Has anyone illuminated the Trackside Detail markers lights P/N TD-15? I plan to add marker lights to the rear of a Bachmann K-27 tender and wondered if anyone has knowledge of how to power the marker lights. Can they be wired/powered from the PCB in the tender?
Reference: a caboose marker light was mounted on both sides of the rear tender ladder. See page 57 of the book The Mudhens - A Photographic History by Dennis O’Berry.
Jerry
I’ve wired up the class lights from OM. Shouldn’t be much different than that. These were solid metal castings that I had to drill out to accept a grain of rice bulb, and wired into the headlight.
And I’ve also installed a headlight on the tender of the K. But mine are all Bat/RC with connections on the ESC for that. But there should be a connection on the K’s PCB for the front headlight and class lights. I’d have to dig out the K’s wiring schematic, but I’m sure it was labeled on that. 
Ken - Thanks for the info. I plan to install the G3 decoder and P8 sound card and wanted to accomplish all the wiring at one time. I’ll check the instructions for the G3 board. The Trackside Detail lights are cast hollow, so it should be easy to illuminate. I wasn’t sure if a LED could be used or grain of rice bulb.
Jerry
I’ve used both LED’s and GOR bulbs. I replaced the LEDs on the class lights on my K to white LED’s. What they were using made the lights look red. If your installing a ESC then either one should work.
You could use a LED. But you might have to grind off some of the lens. As long as you dont go all the way to to the electronic inside the lens then you should be alright.
Ken - The red classifications lights do look out of place. I’ll plan on changing them to white or warm white LEDS at the same time. Thanks for the suggestion.
Jake - I was thinking of mounting (soldering) a short piece of brass tubing to the back of the marker light, drilling an appropriate size hole in the tender and inserting the LED in the tube. If space is an issue, I’ll consider grinding off the lens. Thanks for the idea.
Jerry
Jerry Sahnd said:
The Trackside Detail lights are cast hollow, so it should be easy to illuminate. I wasn’t sure if a LED could be used or grain of rice bulb.
Jerry
The Trackside marker lamps are indeed cast hollow. The problem is there a a bottom section of the casting that needs to be drilled to accept the light or led you are going to use. I have the Trackside lamps ready to mount to a AMS shorty caboose, but STILL trying to figure out how to mount the light in the casting.
We have all seen these lights: I was given one but felt it was somewhat unsafe.
I did think that maybe the fibre optic filaments have a railroad use.
I have not done this project but it did occur that if a light source - LED powered from a small battery - the light source would travel to the end of the filament. The filament can be shortened, I guess, but it has to be a very clean cut as diffusion can occur but that may be a good point in some applications.
I would be interested if anyone has done this: I believe I mentioned it a good while ago on the manufacturers Forum
Gary - my thought was to mount (solder) a short piece of brass tubing on the lens opening that will face the body. Then drill a hole in the car body to the same size as the outside diameter of the brass tubing and mount the assembly to the body using UV6800. Next step would be to mount the grain of rice lamp or LED next to or inside the brass tube. Light should travel the short distance down the tube and illuminate the marker lens.
I thought I would build a prototype on the workbench and see if the desired result is achieved.
Jerry
Normally a fiber optic filament is heated to create a sort of lens on its end.