Large Scale Central

Battery Power for AMS Coach Lights

Electronics Power and Sound
#1

I’m sure this topic or something close has been addressed, but I just can’t find it.

I have two AMS coaches and a combine that I would like to convert the lighting to battery power. I would like to create a battery box install in the bathroom of each coach with a charge port and on/off switch that would be right underneath or at least close by.

Question 1: If there is a forum post that addresses this can you direct me to it…

Question 2: If not, what do you suggest for this situation?

Thanks,

Richard

#2

Richard Mynderup said:

I’m sure this topic or something close has been addressed, but I just can’t find it.

I have two AMS coaches and a combine that I would like to convert the lighting to battery power. I would like to create a battery box install in the bathroom of each coach with a charge port and on/off switch that would be right underneath or at least close by.

Question 1: If there is a forum post that addresses this can you direct me to it…

Question 2: If not, what do you suggest for this situation?

Thanks,

Richard

Richard,

Call Jonathan at Electric/Steam Model Works in Chino. He has all your answers and sells everything you will need to complete this. This is something I have wanted to do for years…just never got around to doing it.

#3

I put a LiIon 7.4 volt battery in the bathroom with a switch and charge jack in the floor. I found some cool looking 12v globe lights on eBay and installed those. The lower voltage gives the globes a nice dim glow that looks great (to me). To hide the battery I installed a window shade.

Terry

#4

Thanks Gentlemen!! I will give Jonathan a call

Richard

#5

I have four Aristo Sierra coaches that I won at a club raffle. Rather than put a battery in each car, I chose to put a 14.8 v, 2200 mAh battery in one car, and electrically connect each car, using the track power pickup located in the floor of each coach. Just another idea to think about.

#6

Hi Richard, Johnathan is a good guy and local for you. Just a reminder I am Accucraft dealer, stock Cordless Renovation batteries and connectors located on the East Coast.

Have fun running your trains,

Don

RCS of New England

#7

Here’s how I did all three of my coaches.

Wired a Head

Power for the lighting comes from rechargeable 7.4 volt lithium-ion battery packs hidden in the heads (pardon me for talking like a marine.) No. 47 - shown here - has a three-way switch that turns on all the lights or just the rear marker lamps only.

#8

Great ideas, everyone. I recently converted a baggage, an obs, and a coach to battery. These are Charles Ro cars, which formerly used screw-in incandescent light bulbs. I converted them to screw-in LEDs to reduce the power consumption, put a 9V battery in the combine, and linked the cars with tiny wire connections. Doing this I was able to use the existing printed circuit boards in the cars, and only had to rewire about 40% of the light bases, as polarity didn’t make any difference with light bulbs!

I used E5 LEDs but they also come in E10, the same size as Lionel lights. Still have some of them, as I had to make a large purchase to get the number I needed.

Would like to see the bulbs used in this project, Richard.

#9

I did what you did, Steve with my Sierra coaches. I also used the same method for my heavyweights. Used the 14.8V li-ion battery in the front car, combine usually, and connected the cars together electrically. With the LED lights the battery seems to last forever.

Ed Headington

#10

Yes, great ideas from everyone…thanks!! Jack T - your hookup is what I was looking for as I know I saw something not long ago, so thanks for posting. I wonder if it was on the other website??

Question - does that one battery in the picture power all of your cars or just the one seen?

Richard

#11

Richard Mynderup asked:

Yes, great ideas from everyone…thanks!! Jack T - your hookup is what I was looking for as I know I saw something not long ago, so thanks for posting. I wonder if it was on the other website??

Question - does that one battery in the picture power all of your cars or just the one seen?

Richard -

Each car has its own battery-powered lighting system. It’s hard to see in the pic but the toggle switch and recharging jack are both mounted in holes in the head’s floor. (The recharging jack mount is reinforced with JB Weld epoxy to make sure it isn’t pushed out when the charger plug is pushed in.) The original GOW lighting circuit is hooked to the battery pack.