Large Scale Central

Blinded by the light? (I kind of hope so!)

Modeling
#1

In the obsessive, so my wife says, quest for ever brighter headlights, how do ya figure this will come out? Pennsylvania Big Hauler is test subject.

Back was removed and number boards were opened out for adding clear part. LED will be attached to back wall of headlight. Styrene disc for back wall with .060 spacer holding light forward. Probably use 1000 ohm resistor off track power.

The less satisfactory presently in use 5mm warm white led behind stock lens will become backup light, stock was unlit. Yes, these are 2 different light castings, one was grey plastic, one black, on the same loco!

#2

10MM huh?
That’s a bigun.
Does it use the same voltage and milliamp as the 5MM?
You might need a different resistor.

#3

Here’s stats on back of 10mm LED package. do not remember if prsenet 5mm LED is from Christmas lights or model RR parts frim Miniatronics. It seemed to be 3v max, haven’t a clue about current draw. Think it has 1200 resistor. Probably do same, or 1000 ohm, with this on.

(http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa309/FSW4picts/G%20gauge%20projects/IMG_3530.jpg)

#4

Those look like typical 5mm led specs.
Here’s a resistor guide:

http://ledcalc.com/

#5

Something else thinking of doing as this is PRR loco is that at some point they added marker lamps to pilot beam ends and tender tank rear corners. Somewhere in one of these pages there are photos of locos so equipped http://www.northeast.railfan.net/prr_steam1.html Going to make those lights battery operated off sound battery in tender as that way if track power is lost you can still find your loco in the dark. Okay, here’s one showing that lighting arrangement, much later loco. Yes, and . . . So? Dammit, I’m really P.O.'d - - - how do you show the url for the photo without showing the HUGE photo??? Here’s a wild hair just guessing idea - wonder if taking off the http:// will help?

(www.northeast.railfan.net/images/prr8396s.jpg)

(www.northeast.railfan.net/images/prr1961s.jpg)

Aristocraft 4-6-2 Pacific markers ordered via LHS and 3mm white LED from Christmas string are supplying the parts. Here’s how class lamps are done using those same marker castings Ran wires outside smokebox up to headlight as real conduit would have been outside smokebox. Lamps are mounted in notches cut in smokebox sides. Notches in locating ring of smokebox front are required too. Rear facing lens is painted amber with Tamiya clear orange. Other lenses are white to signify train running as unscheduled extra. Probably going to mostly use this Big Hauler 4-6-0 as freight engine and pull Bachmann PRR passenger cars with HLW 4-4-0. Which will get green class lamps to signify second section running behind it - even though in garden Ry reality there likely never will be.

(http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa309/FSW4picts/G%20gauge%20projects/IMG_3532_1.jpg)

Oh, yeah, reflector for 5mm h/l is made from party goods chromed plastic bling ring.

#6

Made a spot of progress, glued strip in recess for stock molded lens. Strip just thick enough to leave a couple hairs wide lip to glue .005 or .010 clear sheet styrene lens to. Strip was worked into curve with Kadee HO coupler trip pin pliers. Next thing to do is paint interior white. As LED is 10mm diameter and casting interior is 15mm dia. there is little point in trying to make 2.5mm worth of reflector.

(http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa309/FSW4picts/G%20gauge%20projects/IMG_3533.jpg)

#7

Frustrating - was testing to see how light looked now that it’s after dark and succeeded in getting resistor wrong and blew LED. :-[

Did have one more. got it going.
Don’t know that I’m entirely happy with it - kind of wish it had a greater beam angle than 10 deg. 20 would be nice.

Still going to use it outdoors a couple times.
Then decide if to do something different.

#8

Don’t know how it would look on an LED that size, but I use 3mm warm white LEDs I pull out of a string of Christmas lights. I just sand them with some sandpaper to frost them so they look like a regular light bulb. The light is much more even coming out of them. Add that to the reflector inside the headlight and it looks great.

Later,

K

#9

Hi Kevin;

All sorts of LED are being tried, bright white, warm white, Miniatronics, Radio Shack, Christmas strings, 3mm, 5mm, 10mm, with reflector, without reflector, am doing a string of experimenting.