MOV01734.MPG (4,860kb) downloaded 44 time(s). Movie taken of the test track on my work table. The only C track I possess.
A very brief movie showing my LED lit Tegernssee Bahn carriages. Utilizing one pickup shoe on the rear coach, and using current conducting couplers, of which half have been made from Marklin close couplers with a brass strip passing through where the pre-uncoupler was fitted,. Each coach has an LED strip powered through a 1000 O resister, and a Bridge Rectifier the size of a match head. I have also coupled 2 x 50v 1000uF capacitors. These capacitors are reasonably big but are glued to the roof of the coaches so that are not visible.

Including loading the coaches with 1:100 people, it is at least an hours work getting each coach set up. The master coach with the pickup shoes has the Marklin wheel contact mounted, whereas all other coaches have my wheel pickups which are small rectangle s of brass shim, shaped to fit on the end of the axles at one side and soldered together with a joining wire etc. A little bit of trial and error was required to get the right shape for the earthing contacts but made a tool to perfect the job [ out of a nail ]. Some fiddling was required to get good contacts between each coupler, even with the genuine Marklin ones. Then with a bit of use, all came right. There were a few peculiar moment on 2 pcs of track where the light s flickered once but that was resolved.
The power going through the contacts is just what comes off the centre rail.

the original components I acquired for these conversions was decided on by measuring the voltage coming from my most powerful blue transformer when the reverse voltage was applied [ 29v ac ]. Originally, I converted a lot of tin plate carriages to work on my AC circuit.