Electrical connections between coaches

[wilwahabri]

I am modelling in H0/00. I was wondering how people go about making electrical connections between coaches or waggons?

Ideally I would like a connector that would be small and easy to connect and disconnect without looking too out of proportion.

These would be two pole plug and sockets for powering in carriage lighting and displays only.

Appreciate any guidance with regard to location on the coach to fit the connector and type.

I am aware of couplings with built in electrical connections, but the cost is prohibitive for the number of coaches involved

Many thanks

[Flashbang]

This is a typical 2 pin micro connector. (Other suppliers available of course!) https://www.expressmodels.co.uk/catalog ... tor-detail
You can superglue one connector to one items underside and allow the other mating connector to simply plug into the fixed one, or allow plug and socket to be free and hang down a little.
Other combinations of pins are also available - 3 and 4 way etc https://www.expressmodels.co.uk/catalog ... connectors

JST Type is another style, example... https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/193447265068 ... Swih5e2k0k

[End2end]

I am aware of couplings with built in electrical connections, but the cost is prohibitive for the number of coaches involved

If your running DCC you can pick up power direct from the track using DCC Concepts axle mounted pick-up springs, eliminating the connections between coaches.
They do work on DC but the lights will go out if the train is stopped without some sort of capacitor / stay-alive attached to the lighting circuit.
https://www.dccconcepts.com/?s=pick+up+springs+48
Thanks
End2end

[wilwahabri]

I am aware of couplings with built in electrical connections, but the cost is prohibitive for the number of coaches involved

If your running DCC you can pick up power direct from the track using DCC Concepts axle mounted pick-up springs, eliminating the connections between coaches.
They do work on DC but the lights will go out if the train is stopped without some sort of capacitor / stay-alive attached to the lighting circuit.
https://www.dccconcepts.com/?s=pick+up+springs+48
Thanks
End2end

i have made those myself in the past, a reel of .4mm silver coated copper wire costs a lot less than the DCC concepts springs, is just as effective and the per unit cost is considerably less. The requirement here is to switch the lighting on and off, if each coach picks up it's power separately then I will require an accessory decoder in each coach, or some other means of switching the supply to the lighting. By linking the coaches with a cable, as was done on the real thing, I can use one of the loco decoder functions to turn the lighting on and off in all the coaches and reduce the drag imposed on the whole train. Each coach draws about 75uA so loading of the auxiliary output of the decoder is not going to be a problem even with my 12 coach ICE trains.

[End2end]

with my 12 coach ICE trains.

STREWTH!!
I should be so lucky
Thanks
End2end

[Ironduke]

I see train control systems now have a UK office

https://tcsdcc.com/accessories/connecto ... er_page=64

and there's these
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/33011944827.html

[Bufferstop]

Why do "interesting pictures" disappear when you want them. I recently saw a picture showing one full size answer to inter coach connections. It was a 25Kv AC railbus equipped for multiple working. So that each coach could draw its power from one pantograph (it can affect the quality of contact if adjacent cars all have the Pan raised) there was an ingenious busbar that run along the roof that automatically connected to the preceding car when they coupled up. Each one had a telescopic rod sticking out of the domed front and rear end of the roof, looking rather like the bit that a Dalek wags around to see what's going on. The rod ended in a contact plate that latched to the one on the adjacent car and the pan dropped as soon as it was live. It's Dalek like look made it quite comical.