I checked my searchlight car, #30-7914 from May of 1996. I can't use it, because my DCS system is all 19v pure DC. I connect the TIU to the track in passive mode, through an inductor to keep the DCS signal out of the power supply.
I put the searchlight car on the DSC track, and the light did light up, but there was no rotation because the AC pulses were missing.
Then I placed the car on a test track with only DC, and the light went on. If I connected the positive to the outside rails, there was no light. Then I used an AC transformer for power, and the light came on and rotated.
I disassembled the generator and found a single 1N5391 diode in series with the wire (and on-off switch) to the lamp and the rotation coil. It was wired to allow current to flow only when the center rail is positive.
I applied 10.6vDC to the track, positive center rail, and measured .34amp for only the coil, and .40amp with the lamp also in the circuit. I did not measure the inductance at 60Hz. That would permit less current through the coil if run on AC.
The 1N5391 is an older plain diode, 1.5a at 50v.
Just for the fun of it, I quickly touched the DC power supply lead to the track, and the reflector assembly did turn. This means I could add a 555 timer circuit with output transistor to get the reflector to turn on the DC track power!
Roger
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