Large Scale Central

Ruby Bash : 1:20.3 0-4-0 Build

Electronics Live Steam
#61

Thanks Guys, just remember to look at how long this thread has been going on, if you decide to butcher your ruby in similar fashion!

One source on line stated that LED’s will operate up to 85 Celsius, which translates to a toasty 185 deg. Fahrenheit. I think it may be close but I’ll give it a shot. I picked up the items pictured below at Radioshack during lunch. I ran a resistance calculator with 3.3V @ 25ma for values, and it advised me to a 180 ohm resistor. The closest thing they had was this 200 ohm. I hope this works. (http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-foot-in-mouth.gif)

The actual application will be tricky since both leeds without extra fuss will be sandwiched in between two pieces of brass. I’m going to try and bolt in some thin plastic on either side which should give a bonus insulation from some heat transfer. For the wiring I’m going to try running some “magnet wire” trough a small tube that will be mounted at the base of the handrail stanchions. The real railroads didn’t really try to hide the wires, so nor will I. The bonus with the magnet wire is that is has a very thin polymer insulation applied to it so hopefully it won’t take up much room keeping its conduit at a prototypical size. More to come…

#62

That is one beautiful build.(http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-cool.gif)

#63

I’ll be watching this with interest. I have a number of live steamers to which I would like to add lighting.

Thanks Randy,

Tom

#64

Randy Lehrian Jr. said:

I picked up the items pictured below at Radioshack during lunch.

You still have a Radio Shack? (http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-surprised.gif)

Most in New England have been gone for some time.(http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-frown.gif)

#65

Randy, 180 or 200 ohm, you wont see the difference.

#66

Any updates as it’s been well over 24hrs?

#67

Sorry to leave you starving for more Rooster!

Life has been busy so I’ve just been sneaking a few minuets in here and there. Had and FEBT directors meeting last night so my attention was elsewhere. Well worth it though, we approved another big building restoration project!, so we are knocking them off the list.

I can confirm through use of my 5 finger bread board that the lighting circuit components work and produce a very acceptable glow. I think I have the mechanics of the whole circuit figured out so now I’ll just have to create some parts apply them. I got the coupler installed in the new pilot beam as well as footsteps. It just needs cut lever and poling pockets. Sorry no HEP. (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-frown.gif)

I hope to get some good things done this weekend, but I’m going to lose a day to do some hiking on some old Tionesta Valley grades. More to come…

#68

I want to see how you do the lights. I want to do the same on a few of my but Im clueless with LED and wiring them.

#69

Shawn Viggiano said:

I want to see how you do the lights. I want to do the same on a few of my but Im clueless with LED and wiring them.

You never asked

#70

Shawn Viggiano said:

I want to see how you do the lights. I want to do the same on a few of my but Im clueless with LED and wiring them.

http://www.trainelectronics.com/LED_Articles_2007/LED_101/index.htm

http://www.trainelectronics.com/LED_Articles_2007/LED_102/index.htm

http://www.trainelectronics.com/LED_Articles_2007/LED_103/index.htm

http://trainelectronics.com/LED_Articles_2007/LED_104/index.htm

#71

Maynard’s got you covered Shawn

#72

Well, Dave does, but its Dave Bodner. I just pointed the way, like a sign post.

#73

Hey all, Well, Another of life’s unexpected turns is causing me to shelf this project for a few months. Any of you who followed along in my layout build log know that it was on and off due to the prospect of moving. As luck would have it one of my job prospecting irons finally heated up. Yesterday I accepted a job offer from Brookville Equipment Co. (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-sealed.gif)This is a fantastic opertunity with a great company but it will require us to move to the Brookville area in pretty short order. Again, I’m not complaining at all because I am thrilled that we are going to be living just below the Allegheny National forest in such beautiful country. It does however mean a full stop on all hobby time in order to prepare and start packing. In fact I will be going out after this post to number the track pieces and dismantle the layout today before it gets buried in snow and frozen to the ground. Just goes to show you never know whats coming or when!

I feel bad for generating all this interest, especially in the lighting system and don’t want to leave anyone hanging. For that reason I have created the rough sketch below to show how I will be tackling the installation on my loco. Basically I will bend the Led leads in the Z fashion shown so the light points the appropriate direction the in the headlamp casting. An issue arises when the bare leads have to pass through two brass parts which would short things out. I’m going to solve this through the use of two (the top might be two shims or one with a split or holes in it) thin plastic shims sandwiched in between the brass. To get the power back to the cab and on the the tender. I will pass the thin magnet wire for the positive lead through some 1/16 tube. The negative lead will be soldered to the tube which will double as the conductor in to the cab were another wire will be soldered to it to take the negative side of the circuit into the tender.

Electrical Diagram

I’ll admit I was a bit concerned about all this need for a resistor in a LED circuit too. But with a bit of Googling all questions were answered. Just type in “LED resistance calculator” and you get a number of results like this one: calculator to do the math for you. Just enter the battery voltage, the led voltage and the LED current and it will tell you exactly how many Ohms of resistance your Resistor should have. I went to Radio Shack found the LED I wanted, then used my phone right in the store to run the calculation. Then garbed the right resistor out of the drawer all in a few moments time. As I said earlier, I tested it when I got home and it works perfect.

Well, this thread will go back into hibernation for a few months, but fear not it will return. I really want to finish this thing, it’s so close!

#74

Congratulations, Randy. Good luck in your new work.

#75

Congrats on your new job!

Leave the ruby bash box on top, you’ll find a way.

John

#76

I knew you were looking, glad you found a job you can be happy with…(http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)

#77

Great another Member Devoning! (http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)

Good luck!

#78

Congratulations on the new opportunity !

Wait a minute…is it that Brookville? the company that makes street cars, mining equipment and diesel locomotives? we have a little two foot gauge Brookville critter at the ww&f that we use for construction trains…but they are a serious company these days!

http://www.brookvillecorp.com/streetcar-division.asp

#79

Eric Schade said:

Congratulations on the new opportunity !

Wait a minute…is it that Brookville? the company that makes street cars, mining equipment and diesel locomotives? we have a little two foot gauge Brookville critter at the ww&f that we use for construction trains…but they are a serious company these days!

http://www.brookvillecorp.com/streetcar-division.asp

Me too Eric…I looked them up right away; very cool.

#80

Eric Schade said:

Congratulations on the new opportunity !

Wait a minute…is it that Brookville? the company that makes street cars, mining equipment and diesel locomotives? we have a little two foot gauge Brookville critter at the ww&f that we use for construction trains…but they are a serious company these days!

http://www.brookvillecorp.com/streetcar-division.asp

Yes, that’s the one. :slight_smile: I’m really excited for the opportunity to be designing the 1:1 stuff! Going to look at a house in a few hours. Thanks for all the well wishes guys.