Weekend Update 2/8/15

[craigolio1]

Well tonight is a big night. A while back I experimented with casting 0402 LEDs into ditch lights, starting with a CN loco shown here. :



And then a couple of CPR locos:



The whole effort was leading up to doing the lighting package on BC Rail's dinner train loco number 601 which had a unique set of 4 stacked ditch lights on each end of the loco. I thought it might be impossible but after 8 attempts at casting and installation I finally got 4 sets that work installed on the loco.






Craig

[Scottl]

Craig, those look great!

[peteski]

Impressive work Craig!

What gauge magnet wire are you using?  It seems relatively thick (at least in the photos).  It might be easier to deal with if thinner wire was used.

[craigolio1]

Thanks guys.

Peteski I believe it is 32awg?  It's been so long since I bought it. It may look thick because you're seeing twisted pairs. There are 4 wires coming from each post, with the neg and pos for each twisted together. I havn't sorted out how to route them through to the decoder. I thought about using short pieces of thin tubing as hangers to bring all 4 pairs back to a central point where they can join the decoder wires. That may be to bulky thing. I might just use Tacky Glue, which I learned in another thread here.

 Craig

[bnsfdash8]

I started work on an ex CR SD38 (NS 3804).

[peteski]

Thanks guys.

Peteski I believe it is 32awg?  It's been so long since I bought it. It may look thick because you're seeing twisted pairs. There are 4 wires coming from each post, with the neg and pos for each twisted together. I havn't sorted out how to route them through to the decoder. I thought about using short pieces of thin tubing as hangers to bring all 4 pairs back to a central point where they can join the decoder wires. That may be to bulky thing. I might just use Tacky Glue, which I learned in another thread here.

 Craig

If it is 32 AWG (0.008" dia.) then it is relatively thick.  I often use 28 AWG (0.0045" dia.) wire for such small installations.  That wire is much softer, easier to work with and to hide.

Also, assuming that the lights in each housing light up together, if you will power these from a DCC decoder then wiring each pair of LEDs in the housing in series (inside of the housing itself) would reduce the wires from 4 to 2. You will then also only need one resistor per pair.  You cut out half of the wires and resistors.

[tehachapifan]

I see we have a bit of a theme going with some loco lighting projects (which look great! ).

I'll jump in with my contribution, which is my very first (successful) decoder install that I put in my MP15AC kit-bash....



I installed SMD LED's for the headlights on both ends and for the gyralight on the front.

I'm very pleased how bright the lights are and how good the gyralight effect looks.

Since this was my first decoder install, it took me quite a while to figure out how to get the decoder programming right (thanks to peteski and everyone who helped in the DCC forum [and Digitrax Tech Support] )

[railnerd]

Spent some time this past week building a funky turnout for my ferry dock:



More details in my layout engineering report:

https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=31751.msg414018#msg414018

[peteski]

I see we have a bit of a theme going with some loco lighting projects (which look great! ).

I'll jump in with my contribution, which is my very first (successful) decoder install that I put in my MP15AC kit-bash....

I installed SMD LED's for the headlights on both ends and for the gyralight on the front.

I'm very pleased how bright the lights are and how good the gyralight effect looks.

Since this was my first decoder install, it took me quite a while to figure out how to get the decoder programming right (thanks to peteski and everyone who helped in the DCC forum  )

Awesome!

[wm3798]

Sure, building models is fun, but running them is funnerer.





















And of course, Tom Mann's head.

Thanks for hosting, John!
Lee

[davefoxx]

Who let Tom Mann's head out of the jar?

DFF

[craigolio1]

If it is 32 AWG (0.008" dia.) then it is relatively thick.  I often use 28 AWG (0.0045" dia.) wire for such small installations.  That wire is much softer, easier to work with and to hide.

Also, assuming that the lights in each housing light up together, if you will power these from a DCC decoder then wiring each pair of LEDs in the housing in series (inside of the housing itself) would reduce the wires from 4 to 2. You will then also only need one resistor per pair.  You cut out half of the wires and resistors.

Thanks for the input. Did you mean 38awg?  I will try and source smaller wire for future projects. I though I had the smallest available. It's not tough to work with but smaller is always better.

I tried series but couldn't make it work. The ditch light castings are so small that the piece of wire joining the leds was to small for me.  I couldn't solder the LEDs with out losing the wire on the end of the iron or unsold wrong a previous connection.  I plan to consolidate all of the wires at each end and use one resister for each cluster of 4. The resister will be larger than normally needed to keep the power down. I'm not after room lighting. Just the subtle effect.

If you see me planning to make a mistake, please advise!

Craig.

[crrcoal]

You know I have other tight curve handlaid trackwork that has been sitting in the same basement:
https://picasaweb.google.com/ErieChris333/HarlemStation#5648063141495422194

I just checked it and didn't see one single popped rail 

Based on this; could there have been cold solder joints then that broke under the expansion?

[Cajonpassfan]

Spent some time this past week building a funky turnout for my ferry dock:



More details in my layout engineering report:

https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=31751.msg414018#msg414018

At first I thought your ties were a bit over-length, but then I went to your engineering report: Holy crap!!! That's just incredible! Truly spectacular....good luck with the throw mechanisms!
Otto K.

[jmarley76]

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Chris, I have to hand it to you, this is a pretty cool little layout! Nice work!