my existing cabooses, which for me I think would get pretty complicated.

I think for simplicity sake, I will try the Evansdesign controller with radio batteries.   I can either put the two batteries inside the caboose, or put them flat down in a gondola in front of the caboose, and "lash" the power lines from the batteries to feed lines coming out of the front of the caboose.  I could then cover the batteries up with a plastic "coal pile" shell, and it would make replacement of the batteries in the gondola easier than opening up the caboose each time.

Does anybody have any idea or experience as to how long two radio batteries would last running just one LED?   I only run my trains about an hour a week.

Thanks,

Mannyrock

If you want it simple, what about a locking reed switch and magnet. One pass over the caboose with the magnet and the light turns on, another pass and it turns off.

Mannyrock said,

(If I try to use track power and a rectifier, I guess I would have to add a roller to the bottom of my existing cabooses, which for me I think would get pretty complicated.)

Adding a pickup roller to the caboose could not be any easier. They just snap right into the trucks. You can buy an led with one or multiple bulbs many colors flashing, alternating flash or continuously lit. Buy the AC / DC power with from 5-18v. They have the small remote fob less than 1/2 the size of a credit card. The light harness comes prewired all you need to do is attach it to the wires on the pickup roller. I did something similar when I added a backup light to the tender of my Pennsylvania Flyer I can turn it on and off with the small remote. I also added an alternating flashing red lights to the back of the caboose of the same set. Pickup rollers can be found at your LHS or online store and Evan Design has the light kits all in with the pickup roller and lighting all for around $20 or less and can be completed in around an hour +-.

Dan

Dan,

Thanks a lot!  Maybe simple enough for me to do it.

But, if the caboose has plastic trucks, then I guess I'll have to attach the second feed wire to one of the axles, so that it can get juice from the outside rails??

Mannyrock

@Mannyrock posted:

But, if the caboose has plastic trucks, then I guess I'll have to attach the second feed wire to one of the axles, so that it can get juice from the outside rails??

Already done with the snap-in roller set, see copper strip and the two wires.

As I said it couldn't be easier. You just have to connect the wires inside the caboose. You can do it.

Great!  Thanks!

Here's an inexpensive battery powered RC setup that will power two LED's and will fit in a caboose.

Bob, do have a link to the battery powered receiver ?

The receiver is one of those two channel 49MHZ receivers that are in cheap toy RC cars. Each channel will put out 5V + or - depending on how you operate the accompanying remote control. l have used this approach a number of times in early experiments with battery powered remote control of locos and accessories.

Bob.  Source?

These 2 channel receivers are contained in toy RC cars made by NewBright, but almost any toy vehicle will have a similar receiver. They are quite easy to remove intact. During my early foray into remote control (circa 2006) prior to the proliferation of sophisticated RC systems we currently have, I used these extensively.  Operating accessories I modified to remote control included a crane car, a cherry picker and a auto unloader. My most sophisticated implementation using these receivers was a remote controlled battery powered loco with speed and direction control. These receivers hold up well and everything is still working.

@Mannyrock posted:

,,,

Does anybody have any idea or experience as to how long two radio batteries would last running just one LED?   I only run my trains about an hour a week.

What is a "radio battery"?  Are you talking about two AA or AAA cylindrical 1.5V batteries (3V DC total)?

Separately, when you specify wireless remote on/off control, is this for play-value while operating your trains ... turning flasher on and off as you operate...or is this simply to turn it on for 1 hour a week, and then turn it off for 167 hours per week?  Note that the Evans remote receiver draws battery power even when the flasher is off.  That is, it draws a bit of battery power as it listens for a command from the fob.  If you read the description they suggest putting a mechanical on/off switch which would be for the 167 hours a week when you don't need the caboose listening for on/off fob commands.  So it depends on what you mean by wireless remote on/off control.

Well, a week has passed on this subject and......???? Manny, if you had listened GRJ's and Rich's suggestions, you could have ordered and received the parts (pick-up roller assy. from either Hennings, S&W, the Train Tender, or your local hobby shop, and small rectifier, resistor,or buck converter for your LED's if you don't already have them), spent an hour or less installing the bits & pieces, and job easily finished! LED's on when track is powered, off when power is off, no batteries to worry about, change when discharged, no switches, no removing caboose body every time batteries went dead. What could be simpler?

You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink.

The decision as to use track power or battery power when adding some operating feature like lights to a piece of rolling stock is entirely one of the operators choice. Both approaches will work well if properly implemented. I have done both over many years and each has a good track record.

Jeremiah 5:21

Yes Guys, I'm definitely going to try the track power, snap on roller stuff, route.

Four large tax returns, the plunging market losses to my retirement fund, buying Brent Crude Oil futures, and trying to construct new deck railing by myself in the snow have put a damper on my hobby time though.   

I tend to make a list of all things I need to order, including client work, construction projects, and train stuff, and then do all of the searches and ordering at the same time.    It looks like I'll be ordering things on this Wednesday.  (I haven'' forgotten about that motion detector from Evans either.)

Thanks again,

Mannyrock

@Mannyrock posted:

... inside my caboose, hook it up to a flashing LED light, and be able to turn it on or off by use of a really simple wireless remote control device.

...

I think I know the answer in context of the dialog but want to confirm that the track-power method meets your original objective to turn the caboose feature "on or off" with a wireless remote.  The lighting feature is "ON" when track power is present, and "OFF" when track power is absent.  There is no need/desire to turn the caboose feature on and off while actually operating the train.  Right?

That is, when I first saw remote control of caboose lighting feature, what came to mind was the Signalman Operating Caboose.  It occasionally comes up where guys wonder if there's an easy (inexpensive) way to activate the caboose feature remotely...and anywhere on the track.  You have whistle control for the engineer to signal the conductor...but how does the conductor in the caboose signal-acknowledge other than waving his lantern?  So my overly active imagination was hallucinating a flashing or wig-wagging light in the caboose that was remotely activated so you can engage the engineer and conductor in a conversation to get the train back on schedule.  Existing methods such as using the Bell button, or a special activation track section, or having to buy an ERR TMCC remote module tend to be overly restrictive or spendy.

Thanks very much for that reminder Stan!  Something for me to tinker with and perhaps alter my plans once my pile of parts arrive.

Stan, back in the 1960s, when I was a kid, the word "radio battery" meant only one thing, that was the 9 volt battery that fit into your little transistor radio that you carried around with you or hung on your bike handlebars.  :-)

Guess I'm really showing my age.

Mannyrock

@Mannyrock posted:

...

Stan, back in the 1960s, when I was a kid, the word "radio battery" meant only one thing, that was the 9 volt battery that fit into your little transistor radio that you carried around with you or hung on your bike handlebars.  :-)

Guess I'm really showing my age.

..

Upon further reflection, IIRC there was a huge consumer-electronic retail chain that had the word "Radio" as part of its name!  I believe "Shack" was also part of its name?

I think you could even choose the 9V battery as the monthly freebie as a card-carrying member of their battery club.

I remember that well, there was a time that I actually used Radio Shack for components.  That was back when everything was thru-hole and they stocked a lot of stuff!