Bachmann Jackson Sharpe Coach Lighting

[Waldgrun]

Once more I ask for help. At the Llanfair show S.W.M.B.O obtained 4 Bachmann Jackson Sharpe Coaches, which I intend to bring up to scratch. The main problem being the lights fitted in the roof of each vehicle. So far I have manage to take the vehicles apart and I am able to see the bulbs which after in a plastic housing and I can not seem to reach them to unscrew. Has anyone any ideas? Or, perhaps could direct me as where to obtain a copy of the instruction sheet for these coahes when thay where supplied in kit form?
Many Thanks

 

[beavercreek]

Hi Brian
I have hupdated the lighting in several of the Bachmann Jackson coaches.
There are four screws underneath the floor.
With these undone the floor can be lifted free (it may need a little flexing to release the two tabs at either end.
The contact strips for the lights runs down the side of the coach near the centre and connects to two tabs on the floor which then are connected to the battery box.
The bulbs can be unscrewed from their sockets. In fact the lighting strips can be detached with the clerestory window strips.

I have either replaced the bulbs with warm white led screw in bulbs whilst still using the battery box or replaced the battery box with wheel contacts for power pickup from the rails.
The screw in led bulbs have resistors and rectifiers in their bases so are not polarity sensitive and work up to 19v.
On two coaches, instead of bulbs I replaced the bulbs with a cut off section of led roll driven from the battery box (the strip is rated up to 12v).

By using a brown spirit marker, the White of the LEDs took on a nice dim 'tungsten' appearance.

 

[Neil Robinson]

I no longer own any Bachmann Jackson Sharpes, but when I did I was disappointed by the lighting battery life.
I strongly recommend LED replacements for the filament bulbs for this reason.

 

[Waldgrun]

Thanks for your replies, Beavercreek I am interested in the idea of your Led Bulbs can you provide more details, please?
I also wonder if at some time Bachmann changed production methods, we had to remove 10 screws from the underside of each coach to release the floor! We also found the only way to unscrew the bulbs from their holders was to remove the roof and the clerestory window strips. Finally removing the light fittings after loosening the wiring, we were then able to pull the lamp holders to access the bulbs, at which point we discovered that not a single bulb was faulty, all had become loose and where not making contact!
The only vehicle I have to tackle now is the full baggage car, which was never fitted with lights, as much as I hate to say it Christmas is a coming! Which means that pound shops will have sets of L.E.D. lights so it should be simple to install a set.

 

[Fred Mills]

I don't bother lighting my fleet of passenger cars, because I seldom run at night, if ever. Why have the lights on during daylight hours ?
I have used the battery powered lights on a few occasions in the past, and a 9 volt battery lasted at least 4 hours, so it was fine with me.
Track powered lights just rob power from what you need to power the locomotives, and flicker all the time. The battery powered ones are far more pleasing. If you want more time out of your batteries, change over to Leds. The later editions of these cars are all track powered with a crude pick-up system. None of the pick-up systems in my mind are worth the bother....go with Leds, and rechargeable 9 volt batteries, if you must. That's my opinion....others may think differently.

 

[trammayo]

I don't bother lighting my fleet of passenger cars, because I seldom run at night, if ever. Why have the lights on during daylight hours ?
I have used the battery powered lights on a few occasions in the past, and a 9 volt battery lasted at least 4 hours, so it was fine with me.
Track powered lights just rob power from what you need to power the locomotives, and flicker all the time. The battery powered ones are far more pleasing. If you want more time out of your batteries, change over to Leds. The later editions of these cars are all track powered with a crude pick-up system. None of the pick-up systems in my mind are worth the bother....go with Leds, and rechargeable 9 volt batteries, if you must. That's my opinion....others may think differently.

Yes, the Bachmann pick-ups are more like brakes - I just bent mine away from the wheels.

 

[fridge]

I certainly agree with the battery solution. A 9v rechargeable battery and a strip of 3 cheap undershelf lighting LEDs works a treat-coach lighting used to be very dim, remember.

 

[Rhinochugger]

I think I've probably said this before - but I can't understand how, in this scale, the manufacturers don't use split axles for the rolling stock and metal bogies sides with plastic bolsters - easy pickups with no moving parts.

I can appreciate that there may be a cost implication to the Big Hauler coach rang, but loco tenders, and Accucraft's coaches and cabooses - they already have metal bogies, so they only need to produce a non-conductive bolster .............. how hard can it be?

I put a battery in my Accy (plastic) caboose, partly because of the drag, and partly because of the squeaking

 

[beavercreek]

The old Accucraft locos had power delivered by one insulated wheel side wiper and the other from the whole chassis as there was no insulation on the other side wheel.
It was not the best of options as accidents when wiring up and using electronics etc could easily happen...especially with a freely rotation bogie!

