Light capacitor

Try a 1000 mfd 35v cap, that is the size I have used on my led strips. Install it across the two leads to the light socket. This will not keep the lights lit when power is removed but should help with the flickering.

Ray

If this is satisfactory for the one car and you have more than a couple that ypu want to do go to All Electronics on the web for good price on quantities. I should also mention that you need a cap that is compatible with your power source either ac or dc. If you want to be safe with both you can also in stall a full bridge rectifier with a polarized cap.

How many collectors or roller pick-ups do the cars have? having one on each truck and wired parallel keeps at least one collector supplying power and stops flickering.

here's a discussion on that and also rayin S suggestion of the bridge rectifier and a cap to drive the lights on DC.

Moonman

Most of the S gauge equipment has only pick ups for power on the wheels, two wheels on each truck, very little of the rolling stock will pickup power from both rails on one truck.

Ray

Sorry, didn't think that through. I'll crawl back in to my 3 rail hole...LOL.

Are you using AC or DC to power the track? Either way you will need a bridge rectifier to either rectify the AC or account for the change in polarity when you change direction.

The cap RayinS suggested should only cost a buck or two.

Pete

I wonder if that is the same hole we toy train guys look for when dealing with "Scale"

guys.

Ray

I've heard some others in there, too dark to see

How about really clean wheels and track? Then check for flickers.

What about a power feed every 6-8 track joints?

Uh-Oh? 3 -rail again

We American Flyer people learn a lot and greatly appreciate lessons learned from the 3 rail operators. We overlook the occasional reference to our reversing units as E units and asking about roller pickups in the interest of gaining knowledge. 

With perfectly clean wheels and track the 650/950 and 652,3,4/952,3,4 series passenger cars will still flicker slightly. The primary reason is they are very light cars and the wheels do not make perfect contact with the track at all times. Also, most 900 series passenger cars have a Brass spring clip inside the car that makes contact with the top of the truck rivet for supplying power to the light. Most 600 series cars were soldered. This spring contact can loose tension and move around over time. In these cars the poor contact at the rivet causes as much flicker as dirty tracK, but it is easy to fix if the car is disassembled. 

The American Models Budd style cars will operate flicker free on clean track. 

Hi Carl,

3-rail or 2-rail, power feeders are a good idea!  Also don't underestimate the importance of clean track (and wheels).  Sectional track looses power at each joint if not tight.  Personally, I am using flex track, and even then, I have a feeder on every section. 

Agreed!  They're some of the very few cars in S that have all-wheel pick-up.  Even then, if not kept clean, some flickering can occur. 

Good assessment on the flicker issue too!

I use the Gilbert track and my feeders are about three feet apart also. The caps though from some of the low price suppliers are under $.50 each and rectifiers about $.35 each makes a cheap fix, under $1.00 per car.

Ray 

Please let us know if adding capacitors in the Gilbert passenger cars eliminates the flickering. 

Regarding the subject of track power feeders. Connections are not as simple with Gilbert equipment as with 3 rail if original Gilbert track switches are used. All power feeders from the transformer must be on the point side of the turnout to preserve the power routing feature of Gilbert track switches. If that does not matter then go ahead and connect all the track to a common feeder bus. It is still possible to have feeds every 3 feet or so around a layout but it is requires fiber pins and multiple busses powered from the frog side of the switches to preserve the power routing feature. I have found from building many American Flyer layouts that multiple power feeds are not needed on layouts up to about 6'X12' if original Gilbert track and switches are used. It is necessary to make sure all the pins are clean and tight; additionally I put an electrically conductive grease on each track pin. 

Please let us know if adding capacitors in the Gilbert passenger cars eliminates the flickering.

Like the other guys have said, it's not that easy. But it certainly is not going to cost $25 per car. How on earth did you come up with that estimate?  "Adding a capacitor" without understanding the basic principles involved will let out the smoke.

You need at a minimum a full wave rectifier ($25 cents if you make it yourself) and a capacitor (maybe a buck, probably less) per car.

Ok, thanks gentleman, I am now Flyerized. Thanks for the kind introduction. A special thanks to Tom (AmFlyer) for the advanced electrical information.

What is the voltage rating of the bulbs used and at what voltage do the trains typically run?

We're talking about the 50's style lighted passenger cars here and not modern versions, correct?

Well, I have done these conversions in the Flyonel cars and have also done in some of my Gilbert cars. I have gone a step further and lighted these with the led strips which I have attached to the roof of the car. This gives a much better appearance as the whole length of the car is lit, no hot spot, and the light shines down to the layout from the windows rather than in an upward direction, and still under $2.00/car. I just went and tried this with an incandescent light and even by doubling the cap the flicker is not eliminated, I do apologize for any misunderstanding with this.

Ray

I gave this some thought. I found a diagram for a whistle car to get a look at the truck connection hardware. It reminded me of Pre-War O lighted cars.

One way to help that arrangement is to spray the post and washer hardware with CRC 2-26. It's a cleaner, lubricant, and contact improvement spray. Put a cloth or paper towel opposite the spray tube. That will improve that connection for the feeds.

The bulbs don't care if they are lit by AC or DC, so following the thought of the bridge rectifier and capacitor, I put together a circuit. I borrowed from LED driver circuits presented by Dale H and my own experience.

The circuit takes the two wires from the trucks and runs one through a polyfuse, polyswitch, or PTC. This is a self resetting fuse to protect the circuit from shorts(derailments and such) Then the AC is converted to DC through a bridge rectifier. A capacitor is connected across the + & - DC output for flicker reduction. This increases the voltage, so a resistor is added. Then the DC + is connected to the center pole of the lamp socket and the DC - to the lamp socket base.

Not knowing the voltage that you run at, I assumed 7volts and used a 400ohm, 1/4w resistor to keep from burning out the lamp. If it is too bright, just increase the resistor value.

The package when soldered together is very small. Some electrical tape around it to prevent shorts and a dab of hot glue to hold it place should work.

The schematic is attached. The links to Dale H.'s led circuit is below. I sourced all of the parts from Digi-Key, which has the cheapest shipping. Links below. I have also attached the Visio file, if you have it.

if you want to put in led strips, I have an alternative driver by grj.

I hope that helps.

Dale H. led

PTC  .39   Optional 1/2A PTC

Bridge Rectifier  1.32

Capacitor  1.28

Resistor     .10

          3.09

I'll crawl back in my 3 rail hole again and listen to the voices.

Guys,

  Thanks for all the answers. I have always been one of those people that had better use the KISS principle cause sophisticated doesn't work so well for me. What I wound up doing was using 2 soft white 5MM Evan DCC AC DC bulbs with one leg soldered to a 2200mf 35 v capacitor and the other leg to the rail pick up. It works just fine with no or very little flicker and the installation is quick and easy.

Kelly

Hi Kelly,

If it is this LED from Evan Designs or like this, the capacitor should be between the rectifier and the lamp. If it is before the rectifier, or the lump in the heat shrink, connected to a track input, you'll definitely shorten the life of it. It needs to be connected across the two DC outs going to the bulb. They are not meant for AC use. Notice the +/- on the case. Do the lamps stay on for while with the 2200uf cap?

For the extra cost and shipping, their led light package is a decent deal. Especially if you don't want to solder that little stuff.

The power feed connection setup from the truck really seems to be the cause. If you have the older cars with that type, the CRC 2-26 will really help. Not voodoo.