Power to the People (and Passenger and Freight Cars)

With apologies to John Lennon, this post will show you how I get power "right on" to various rolling stock.  This trick is used to push (or pull) non-poweredT-gauge locomotives.  It's also true in T gauge that there's no such thing as too much power for a train so your passenger cars can be powered even if the locomotive is. This trick is also useful to achieve prototypical truck spacing for some 3D printed cab locomotives or DMU's where the stock mechanism is not correct.  

I've used this technique in the Budd gallery cars (cab and coach), the 40' D&RGW long reefer, as well as in the MP36 locomotive and RDC DMU's.  Several CCE Models are set up specifically for this (as shown below), but the modeler can kitbash using the same principles. 

The idea is pretty simple:  The un-powered end on a TGauge powered chassis is connected by a short horizontal frame to the motor end.  The chassis segment can be cut/discarded, and the un-powered end placed as needed to achieve the desired truck spacing.  Power pickup via the unpowered end can be maintained either through direct contact with the severed contact strips, or by direct wiring.

Here's a 21m chassis, showing where the cuts are made:

 

After the cuts are made (I just use a rail nipper both for the acetyl plastic and the steel contacts), bend the contacts on the motor end over.  Try to cut the contacts so there's enough room to give it a "curl" at the end--although this isn't really necessary.   If you're shortening the truck spacing, the contacts from the unpowered end can be arranged to sit in the top of the shell in alignment with the motor-end contacts, and maintain continuity.  At least they should..  I have also soldered magnet wire between the contacts to ensure a connection and maintain pickup.  

Here's another view of the cuts and the bent motor-end contacts.  You can see, I was not going for precision..it will be hidden anyway.

Here's an example with contact wires soldered on joining the unpowered and motor end:

Some CCE Models' shells like this Budd Gallery Car have tabs molded into them to retain the chassis segments:

 

That's it!  

Thanks for reading and best regards until next time.  - J