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 Posted - October 16 2011 : 9:55:08 PM
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This isn't anything terribly exciting or ground-breaking, but I thought it was worth noting. While disassembling my Rapido fleet for cleaning, I noticed Tyco went to the trouble of using different bulb configurations based on the body style. Take a look at the coach:
Nothing new here....two bulbs, one at each end. The bulb fixtures are riveted to the chassis in between a pair of indents. While cleaning the coach, I noticed a third hole and set of indents near the center of the car. Was Tyco planning on putting three bulbs in their cars? I was stumped...until I opened the combine:
...And now it all makes sense! The bulb was positioned near the baggage door. No sense in lighting the end of the car with no windows 
This isn't groundbreaking, but I do have to give Tyco props for the multiple lighting configs. Looking at my collection, it would appear Tyco discontinued this practice some time in the late 60's. About half of my Tyco sets are set up like this.
Here's the observation for reference. It has the rounded end:
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Posted - October 16 2011 : 10:28:00 PM
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| well IF I had one I'd LED it & find out a way to have them steady on instead of flickerring like subways do
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Posted - October 16 2011 : 10:51:57 PM
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Why LED it? It ruins the nostalgia D: Personally I'd prefer my cars to be glowing a soft yellow colour rather than that overly-bright bluish light that LED's tend to put off 
The only way to prevent the flickering would probably be either installing a battery or wiring all the cars together. I prefer to just keep the wheels clean 
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Posted - October 16 2011 : 11:00:19 PM
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| true but you can get low light LEDs that'll match the bulbs perfectly
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Posted - October 16 2011 : 11:50:34 PM
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How many locos and cars have you converted to LED lighting, Ben?
The Tyco Depot
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Posted - October 17 2011 : 10:47:27 AM
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zilch But I'm working on it hehe
Crazy thing is the Red Box UP combine, which are from the same era as these cars, I has does NOT have lighting in it 
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Posted - October 17 2011 : 8:15:16 PM
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Hey Ben. ALL of Tyco's streamliners had lighting. Either your bulbs are burnt out or someone removed them. 
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Posted - January 11 2013 : 11:04:53 PM
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The lights are out in my Mantua/Tyco s/l obsv. How do I remove the body to change bulbs?
caboose 1
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Posted - January 13 2013 : 02:03:35 AM
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Your car has the metal chassis like in the pictures, yes? At the rounded end there is a metal tab that fits in to the shell. At the other end there is a screw. First remove the screw. Gently pull the metal chassis at the screw-end out of the body. Once the chassis at the screw end has cleared the body, slide the metal chassis forward until the metal tab comes out of the body.
I hope that made sense. Life-Like makes bulbs that are drop in fits (item no. 1213). Good luck!
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Posted - January 13 2013 : 07:28:12 AM
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Yes ...boy if I'da took a second to look I probably would've noticed the screw.Now to find the bulbs... Thanx cheez
caboose 1
Edited by - caboose 1 on January 13 2013 07:34:49 AM
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Posted - January 13 2013 : 10:20:39 AM
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quote:Hey Ben. ALL of Tyco's streamliners had lighting. Either your bulbs are burnt out or someone removed them.
Originally posted by DaCheez - October 17 2011 : 8:15:16 PM
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Well ok but neither that UP combine or the CN car have lighting in them 
Will get a pic of both later
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Posted - January 13 2013 : 11:21:31 AM
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quote:
The only way to prevent the flickering would probably be either installing a battery or wiring all the cars together.
Originally posted by DaCheez - October 16 2011 : 10:51:57 PM
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Actually, this thread just gave me an idea. capacitors act like batteries in an electronic circuit, it may be possible to solder a 16-volt tantalum cap in series with the light bulbs, which will then charge up with track power. Any intermittent power will be negated by the small charge built up in the cap after initial charging. Now I'm going to have to try this theory out by modifying a Tyco passenger car. I've seen some caps hold power in circuits for more than a few seconds, plenty of time to overcome intermittent track power. I'm running DCC as well, I can use a diode to cut the square wave in half, so it's charging and not discharging. Not sure how that will affect DCC, will have to try it as well. Coal for the firebox of thinking...
Jerry
" When life throws you bananas...it's easy to slip up"
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Posted - January 13 2013 : 11:45:25 AM
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quote:Hey Ben. ALL of Tyco's streamliners had lighting. Either your bulbs are burnt out or someone removed them.
Originally posted by DaCheez - October 17 2011 : 8:15:16 PM
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Not true. Like Ben, I have several streamliners WITHOUT the wiring. Here's the proof below. Looks like it was an option. I noticed that the unlighted Obs car has a clear laminate with black shadow people, but the lighted car has a white laminate with black shadow people ( so you don't see the wiring and bulbs? ). The holes are there for the electrical connections but there was nothing there and no scratches to indicate anything was removed. So obviously they cheapened them up later on ( Amtrak 70's Tyco era ? ). And no solder on the nuts, although they probably would have used a small ring terminal instead of soldering them. So Ben is correct, some came without lighting installed.
Jerry
" When life throws you bananas...it's easy to slip up"
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Posted - January 13 2013 : 11:58:53 AM
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| SEE?? I knew I was correct
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Posted - January 13 2013 : 12:19:18 PM
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Hey AMC. The bottom car in your picture is a kit-built, while the top one is an RTR. The screw-on trucks are dead giveaways. Tyco sold a lighting kit for the streamliners which apparently didn't always get installed In the kits the builder was instructed to cut pieces of paper to fit inside the car and act as the translucent window backing. I believe sometime in the 70's they ditched the paper and made the window bands translucent instead.
Let me rephrase what I said earlier. All of Tyco's RTR streamliners should have come from the factory with lighting installed
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Posted - January 13 2013 : 12:32:50 PM
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quote:
Let me rephrase what I said earlier. All of Tyco's ..RTR... streamliners should have come from the factory with lighting installed
Originally posted by DaCheez - January 13 2013 : 12:19:18 PM
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Now, see what the addition of a single significant text addition makes? RTR wasn't part of your original phrasing. I didn't realize they came as kits, either. So, you were correct with what you MEANT, and I was right with what I SAID.
Jerry
" When life throws you bananas...it's easy to slip up"
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Posted - January 13 2013 : 12:58:37 PM
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I honestly wasn't even thinking about the kits when I said that because I didn't think anyone had one. They seem to be incredibly scarce (possibly rare, but I don't want to go there ). You have a nice piece regardless! 
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Posted - January 13 2013 : 1:29:39 PM
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removed the body from the s/l obsv....wire off on the rear truck...a lil solder and i now have 2 nice bright lights and tailight AND drumhead!!! Cheez...you DA CHEEZ...thanx
caboose 1
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Posted - January 13 2013 : 11:24:14 PM
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| Glad to hear it all worked out! Don't you just love when the fix is something simple!?
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