Installing LED lights in a Walthers Mainline Series Passenger Cars.

[ACL1504]

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.






More in a few.

[ACL1504]

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.



I put the bars back into the cars and using a black marker, marked each end.



Continued -

[ACL1504]

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.



Again, I did both ends on each weight.



More in a few.

[ACL1504]

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.



I then soldered two thin, very flexible wires to the light bar.




More in a few.

[ACL1504]

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.



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.



More in a few.

[ACL1504]

Time to add the light bar to the underside of the roof.



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.



Continued -

[ACL1504]

The roof will only fit on the car with the light bar and wires on the non-vestibule end.

Continued -

[ACL1504]

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.



I crossed the wires for a simple reason. When the roof is righted, the wires are now parallel to each other and the contacts.



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 -

[ACL1504]

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.





I didn't want to piece meal this thread so I finished it all this afternoon. Comments both negative and positive are welcome.

Tom

[deemery]

Tom, that's quite a tutorial, thanks!


dave

[PRR Modeler]

WOW Tom excellent modeling as always but I think the answer is to purchase lighted cars. Life is too short.

[BandOGuy]

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.

[GPdemayo]

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. 

[GPdemayo]

Oh, I forgot.....Bill ordered a Southern baggage car - on sale - for the consist. Have fun. 

[ACL1504]

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