Repainting Centralia Shops N scale passenger cars

[oakcreekco]

Great thread and it saved my buttocks.

I hadn't thought about the batteries in my four CCS D&RGW cars. They were still the originals.

Checked them out this morning, and sure as heck, none worked. Opened them up, and all 8 batteries were corroded and leaking out.

No damage, but it could have turned into a real mess.

[peteski]

Great thread and it saved my buttocks.

I hadn't thought about the batteries in my four CCS D&RGW cars. They were still the originals.

Checked them out this morning, and sure as heck, none worked. Opened them up, and all 8 batteries were corroded and leaking out.

No damage, but it could have turned into a real mess.

You did luck out.
I will state what I say every time battery-powered lighting topic comes up:  I don't like it for the above mentioned reasons:  Needs maintenance, and it can also be damaging for the model.  Track power is the way to go.  Too bad some manufacturers don'tt get it.

[nkalanaga]

I might ought to check mine.  None of them have ever been turned on.  I seldom run passenger trains, and don't need lights for daytime trains anyway.

[nkalanaga]

Dug seven of my eight out tonight (the 8th is in another box) and checked them.  Figured five mnutes per car, took more like 15 for the first couple.  Those things are a pain!

The MILW Full Dome was first, and the newest of my cars.  After getting the floor, and the weight, and the interior, out, there was the battery holder.  Of course, in the process, one of the etched stair railings (?!) fell off.  No problem, ACC it back on.  Tried to take the batteries out.  After trying everything I could think of, including destroying the battery holder, I figured out that the dome comes off, as well as the upper interior, and simply removed the entire light assembly.  It's in the trash.  Yes, both batteries were corroded.  Never been turned on, insulating tape still in place.  Tried to reassemble, the other stair railing came off, and ended up in the dome.  Remove the roof again, retrieve it, and glue back on.  Notice that the first was missing (again), never did find it.  Oh well, can't see it anyway!

Next was a coach.  Much simpler, right?  No railings, simple interior.  Not really.  Once again, ended up removing the entire assembly and discarding - in pieces.  Both batteries corroded.

Third car, yet another coach.  Finally figure it out:  Push the batteries out with a screwdriver, through the end window.  Both batteries corroded.

End result was that, of 14 batteries, two per car, three actually look good enough to save.  I have no idea what I'll use them in.

And, really, who needs lights in a baggage car? Yes, it was corroded as well.

Check your batteries!

[oakcreekco]

Glad that you got your batteries out too.

I found this, and might be helpful to others.

https://www.intermountain-railway.com/BatteryReplaceNPaxCar.htm

[Sokramiketes]

OK, I need a "Fine Tip Sharpie", which I can get at my "local" hobby shop, in their art section, in a couple months.  It will probably be that long before I'm over there again, due to work schedules, but this isn't a high-priority project.

And then I need to figure out how to build the steps.  Yours don't look like they just lowered the steps and left them down, and they certainly don't look like heavyweight steps.  I have some castings for those.  Is yours really just a box with steps in it, as it looks to be?

PM me and I'll send you a set.  They're resin castings courtesy of Bill Denton's master. 

[nkalanaga]

Mike:  Thank you, but I have six of these things, so it would be probably be cheaper, considering the postage, and your limited supply, for me to make my own!

Incidentally, I found that I had two more CCS cars, not just one, and all four of those batteries were also corroded.  So, I had three good ones out of 18 total.  I tried one of the cars, with the good batteries, just to see what the lights looked like.  No luck.  All three of the "good" batteries were dead!

OakCreekCo:  Thank you!  That looks even harder than doing it my way.  At least I didn't have to deal with any tiny screws!

[oakcreekco]

You're  welcome.

Actually, once the roof is off, the one screw is right on top. Take it out and the battery holder can easily pop up and out.

We both lucked out, no damage on some very nice cars

[Sokramiketes]

Mike:  Thank you, but I have six of these things, so it would be probably be cheaper, considering the postage, and your limited supply, for me to make my own!

Incidentally, I found that I had two more CCS cars, not just one, and all four of those batteries were also corroded.  So, I had three good ones out of 18 total.  I tried one of the cars, with the good batteries, just to see what the lights looked like.  No luck.  All three of the "good" batteries were dead!

OakCreekCo:  Thank you!  That looks even harder than doing it my way.  At least I didn't have to deal with any tiny screws!

Sounds good. Here’s some images for inspiration.

[ Guests cannot view attachments ] [ Guests cannot view attachments ]

You’re not missing anything on the lights. They are neon green. I throw all mine out. ☹️

[nkalanaga]

That looks easy.  Thank you!  Stack some Evergreen strips, and cut to length.  The back doesn't show anyway, from normal viewing angles, so I could leave it square.

Are those 1025 couplers on yours?  I've used them for many years, and they work fine, as long as all of the cars have body-mounted couplers.  Not a problem when most had Rapidos, and ConCor's knuckle couplers wouldn't couple stay coupled, even with each other.  With Kato and RailSmith making cars with good, close-coupled truck mounts, I'm having to switch to 1015s.  Fortunately they use the same holes, at the same height, and I can recycle the 1025s to freight cars.

Neon green?  Might be good for a Halloween train.  I know many passenger cars had green-tinted windows, but not NEON green!

[milw156]

I think my batteries got repurposed for my digital calipers

[nkalanaga]

How did they do there?  No problems?