Showcase Miniatures: Three-Color Vertical Signals

[C855B]

We have people here making custom boards for ESU decoders to fit in Kato units, would making a PCB for the LEDs be too difficult?

Yes, it's difficult. For one, if the objective is scale or near-scale, then the board has to be super-thin. We're talking 0.005" or so. Very few board houses can handle that. Then there's routing (trimming) of a very fragile substrate to a very small size, roughly 0.060" x 0.15". Of course, you need wires, and that is going to be a manual operation under high magnification.

That's why I really want to see Showcase's approach. It's a challenge.

[Philip H]

Yes, it's difficult. For one, if the objective is scale or near-scale, then the board has to be super-thin. We're talking 0.005" or so. Very few board houses can handle that. Then there's routing (trimming) of a very fragile substrate to a very small size, roughly 0.060" x 0.15". Of course, you need wires, and that is going to be a manual operation under high magnification.

That's why I really want to see Showcase's approach. It's a challenge.

And I'm guessing something like this would be really tough:

[GaryHinshaw]

I know that @Wutter has achieved something similar, e.g., the second photo here.  He can comment on how difficult it was to thread the leads through that tubing.   

One other factor to consider with the Vader-style hood is that you'll need to have a good sight line to the signal head to actually see the aspect.  This may not always be possible on some pikes (e.g. mine).

[samusi01]

One option to remove the line of sight limitation is to have repeaters installed on the fascia. An HO layout I’ve operated on in NE Oklahoma has that feature for those signals that are not optimally located for operators.

[DKS]

I know that @Wutter has achieved something similar, e.g., the second photo here.  He can comment on how difficult it was to thread the leads through that tubing.   

One other factor to consider with the Vader-style hood is that you'll need to have a good sight line to the signal head to actually see the aspect.  This may not always be possible on some pikes (e.g. mine).

Yup, it's tough. Did it in Z Scale. Not fun.

[Wutter]

I know that @Wutter has achieved something similar, e.g., the second photo here.  He can comment on how difficult it was to thread the leads through that tubing.   

One other factor to consider with the Vader-style hood is that you'll need to have a good sight line to the signal head to actually see the aspect.  This may not always be possible on some pikes (e.g. mine).

The trick to the U-shaped tubing is feeding in all the wires in from the center hole before bending the portions of the pipe facing up. Also checking wire continuity after bends to make sure nothing is crimped, it took me at least 3 tries to get the first usable one with equal length "up" pipes. 

Regarding a board for three-color vertical signals, I almost forgot that I had these flex boards (0.005" substrate) made a while back but haven't gotten around to making the etch for it yet. I used these boards to make the BCOL C40-8M class lights, but with the spacing shifted to match the prototype, it really simplified wiring in 0402 class lights.

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LED centers are on 1.9mm (0.075") spacing but as seen in the picture they can be adjusted to be off center.

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Can be wired to be common anode or common cathode, but the common pad for the lowest position light needs to be tied together with a solder bridge/wire since the board is meant to be able to be cut down for a 2 position head.

[Maletrain]

Seeing what DKS did in Z scale is the first time I have had any hope that somebody might some day be able to make a respectable B&O CPL signal in N scale.

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The main signal head is only1/4" diameter in N scale.

Even just the vertical, right diagonal and horizontal light rows on the main head with one additional "marker lamp" not on the main signal head, seems out of reach for N scale.