As to Bachmann coaches (and other brands that have not implemented anti flicker already) that use pickups for lighting.
If you replace the tungsten lighting with leds (either wired up yourself or by replacing with led screw-in bulbs), just put a capacitor in parallel to give flicker free running.
The size of the capacitor will depend on the number of leds and also the amount of time that you want to cover for breaks in the power.
2-3 seconds should be enough for dirty track and for points (About 5 seconds for extremely dirty track). I have found that a 220uf to 440uf to be ample.

 

[Rhinochugger]

Yes, it just frustrates me that in this age, working in our scale, the manufacturers are still in the neolithic age of wipers or plungers.

it has always amazed me how many aspects of large scale have been simply 'bigged up' without any thought of alternatives - look at LGB track jointing for one - OK so they were probably also trying to deal with the relayable indoor track market, because the Stainz sets were also sold as toys, but they ought to have thought of an outside solution as well. Equally, the hook and loop couplers - some will say that they're effective, maybe, but they're pig ugly on a 1:20 ish model.

Worm drives without motor flywheels is another of my betes noires - lack of space ? hollyhocks (I note that the Bachmann mallet has flywheel drives)

And the pickup skates - compromise (for effective current collection) or just laziness in concept? Again, probably necessary on a short wheelbase like the Stainz, but on everything? Spoils the look of a good loco IMHO

All this is a long way from the original question, and not really a rant, just a bit of 'why oh why?' I'm thinking of taking up knitting

 

[stockers]

Cant be arsed with batteries and recharging, let alone switcjing the blighters on and off - that's what DCC's for.
I like skates - they work.
Bearing pickup wheels remove the need for wiper or plungers.
Each to their own. Would be boring if we all did the same thing.

 

[Rhinochugger]

Bearing pickup wheels remove the need for wiper or plungers.

Yes, had forgotten about these, but they're bloomin' expensive, and Fn3 bearing wheelsets are like hen's teeth now

 

[pugwash]

Bearing pickup wheels remove the need for wiper or plungers.

That sounds like Tigger-speak to me

 

[PhilP]

That sounds like Tigger-speak to me

Or Yoda???

 

[The Devonian]

I go with Fred on this one. Being principally a freight line, my only passenger services are occasional tourist trains (Bachmann ten wheeler and J&S cars) which is the sole reason for my 19th.century locos and stock. I do not run trains in the evening and usually having had a busy day I need to relax and put my feet up sometime.
The older and cars which often come with sets do have battery boxes and maybe are the best bet for those wanting lit cars. The axle springs which collect power from the track are, as someone already mentioned, rather act as a brake and as far as I am concerned a most undesirable feature.
Flickering of the lights was mentioned. As I see it most of these cars in their original state had oil lamps which did flicker with every draught or were dimmed by passenger smoking habits.
Of course if you are emulating a more recent tourist type line then the lighting would most likely have been upgraded.

 

[G-force1]

As this thread seems to have run to ground, I'll add my question to it as it's still about Bachmann J&S coaches.

I have acquired a couple or three S/H, and they seem to have a mix of plastic and metal hand rails. I see that metal ones are available Stateside. Are there any problems fitting the superior metal in place of plastic, and what makes the difference, age of manufacture?

 

[Fred Mills]

I have quite a few pieces of the J&S Bachmann equipment. Originally they came with plastic grab irons and railings. There was a firm in England that produced metal (Pewter) replacement parts way back when. I don't know if they still are available.
Later, or latest production from Bachmann, seems to have the metal parts. Whether Bachmann will supply replacement metal parts, is a good question...
Surprisingly enough; I haven't experienced much, if any breakage of the plastic parts, even though the equipment gets rough handling, in service, on the IPP&W Railway.
They also, originally came equipped with rather neat "Battery Boxes", which held a 9 volt battery for lighting the cars, but apparently, some "Brains" somewhere convinced them that track power was better...sad...you only need the lights at night, and with LEDs, the 9 volt battery would last several months, meanwhile the track pick-ups were pure crap...in my humble opinion. We never operate at night, so it doesn't matter, but the battery boxes added good under frame detail to the cars. I did get B'mann to send me about a dozen replacement battery boxes, many moons ago...but getting them now would be next to impossible, I'm sure.
Fred Mills

 

[Fred Mills]

To answer your original question properly...yes if B'mann has replacement metal parts, they will fit, without problems.

 

[G-force1]

Cheers Fred. I saw metal replacements on a Stateside website I can't off hand remember which, but I suspect I can find it again reasonably easily.

 

[Fred Mills]

...Possibly "Ozark Miniatures"...on another post the name of the other supplier is noted as again producing the parts...It is just below this thread, if you scroll down...
Fred Mills