Large Scale Central

Santa Fe's F7 & E8 units Rotating light

Modeling
#1

I’m looking to model this type of healights on a Santa Fe unit. Did one of you guys kitbashed one of these on a F3, F7 or E8 before? or something similar? To my knowledge, only Santa Fe had a sort of rotating headlight, is there others?

http://www.trainweb.org/gyra/photo/sf_lts.htm

As seen in action at 1:34, 5:35 and 6:47 on the following YouTube link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NgZ77yecB5M

By the way, don’t miss the big smoke at 8:42…

Check also the other Bob Chester Series tubes, they worth to be seen.

#2

Those gyros look wild!
Here’s a different one?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9KNFcElSQgw

#3

I know that the old Sierra sound boards had a lighting output that simulated the old grya lights. I’m sure the DCC boards can do this as well. Making one with all the actually rotates the bulbs and the lens might be kind of hard.

#4

http://www.ramrcandramtrack.com/rclights.html

RAM 04 ADJUSTABLE RATE MARS “ROTATING” BEACON.
The light is adjustable to the desired “rotation” rate. The system contains an adjustable “rotation” unit, 1 high intensity bulb on three feet of wire, battery snap connector, and one red dome lens. Weight approximately 1/2 oz.

#5

Mars light info

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mars_Light

Gyralite info

http://www.trainweb.org/gyra/gyra_use.htm

#6

My Santa Fe F3 (HO scale) has a simulated Santa Fe style rotating light. Its Soundtraxx Tsunami DCC board can simulate this type of light. I can’t remember exactly how I programed it, but I did finally find the right DCC values to get it to look right.

(http://imageshack.com/a/img542/2940/hopassenger.jpg)

The trick is make sure it “looks” like a rotating light and not the more common oscillating Mars or Gyralight. This way it looks like the Santa Fe lights as seen in the YouTube clip you posted and not like SP or other railroad light styles.

I assume other DCC boards or even simple light effect only boards out there can simulate this lighting effect too.

Of course there isn’t any way to get it to look perfect. Unless you can figure out how to rotate the light without rotating the wires. And I haven’t seen any slip rings small enough for HO scale and doubt there are any small enough for G.

#7

Thank you all for your comments. I’ll find a way and i’ll post the result when completed.

#8

Wow. Haven’t seen one like that.

#9

Matt Doti said:

The trick is make sure it “looks” like a rotating light and not the more common oscillating Mars or Gyralight. This way it looks like the Santa Fe lights as seen in the YouTube clip you posted and not like SP or other railroad light styles.

Not the common mars light?? It is a Mars light, lol

http://www.atsfrr.net/resources/funits/f3-pas2.htm

Earlier units were also upgraded over a several years time span to have F7 appearance of the carbody sides, but they retained the raised early style roof fans. Units 16 through 21C featured the “long” version of the red warbonnet paint similar to that used on E-units to the end, however (see the styling diagrams of the F3 and F7 passenger units). Early 16 class units were delivered with single headlights, but not too long after delivery the Santa Fe installed a rotating Mars light in the upper headlight casing and a new headlight housing was installed on the upper portion of the nose door. Later units were delivered with the upper Mars light and the lower headlight arrangement. These changes seem to have been rather sporadic and the exact date for any given change is difficult to pin down, but it seems that all the 16 class had a close to F7 appearance by the very early 1950

#10

I doubt a tiny rotating motor could be built for our scale. But the light can be a simulation with a series of LEDs.

Member Dave Bodnar can make you one. http://www.trainelectronics.com/index.htm

http://www.trainelectronics.com/MarsLights/article.htm#VIDEO

Right click the video and hit play.

He has made me a couple custom flashing boards for my engines.

#11

Mark Dash said:

Not the common mars light?? It is a Mars light, lol

the Santa Fe installed a rotating Mars light

Common oscillating Mars Light…rotating was not that common.

#12

The “rotating and oscillating” are pretty much used interchangeably

mars light used their standard figure 8 light which they used on the F7’s

UP also used Gyralites made by another company that’s why they look different

#13

This is what I’ve done so far, endurance testing will occur this week.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkvWcjndOAk

I used a Solarbotics GM2 gearmotor and some Athearn HO locomotive electrical pick-up parts.

I cut a hole in the E8 cab floor and it will fit right in.

#14

Looks like it will do the trick!

#15

Wow Yves that is super cool. Should look amazing.

#16

Cool. Looks good. I knew someone would figure it out.

#17

I just completed the installation inside the cab. Here’s a small preview:

http://youtu.be/IO8BdxwTl2Q

In the upcoming weeks, I’ll hook it up to a QSI Titan…To be continued…

#18

So cool. Rotation speed seems perfect to me.