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Offline trainbuff  
#1 Posted : 23 March 2007 19:31:06(UTC)
trainbuff


Joined: 26/11/2006(UTC)
Posts: 507
Location: Atlanta, Georgia
Hi All,

I can't find Marklin's 7318 lighting kit and in the 06 catalog the 431x wagons do not have a lighting kit referenced.

Is there another kit with the same slider than can be used on 431x?

If I can find a 7318, will the 431x wagons take current conduction couplers, or will each wagon need a shoe?

I've seen the rapido web pages but don't want to use batteries.

Googling I've found where others have installed lights in 431x, but all seem to start with the 7318 slider.

Any other suggestions?

Thanks
Offline Hemmerich  
#2 Posted : 24 March 2007 00:01:48(UTC)
Hemmerich


Joined: 15/04/2003(UTC)
Posts: 2,734
Location: ,
Quote:
[size=1" face="Verdana" id="quote]quote:Originally posted by trainbuff
I can't find Marklin's 7318 lighting kit and in the 06 catalog the 431x wagons do not have a lighting kit referenced.


Correct. This was removed in 2003.

Quote:
[size=1" face="Verdana" id="quote]quote:Is there another kit with the same slider than can be used on 431x?


Not (yet) under a specific Märklin product number.

Quote:
[size=1" face="Verdana" id="quote]quote:If I can find a 7318, will the 431x wagons take current conduction couplers, or will each wagon need a shoe?


#7318 comes with all neccessary parts for current conduction coupling. So you'll only need one car with a shoe.

Quote:
[size=1" face="Verdana" id="quote]quote:Any other suggestions?


You might try using the new LED lighting set #73400 (you need to make some own contact with the ground level metal plate); however I am afraid that even the new pickup shoe #73406 will not fit unmodified with any of the #431x cars.

Getting a baggage car #4316 should solve the pickup shoe problem.

Alternatively to the discontinued it #7318 it might be possible to still get the current conductor coupling parts as spare parts.
Offline trainbuff  
#3 Posted : 24 March 2007 14:19:39(UTC)
trainbuff


Joined: 26/11/2006(UTC)
Posts: 507
Location: Atlanta, Georgia
Thanks Hemmerich. I will keep looking for 7318. Some dealer may have it in old stock. Too bad I already have baggage car 4315 without the slider. I would have preferred to buy 4316 but no one had it in stock at the time. I need to learn patience. Thanks again.
Offline trainbuff  
#4 Posted : 05 April 2007 06:22:41(UTC)
trainbuff


Joined: 26/11/2006(UTC)
Posts: 507
Location: Atlanta, Georgia
Are all current conducting couplers a permant connection?

Found and installed a 7318 and can see why its discontinued; it was difficult to install and its still not working consistently. I will clean all contacts and reassemble. Its such a pain to put together I think I will use LEDs with this light kit so I won't have to change bulbs at a future time.

Its my first time installing a light kit, maybe I'm missing something? I glued the spring of the coupler into place because it keep popping off when I tried to assemble the car. Are other light kits this hard to install and get working?

later all.

ok, let me edit my post - Everything is now working as it should. I cleaned all connections, wheels, axles, and tightened spring on bulb holders. I also hot glued the interior of the car to the frame so the body can be opened without accidentally pulling the wheel pickups loose which made the springs pop off the couple.

Offline trainbuff  
#5 Posted : 05 April 2007 22:09:19(UTC)
trainbuff


Joined: 26/11/2006(UTC)
Posts: 507
Location: Atlanta, Georgia
Help!!

The 4314 with 7318 light kit is shorting out on turnouts next to R1 curves. At fast speed the car lights flash and loc will lose power for a fraction of a second. At lower speeds mobile station will stop.

I'm not sure how to fix. Someone has had this happen too? What should I do?

Here is picture of slider hitting the points:
UserPostedImage

It happens when the R1 curve is in the same direction of the turn out and the switch is pointing straight. It doesn't matter if its left or right hand switch, or if train is going forward or backwards.
UserPostedImage

Thanks for any help or suggestions.

Edited by moderator 11 January 2011 14:58:57(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

Offline DasBert33  
#6 Posted : 05 April 2007 22:34:25(UTC)
DasBert33

Belgium   
Joined: 21/01/2004(UTC)
Posts: 1,245
Eh use R2/R3 turns or add a small piece of straight track between the turn and the switch?

Probably this is the reason why they discontinued the pickup shoe in the first place.

Bert
Offline trainbuff  
#7 Posted : 06 April 2007 02:14:08(UTC)
trainbuff


Joined: 26/11/2006(UTC)
Posts: 507
Location: Atlanta, Georgia
You maybe right. I thought one of Marklin's bragging points was everything will work on R1 and I did something wrong. I'll experiment with that. Thanks Bert.
Offline mrmarklin  
#8 Posted : 06 April 2007 02:43:32(UTC)
mrmarklin

United States   
Joined: 27/10/2004(UTC)
Posts: 890
Location: Burney, CA
Quote:
[size=1" face="Verdana" id="quote]quote:Originally posted by DasBert33
<br />Eh use R2/R3 turns or add a small piece of straight track between the turn and the switch?

Probably this is the reason why they discontinued the pickup shoe in the first place.

