Post by gremlinbl2guy on Apr 4, 2016 22:56:38 GMT -5
I finally found one of these elusive creatures last week, the boss was emptying out his trailer of train stuff stored since the renovation last year, and what do I find in the junky boxes he brought in, but a lighted Mantua caboose. Ahhhhhh. 
I got my hands on it, and haven't let go. First thing to do was try to get it to work. I soon found out that the PO had REALLY screwed up the works, nothing was where it should be, bracket backwards , wrong truck insulated. I finally figured out how to turn the bracket so that it would isolate the truck, then needed the insulating washer off the front truck to sandwich it. I thought the caboose would sit too high on one end, but apparently they skewed the mounting posts so that adding the bracket and insulator wouldn't cause that.
It was also missing a screw, so I found a 2-56 at the shop and cut it down to length to fit. After some work, I thought it had it right. Time for a test! I put it on the test track, and fired up the transformer. Success!
That was a quick project.
I've been looking for the light sockets that Mantua used, and FINALLY found some. the part number is C1C-6400 , $1.29 each. You can get them in China for .17 cents, but you'll have to wait awhile to get them. Other differences between a standard caboose and lighted is the S bracket that isolates and completes the circuit for the bulb. The trucks are also different, having brass wheels on one side, the standard caboose does not. And the trucks are crimped together, so getting those axles out without bending or breaking the truck side frames may be difficult, I thought it would be easy to convert a non-lighted caboose to a lighted, but I may be wrong. So you need the light socket, S bracket, and special trucks to make one. And the interior windows, too. Problem is, Mantua used those twisty spiral studs, not screws, so you can't back them out easily to get the shell off.
At any rate, here's a picture of both the common non-lighted caboose, and the lighted version.
Jerry
I got my hands on it, and haven't let go. First thing to do was try to get it to work. I soon found out that the PO had REALLY screwed up the works, nothing was where it should be, bracket backwards , wrong truck insulated. I finally figured out how to turn the bracket so that it would isolate the truck, then needed the insulating washer off the front truck to sandwich it. I thought the caboose would sit too high on one end, but apparently they skewed the mounting posts so that adding the bracket and insulator wouldn't cause that. It was also missing a screw, so I found a 2-56 at the shop and cut it down to length to fit. After some work, I thought it had it right. Time for a test! I put it on the test track, and fired up the transformer. Success!
That was a quick project. I've been looking for the light sockets that Mantua used, and FINALLY found some. the part number is C1C-6400 , $1.29 each. You can get them in China for .17 cents, but you'll have to wait awhile to get them. Other differences between a standard caboose and lighted is the S bracket that isolates and completes the circuit for the bulb. The trucks are also different, having brass wheels on one side, the standard caboose does not. And the trucks are crimped together, so getting those axles out without bending or breaking the truck side frames may be difficult, I thought it would be easy to convert a non-lighted caboose to a lighted, but I may be wrong. So you need the light socket, S bracket, and special trucks to make one. And the interior windows, too. Problem is, Mantua used those twisty spiral studs, not screws, so you can't back them out easily to get the shell off.
At any rate, here's a picture of both the common non-lighted caboose, and the lighted version.
Jerry
What a pain. I think I removed them one time with a left-handed drill bit. Will have to re-learn that skill. 
Just did a BIN on Ebay for a searchlight car with metal base, and am watching another one missing the caboose body for cheap. 
Reading version which uses a D-cell battery I think? No brass wheels, so it can't pick up off the track. I think I vaguely remember this car being discussed before. I've never seen one. But I have one now, cost me $15 to get it, though, the others were 2 and 5 bucks each. Overall a GREAT show, many great deals ( read cheap Tyco/Mantua cars everywhere ), so I made out pretty good. I'm thinking of another project now, how R rated can we get here? Thinking of taking a searchlight car, replace the searchlight with a lamp pole, and have a pole-dancer on it, the caboose will be a rolling, er, "entertainment" palace. 
Put some red lights on it. I mean, those MOW workers need some relief, correct? LOL. 
