On a old, worn-out, DC locomotive that is "dead" for lack of a better term, can I make the headlight work by wiring it directly to the contacts behind the wheels? (For use as the last locomotive on the back end of a train with [dummy] distributive power.) - Brandon
If the bulb is of the right voltage. Is the bulb wired in parallel with the motor; did it get brighter as the motor runs faster? If so, then yes, you can wire it directly to the track pickups.