Bert


These lighting kits were notorious for difficulty of installation, and short circuiting. If you've ever installed one it's easy to see why. So you're correct, that is why they were discontinued. That being said, I laid in a supply--because who knows when Marklin will ever release an equivalent product again.[:o)]
From the People's Republik of Kalifornia
Online xxup  
#9 Posted : 06 April 2007 04:03:12(UTC)
xxup

Australia   
Joined: 15/03/2003(UTC)
Posts: 9,457
Location: Australia
Great diagnosis and photos... It really does seem to be a design fault.. I am not even sure if insulating the leading edge of the slider will solve the problem...

It would be nice if Marklin were to issue an updated slider or information to their customers to enable them to fix the problem..
Adrian
UserPostedImage
Australia flag by abFlags.com
Offline trainbuff  
#10 Posted : 06 April 2007 07:19:30(UTC)
trainbuff


Joined: 26/11/2006(UTC)
Posts: 507
Location: Atlanta, Georgia
mrmarklin - thanks for the background. I now too have a small supply of these!

xxup - good idea, I tried to insulate the leading edges of the slider with paint and it seemed to help some. I think the plastic edges of the slider were meant to help insulate it also. This will take more experimenting then I want to do because I don't want to keep shorting out my mobile station.

I'm wondering if one can use the power from the locomotive through conducting couplers to light to cars. Can a digital locomotive power the lights of three to four passenger cars? Maybe if the lights where LEDS instead of bulbs?

Thanks for all the responses so far. Curious to hear thoughts on using loc power to light passenger cars.

Offline trainbuff  
#11 Posted : 08 April 2007 00:47:20(UTC)
trainbuff


Joined: 26/11/2006(UTC)
Posts: 507
Location: Atlanta, Georgia
While looking for how others have lighted passenger cars, I came upon this on a German forum "Und eben genau diese Innenbeleuchtung wurde nach recht kurzer Zeit von Märklin wieder aus dem Programm genommen wegen der wohl doch nicht zu unterschätzenden Gefahr von Kurzschlüssen." I think it translates loosely as the item was quickly removed because of danger of shorting. I've also looked in non-Marklin forums to see how others light their passenger cars. It seems other manufactures and individual modelers have difficulties lighting passenger cars too. If I ever get a good solution working I'll pass it along.
Offline TTRExpress  
#12 Posted : 10 April 2007 04:20:03(UTC)
TTRExpress

United States   
Joined: 06/04/2006(UTC)
Posts: 655
Gentlemen,

I think that Reynauld's Euro-Imports may have some of 7317 Kits still available, at least they list them on their Marklin inventory. You may also check out using 7077 or 7323 kits.

You may also be able to "kit bash", ie take bits and pieces from other lighting kits and make something that works. Try using a "light strip" like Roco makes or Marklin 73400 LED strip and use a different ski-slider. Maybe modify the slider a little by shortening it....(ues a dremel tool to cut a small portion away).

Hope this helps a little.

Regards (the Scot in Wisconsin).
Regards (a Scot in Wisconsin),

Maurice [ETE, TTRCA, IG-TRIX Express, Maerklin-Insider & TRIX Profi-Club]
Offline trainbuff  
#13 Posted : 11 October 2007 04:03:21(UTC)
trainbuff


Joined: 26/11/2006(UTC)
Posts: 507
Location: Atlanta, Georgia
Hello,

I added the 73400 light kit to my 431x Donnerbüchse using parts from the 7318 lighting kit. I had to cut the ends off the 73400 and run it diagonally to make it fit. I painted the ceiling white to make it a little brighter inside. There is an original 73400 laying across the body for comparison. After much frustration I figured out a good way to install the current conducting parts. I put the spring on the coupler mechanism last and glue it down, or the springs fly off during assembly. After putting on the interior I wire it to the undercarriage. See the bare wire (not the brown) going under the seated fellow on the right with the black boots. You can see it good by his left arm. Just poke the wire through the holes provided for the 7318 bulb assembly and twist it together under the carriage, or else the springs will fly out while assembling. Are you noticing a theme that just keeps popping out?

UserPostedImage

I haven't figured out how to use this camera in the dark yet, so heres my best night shot.
UserPostedImage

I didn't use the slider in the 7318 kit, but added a current conducting coupler to a 37030, which was really easy. those pictures are in another thread.

The next seated passengers I will put on the edge of the seat so I can see them better when the train goes by. Maybe I'll put a kid or two standing and looking out the window. The way the seats are arranged you can only see seated passengers at a sharp angle.

Edited by moderator 11 January 2011 14:34:30(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

Offline TTRExpress  
#14 Posted : 12 October 2007 18:00:35(UTC)
TTRExpress

United States   
Joined: 06/04/2006(UTC)
Posts: 655
Hello Trainbuff,

Nice job on modifying the kits. Yes, I have noticed and always run into recurring themes in lighting kit installations - things just pop-out or go a little awry.

Seems like the current conducting couplings are the way to go. I have some that I need to install but other projects on my layout are taking precedence.

Regards (a Scot in Wisconsin)Smile
Regards (a Scot in Wisconsin),

Maurice [ETE, TTRCA, IG-TRIX Express, Maerklin-Insider & TRIX Profi-Club]
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