If any of you read the Judge's Saturday Report of December 14, 2019 you'll know why this thread is being posted.
Several months ago, the Judge and I purchased several Walthers Mainline Series Southern Passenger cars. We got them on sale and at a great price.
Recently he decided he wanted to populate the cars and add LED lighting to each. Certainly easier said than done. The task of roof removal fell on me. One car has been finished and I learned what to do and how to do it better than the Walthers instructions.
I've learned a few tricks and will pass on this knowledge to make it easier for those wanting to add the LED lighting to the Mainline passenger cars.
I'll add lighting to the large window coach.
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Here is a view of the end flap on the lighting kit.
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Continued -
In the Walthers lighting car kit instructions, they say to "twist the model in opposite directions a few times". They also show a woman doing this task of "roof removal".
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Again, easier said than done. Nothing against our fair ladies but if you know one that can do it, send her to my house as I need my vehicle lifted so I can clean under it. :-X
I heard the slight crack but it was my fingers cracking and not the release of the roof tabs.
Now, I don't consider myself as a weak person but popping the roof off by twisting isn't going to happen per the instructions.
Twisting the car sides did create a slight gap between the roof and car side. Here is where my tricks will help others; I used the Xacto #17 blade and gently placed it between the roof and car sides. I then used toothpicks to place between the roof/windows and car sides.
This allows the tabs to be pushed out from the car sides so the roof and windows (all one piece) to be removed.
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More tomorrow afternoon.
Thanks for posting this process, Tom. To find forearm strength in women, one good starting point is lifelong horsewomen (but not so rich they don't clean their own stalls).
Kinda makes you wonder if the savings were worth it.....maybe Bill can help. ;) ;) ;)
Quote from: jbvb on December 17, 2019, 07:47:09 PM
Thanks for posting this process, Tom. To find forearm strength in women, one good starting point is lifelong horsewomen (but not so rich they don't clean their own stalls).
James,
Forearm strength will definitely get the roof started but not "pop out" as Walthers instructions indicated.
Tom >:(
Quote from: GPdemayo on December 18, 2019, 09:02:30 AM
Kinda makes you wonder if the savings were worth it.....maybe Bill can help. ;) ;) ;)
Greg,
I told Bill this process wasn't worth the extra time to install the LEDs. Let the people sit in the dark for that matter. I won't be buying any more of the Mainline cars.
Tom :-X
Hey Tom:
Looks like fun to me.
karl
Quote from: postalkarl on December 18, 2019, 02:18:22 PM
Hey Tom:
Looks like fun to me.
karl
Karl,
"Looks like fun" is the key phrase here. 8)
Tom ;D
The Judge installed passengers in all the cars except the diner. The seats were to small and to close to the tables for the people to fit.
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One thing I did and suggest it be done is to mark on the bottom a number and mark the removed roof in the same manner. The arrow indicates which way we wanted the passengers to face. The arrow on the underside of the roof indicates which way the roof fits on the car. However, the roof tabs only fit one way but I noticed a few all fit the same.
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More in a few.
Everything included in the LED lighting kit is shown below the car body.
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I'm showing the photo below for a reason. These parts are critical to the kit and I'll cover them later in the thread.
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Continued -
The cars come with Talgo trucks. Turn the car over and remove the trucks but keep the mounting screws.
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More tomorrow.
This past Thursday the Judge came over and I showed him how to modify the Walthers LED lighting kit. As he mentioned in this weeks Saturday Report, I've made the lighting in the cars foolproof.
The results for the first car I did, strictly following the instructions, was less than satisfactory. It was hit or miss and the lights flickered on and off. I showed the Judge this first hand. I tried several times using different variations of Walthers instructions to no success.
After removing the Talgo trucks, I made some changes to the lighting kit parts. In the photo below, you can see the thin metal contacts. Walthers calls these wipers. These fit into the four rectangular holes in the bottom of the passenger car - two on each end just over the trucks.
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The piece in the middle is how they come in the kit. Using my fingers, I gently bent them as shown. This allows for a solid contact with other parts.
More in a few.
In the photo below, note the two long metal bars. These serve as contacts with the metal "wipers" mentioned in the above photo. They also serve as weights for the car. Walthers says these are taped to the floor. Well, THEY ARE NOT TAPED. They just fit on the bottom of the car.
