Started on a major passenger car lighting project for my LGB D&RGW San Juan trainset. Got two cars done, the baggage car and the parlor car.

I’m using LED light strips for lighting. A 12v lithium/ion battery for power. And mini connectors between cars…intending to look similar to the prototype.

The baggage car holds the battery and I placed the on/off switch and charging jack in a “crate” behind the baggage door. Again just like the prototype that used a generator placed in the baggage car to power the train lights.

Here’s the baggage car:

Here’s the power connector between cars. Each end of the car will have a female plug.

Here’s a prototype photo showing the power wire between cars:

And the Durango all lit up. I also installed an on/of switch for the markers and drumhead just in case Durango isn’t bringing up the rear…say if a business car is added.

Looks great. I like the Li-on battery, charging jack and switch located in the baggage car.

I’ve used LED strips for my USA Overton passenger cars and I like the results. The only difference is the each car has it’s own 9 volt battery mounted inside of a battery box with it’s own on/off switch, under the car.

Nicely done. I just finished a battery install in my accucraft combine and added seated people as well. I used a 7.2v RC car battery and the glow from the stock lights is perfect, matches my Bachman Long Caboose lights rather well.

Hi Matt, I like everything you have done. I have learned from you that you can run the cables from the roof line rather than trying to conceal them by the couplers. Did you make the cargo box? May I repost your photos with your credit on my web site. I have some international customers asking about lighting methods.

Looking forward to seeing more of your work.

Don

RCS of New England

Don Sweet said:

Hi Matt, I like everything you have done. I have learned from you that you can run the cables from the roof line rather than trying to conceal them by the couplers. Did you make the cargo box? May I repost your photos with your credit on my web site. I have some international customers asking about lighting methods.

Looking forward to seeing more of your work.

Don

RCS of New England

Hi Don, sure you can repost my images. And yes I made the cargo box out of styrene.

Your connectors are polarized or are you just careful when you plug the cars together?

Very nice.

Tom Ruby said:

Your connectors are polarized or are you just careful when you plug the cars together?

Very nice.

Hopefully careful.

The connectors have a dot to indicate the correct position…so that helps.

Got the San Juan trainset lit.

I also took some photos to show the light bar install in a coach. I used styrene to support the LED light strip and also added a bit more on the ends for the screws that hold it to the roof. This way I can unscrew the light bar from the roof if I ever need to remove the roof completely from the car, say for paint touchups.

For these LGB coaches, seven 3 LED segments fit nicely. I got a roll of 100 segments; enough to do the 14 LGB coaches I have. You can cut them at every 3 LED interval. The LED strip has a sticky back that “glued” nicely to the styrene. The LED color is “warm” white. The nice thing about using LEDs is that all these cars draw well under 1 amp. And this includes the bulbs for the marker lights and drumhead on the parlor car.

To get the light bar to fit, I had to modify the LGB clerestory “glass”. Cutting off the end and center pieces so the light bar would fit in between. I also had to cut off and file down the original LGB interior lighting posts so the new light bar would fit flush to the bottom of the roof.

Here’s the complete 4 car San Juan trainset lit. All connected to the baggage battery car: