DCC Impulses Column - 9
While I was at it, I painted the metal weight flat black and used
the A-line “Bulls Eye Drill Jig & Tap Jig” to secure the coupler plates
with 2-56 x ⅛ inch machine screws.
Using a bit of caulk daubed on the bottom of the plastic floor, I
lightly stretched some black pantyhose material across the open-
ing. After I daubed a bit of caulk around the mating surface of the
speaker and positioned it, the metal weight was put in place and a
clamp held the sandwich together while it dried overnight.
I plugged the CurrentKeeper into the SoundCar and held them
together with a bit of the 3M tape. Then the two modules were
stuck to the center of the ceiling of the shell.
Power pickups were built using phosphor bronze wire running
through the truck bolster and wrapped as shown [7] to contact
the axle of “live axle” wheels. I used Intermountain wheelsets,
but any similar metal-axle wheelsets will work. The installation
required replace-
ment of some
Atlas wheels with
plastic axles that
had been used
on our layout.
When the caulk
was dry, the
decoder was
wired to the
pickups and the
speaker.
Bench testing
showed that the
CurrentKeeper
would keep the
SoundCar alive
for a minute
7. Detail of the power pickup on the trucks,
ready to mount and solder feed wires to
them. Hint: Make sure the insulated sides
of the wheels are on the same side of the
truck. Bruce Petrarca photo.
7
MRH-Sep 2014