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This next photo shows the non-vestibule car end. Note the four round pins, two on each side of the clear plastic.
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Continued -
The two longer metal pieces fit over the pins as shown. On the first car we did, the holes in the metal were to small and had to be reamed with a needle file. On this car they fit.
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Remember these? These are called "Glue Blocks" and they bit over the thin metal parts that fit over the fur plastic pins.
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Continued -
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After attaching the two metal contacts to the four pins, glue the two black glue blocks to the four plastic pins. Set aside to dry.
Back in a few.
The vestibule is on the opposite end of the car from the contacts we just discussed. Walters states this just snaps out. Well they are glued in place with a little glue. Yes, you could just "snap" them out but it isn't necessary to do so. Why chance on breaking the small tabs on the bottom of the vestibule.
I left the vestibule in place as it doesn't interfere with any function of the LED lighting install.
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More in a few.
I then removed the two long metal weights. I noticed they are slightly bent. Don't try to straighten them as it will help us later in the lighting. In the next photo, you can see the slight bend in the bars.
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I put the bars back into the cars and using a black marker, marked each end.
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Continued -
I removed the two bars/weights and using a Dremel cut off disc, scored each end of the weights. I brushed on some solder flux and used my Weller soldering gun to add a very thin layer of solder across the ends as shown below.
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Again, I did both ends on each weight.
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More in a few.
In the next photo you can see I replaced the two metal bars back into the correct position on the bottom of the car. I used the black marker to show ya'll where I added the thin layer of solder. In the photo, the solder is on the bottom of the black marks, meaning the other side of the weight.
Also, note the small amount of solder on the top of the light bar contacts. I tinned these in the same manner as I did with the two weight bars.
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I then soldered two thin, very flexible wires to the light bar.
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More in a few.
I learned something from the first LED car lighting install. Once the roof is replaced, the LEDs shine through the top of the car sides and bottom of the roof.
Since I removed and replaced the roof several times on the first install, I may have caused the "light" leak. Here is what I did on both cars to prevent this from occurring.
Using blue painters tape, I taped the window glass/plastic just under the tabs on the window sides as shown.
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I then used Tamiya Silver and brushed the paint onto the clear portion of the window above the tape and below the roof. I set the roof assembly aside to dry.
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More in a few.
Time to add the light bar to the underside of the roof.
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You can see six holes in the light bar and these align with the six holes on the bottom of the roof.
Using the six small screws included in the lighting kit, screw the light bar in place. The holes will only align one way so you can't get it wrong.
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Continued -
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The roof will only fit on the car with the light bar and wires on the non-vestibule end.
Continued -
I next placed the roof on the car upside down as shown. I crossed the wires and soldered each to one of the top contacts.
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I crossed the wires for a simple reason. When the roof is righted, the wires are now parallel to each other and the contacts.
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I then placed the roof on the car. I made sure the flexible wires were tucked into the back of the walls. I turned the car over and added the new set of trucks that came with the kit.
Continued -
The lighting install is now complete. No light leaking, no light flicker and now the cars is ready for the Southern RR fleet.
This does take a little patience in following my extra steps but it gives me a better since of accomplishment. Also, I don't have to watch and worry about the constant light flicker as the cars travel from the Bottoms, through and around Tahope on the way to the Summit.
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I didn't want to piece meal this thread so I finished it all this afternoon. Comments both negative and positive are welcome.
Tom ;D
Tom, that's quite a tutorial, thanks!
dave
WOW Tom excellent modeling as always but I think the answer is to purchase lighted cars. Life is too short. ;D
Tom,
Thanks for the tutorial!
There are a lot of unlighted Walthers heavyweights in my inventory.. Inspired by your successes, I went to their website last night: they don't recognize the numbers on their own cars. Kinda' inhibits looking for lighting kits for the fleet.
Two observations:
Southern always did great maintenance on their fleet.
Perhaps if other roads had done the maintenance you do and the Southern did, we'd still have great passenger service all over the country.
Great work Tom.....looks like these cars are a bargain, but the cost of the light kit and the time to install it correctly, make it less attractive than first thought.....and those darn grab irons still have to be installed. ::)
Oh, I forgot.....Bill ordered a Southern baggage car - on sale - for the consist. Have fun. ;D
Quote from: deemery on December 22, 2019, 04:37:33 PM
Tom, that's quite a tutorial, thanks!
dave
Dave,
You are very welcome. Maybe this will help others in a decision to "install or not install".
