TurboTrain help...

[Chris333]

Good to know you are willing to change things if needed.

[John]

Cancel the interior lighting. If a train doesn't run well it doesn't matter what trailblazing features it has.

The interior lighting also plays havoc with some DCC system reverse loops

[Cajonpassfan]

Agreed on the interior lights; in many cases they look silly (especially the Aerotrain, to me it looks like someone is doing some welding inside the cab ).
Interior lights should be subtle, or none at all, IMO.
Otto K.

[R L Smith]

As others have said, thank you for reaching out to the end-users for input.

Cannot add to the technical discussion, but I will add my vote for cancelling the lighting feature.

Ron

[peteski]

The interior lighting also plays havoc with some DCC system reverse loops

Are you sure it is the lighting and not the long wheelbase (the entire train) of electrically interconnected wheels on each side?  The reverse loops do not care about the current being consumed by the train - they flip polarity when the wheels short the gap between the blocks.

[wmcbride]

I added interior lighting to my Kato Zephyr years ago and, quite frankly, never really liked it.

As someone said above, if you have to choose, get rid of the interior lighting and have functioning exterior lights (markers, headlights, etc.)

[rapidotrains]

So... the factory has asked me for a sample of any train that has articulated single axle trucks with power pickup so they can see how others have done it.

The only N scale trains I can think of with articulated single axles are the Spanish Talgos made by Electrotren.

Did they ever make a lighted version? Somehow I doubt it...

-Jason

[sd45elect2000]

Would you like to borrow my Con Cor Aero train? 

Randy

[peteski]

Would you like to borrow my Con Cor Aero train? 

Randy

It doesn't have trucks under the articulation point.

Jason, how was that truck done in the H0 version?  I assume that it picks up power. Can't something similar be used?

I might have some either European or Japanese model of an MU set which cleverly steers the truck under the articulation point (now to figure out which one it is. . .).  Also looking at how Kato steers their Portram LRV's trucks might give the designers some ideas (even though the trucks are not under the articulation point).

[nscaler711]

What about having every other axle pick up one side as power then the next every other axle pick up the opposite rail?

I don't really know how to explain my thought...

Other than like the lead truck will obviously pick up both rails, then the next axle could pick up right rail power only, the following could pick up left rail, and so on so forth till the last car which again pick up both rails.
As for the wiring you could probably use connectors (which I know is not ideal) or maybe magnets? Which I believe can be used as connections.

Just a thought...

[dougnelson]

So... the factory has asked me for a sample of any train that has articulated single axle trucks with power pickup so they can see how others have done it.

The only N scale trains I can think of with articulated single axles are the Spanish Talgos made by Electrotren.

Did they ever make a lighted version? Somehow I doubt it...

-Jason

Jason:
The Con Cor N scale Aerotrain also had each car wired together with pin connectors so the entire train has electric pickup (and lighting). Another unique aspect was that the cars do not have drawbars - each car is held together with magnets.

The Aerotrain should be available on EBay.

And while we are talking Turbo - Providence, RI, February 1976:

[keeper]

It seems that the Talgo was also done by Minitrix and Arnold.
I found these two images of the Arnold one:

http://www.1zu160.net/images/harburger-lokschuppen/348-Bild2936_L.jpg

http://www.1zu160.net/images/harburger-lokschuppen/346-Bild2939_L.jpg

Thomas

[peteski]

It seems that the Talgo was also done by Minitrix and Arnold.
I found these two images of the Arnold one:

http://www.1zu160.net/images/harburger-lokschuppen/348-Bild2936_L.jpg

http://www.1zu160.net/images/harburger-lokschuppen/346-Bild2939_L.jpg

Thomas

Unfortunately those axles do not pick up power, but could (if the pickup method used in Aerotrain was incorporated).

[cfritschle]

The Aerotrain should be available on EBay.

And it is also still available at several hobby shops. 

Carter

[Chris333]

http://www.spookshow.net/loco/aerotrain.html