Powering A Eurostar Dummy Bogie

[Smudge617]

Hi Everyone.

I purchased a Hornby Class 373 Eurostar some time ago and have decided to fit directional lighting, fitting lights to the Motor end I can manage, just, it does help that I don't have to do any bodyshell modifications. However, I want to fit a function only decoder to the Dummy power car, my problem is where do I get the power from, I know I could run a cable, front car to the back and dispense with a second decoder, but it's too big to stay on my track and I have very limited space, so I would have to keep taking it apart, I think I would have to add pickups to the bogie, but where and how to fit them I have no idea, so any help would be greatly appreciated. I've included a few photos too

[Chrissaf]

I suggest you might like to look at these after-market pickup wipers.

Wiper Pickups (12 Pack)

[96RAF]

Pull service sheet 325 and look at the front bogie which has pickups.

Would this fit in your dummy car - dummy car parts are listed but not illustrated.

You don’t need a function only decoder, a normal one will work, but you you may have to program it at the same time as the power car, depending upon your controller and its firmware state.

[Going Spare]

The X3441 power car non-powered bogie should be a direct fit in the non-powered driving car. (If you go to Peters Spares, also check out X3341 - incorrectly numbered by them but almost £4 cheaper than the 'real thing'.) The considerably cheaper L7777 bogie frame moulding is also available but you would need to recover components from the existing bogie and add your own pick-ups.

As an aside, in your upper photograph, the lefthand lower wheel tyre looks to be coming off the plastic hub.

[Smudge617]

I knew you guys would have an answer, Thanks.

I've decided to go with Chrissaf simply because getting another front bogie is not only like trying to find Rocking Horse S**t there over £17 from Peterspares and he is the only one who has it, weirdly, New Modellers Shop lists them at less than £8, but not in stock, so not sure what's going on there. And it seems common sense that if I add directional lighting I might as well add coach lighting too, so I can use the wipers to power them.

Thanks again for your assistance to a "newbie".

As an aside, does anyone know where, or if, I can get an interior cab for this model?

Thanks.

[Smudge617]

Many thanks to everyone for the help and expertise, I have finally fitted lights to the power car, (waiting for the wipers to arrive to add to the dummy car) but only after ruining the fitted socket trying to add the necessary lighting wires, so used a lighting board instead.

Thanks again.