Tom ;D
Quote from: PRR Modeler on December 22, 2019, 06:00:23 PM
WOW Tom excellent modeling as always but I think the answer is to purchase lighted cars. Life is too short. ;D
Curt,
Thank you and yes, life is to short.
Tom ;D
Quote from: BandOGuy on December 22, 2019, 07:22:27 PM
Tom,
Thanks for the tutorial!
There are a lot of unlighted Walthers heavyweights in my inventory.. Inspired by your successes, I went to their website last night: they don't recognize the numbers on their own cars. Kinda' inhibits looking for lighting kits for the fleet.
Two observations:
Southern always did great maintenance on their fleet.
Perhaps if other roads had done the maintenance you do and the Southern did, we'd still have great passenger service all over the country.
Chip,
Thank you and I have other Walthers passenger cars as well.
NOTE: Refer to my last post, later this morning or afternoon to get a full review of this thread and other Walthers passenger cars.
Tom ;D
Quote from: GPdemayo on December 23, 2019, 08:41:57 AM
Great work Tom.....looks like these cars are a bargain, but the cost of the light kit and the time to install it correctly, make it less attractive than first thought.....and those darn grab irons still have to be installed. ::)
Greg,
Thank you and yes, they are a bargain. However, at what cost. Time is valuable and this isn't what I had in mind to do over the holidays.
Tom ;D
Quote from: GPdemayo on December 23, 2019, 08:47:28 AM
Oh, I forgot.....Bill ordered a Southern baggage car - on sale - for the consist. Have fun. ;D
OMG - Heaven help me!
This morning the Judge reminded me that although the thread was good, I forgot the trucks. And, he is correct in that it is important for me to cover this one last area.
On the Walthers Parts List they have listed #64 Drawbar Bushing (2). In the instructions, these parts are never mentioned or shown.
In the following photo you can see the small round drawbar bushing.
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It fits into the larger hole on the Angled Drawbar as shown below.
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More in a few.
The below photo shows you how your assembly should look with the drawbar screw and drawbar cover in place.
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Also note the two thin metal wipers on each side of the underframe. These wipers/contacts are two electrical pickups from the new trucks. The screws on top are the contact points.
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Continued -
Final assembly of the trucks -
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Walthers had a great idea when offering these economy passenger cars. Realizing their costs of the regular passenger cars were close to $100.00, this was their way of offering cars at a significant reduced price.
Don't confuse this lighting car kit with the Walthers Light Bar kit shown below. This lighting kit is used with the regular Walthers passenger cars - the heavyweights, Budd and pullman standard cars.
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The Walthers Interior LED Lighting kit is #920-1060 - above.
The Walthers Mainline series passenger cars are a great bargain if you only want to run them without lights. As this threads shows if you want to add lights you'll need the LED lighting kit for the Mainline Series. This series will only fit in the Walthers economy mainline series. And as Greg mentioned, you'll still need to purchase the Walthers Passenger Exterior Detailing kit #910-200 which includes the handrails. Sold separately of course.
So, all I can say is Caveat Emptor, meaning buyer beware.
Great thread Tom. ;) After reading all that I think I'll stick to hauling coal. ::)
Quote from: ReadingBob on December 23, 2019, 03:27:55 PM
Great thread Tom. ;) After reading all that I think I'll stick to hauling coal. ::)
Bob,
Thank you. Stick to coal or buy the big ticket cars. 8) 8)
Tom ;D
Quote from: ACL1504 on December 24, 2019, 07:23:06 AM
Quote from: ReadingBob on December 23, 2019, 03:27:55 PM
Great thread Tom. ;) After reading all that I think I'll stick to hauling coal. ::)
Bob,
Thank you. Stick to coal or buy the big ticket cars. 8) 8)
Tom ;D
Only wholesale..... ;D
I've bought a few Walthers 41-NP-11 trucks as they're correct for B&M/MEC lightweight coaches, combines and diner/bar/lounges. But their 5 mm kingpin hole is tiresome to adapt to most non-Walthers cars.