Search Light Car - Lens

7746 Views 35 Replies 10 Participants Last post by gunrunnerjohn, Feb 13, 2012

T-Man

Discussion Starter · Nov 25, 2009 (Edited)

8

The first picture shows an original lens to the search light car,but often enough they look like the second.
So what to do. You can order replacements. Ebay had two for 6 bucks or you can improvise and go to the local hardware store.

I was looking for a nut for a snowblow when I stumbled onto these.

There I found two inserts.One is a 1 and 1/16th Hot water cap. The other is a nylon insert. The Hot cap was 2.80 and the nylon was 1.00.

The trial fitup is that they are loose. The nylon insert is a bit thick and needs to be trimmed. The Hot Water cap is better but both will need a wrap around the inside to thicken up the joint. A thin piece of rubber held in with electrical tape would do the trick. You don't want to use glue in case you break down and get the repro's.

The good thing about the nylon insert is you can add color lenses to it depending if you can find colored plastic. The hole is 7/8th of an inch.

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21 - 36 of 36 Posts

T-Man

Discussion Starter · #21 · Dec 9, 2009

3

New Lens

Another dollar store find. A LED flashlight that rotates 360 and goes up and down. A perfect replacement candidate.The lens can work with the old one with modifications. All for a buck.

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Reckers

· #22 · Dec 9, 2009

Those lil flashlights are great for emergency lighting and doing repair work, too. The ability to position the light and have both hands free can't be underrated!

T-Man

Discussion Starter · #23 · Dec 28, 2011

2

I have a soft spot for search lght cars. I thought iwould share another idea for a replacement light. The LED flashlight with nine LEDs. It could fit!!!!!! All you need is a three volt power supply. Somethig to think about.

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gunrunnerjohn

· #24 · Dec 28, 2011

Have you got the searchlight working with either of these ideas? How are you dealing with the drive washer?

T-Man

Discussion Starter · #25 · Dec 28, 2011

I haven't gotten that far. It doesn't look good because of the wire connections to the lens.

hwell: For now I just wanted to add it to the thread.

gunrunnerjohn

· #26 · Dec 29, 2011

You could probably use it on the variety of the searchlight car that doesn't rotate, it has wires coming up to the light.

tjcruiser

· #27 · Dec 29, 2011

T-Man,

Just seeing this old thread for the first time. I have to add to the chorus above that I think that hot water cap insert looks even better than the original lens. The water cap's "starburst" molded shape looks spectacular.

Creative McGyvering from T-Man, as always!

TJ

T-Man

Discussion Starter · #28 · Dec 29, 2011

Only at your local hardware store!

The 3650 is the extension search light car!

Big Mike

· #29 · Dec 29, 2011

T-Man said:
Another dollar store find. A LED flashlight that rotates 360 and goes up and down. A perfect replacement candidate.The lens can work with the old one with modifications. All for a buck.

I like when people find little ways to fix things like this, VERY NICE.

servoguy

· #30 · Dec 29, 2011

I have a 6822, and it has a plastic pickup roller assembly. The knuckle for the coupler isn't broken yet, but it looks very fragile. Looking at it and looking an an older metal coupler, it appears that the metal knuckle could be installed in the plastic coupler of the 6822. A rivet and spring would be needed. I think that the original knuckles for the 6822 cars are no longer available as they were a bad design.

T-Man

Discussion Starter · #31 · Dec 29, 2011

Big Mike you are in the right place!

Bruce do the trucks look likw this??

This is the thread on plastic trucks.

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Alchemy-Z

· #32 · Dec 29, 2011

Mine two search light cars are in perfect condition but I almost want to swap to the hot water cap just for the look! lol great find.

servoguy

· #33 · Dec 29, 2011

Mike, One truck has a working coupler, the other a non-working coupler. The non-working coupler looks like the ones you posted. The working coupler looks like the one that Big Ed has on his searchlight car.

harkdh

· #34 · Feb 12, 2012

Hi,

I have a 6822 light car and looking for a 3540-40 truck (I have the pickup). Does anyone know where I can locate one?

Thanks

T-Man

Discussion Starter · #35 · Feb 12, 2012

Here is the style. Mine have missing knuckles. I suggest e bay, a caboose lot.
Trucks are better if you plan ahead and find them at train shows. Lately I buy the pan with the complete coupler head with knuckle and add that to a postwar truck. Parts people also carry pans with a center contact roller too. They may sell trucks too.

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gunrunnerjohn

· #36 · Feb 13, 2012

Send me a PM, I have several of those trucks in the style T-Man is holding up in the previous post.

21 - 36 of 36 Posts

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