tunnels, bridges, wiring

[chad tm5000/trainstation]

i got 4x8 sheet foam board and i want to make a tunnel/bridge with it. i need help i have no clue on how to and the wiring i have yard lites from lionel small ones. i understand to drill holes and locate them do i put them with the 80 watt or can i use the ho type transformers for them. and is there any free down load on how tosand pics that mite help thanks chad from pittsburgh pa.

[Taranwanderer]

You've got a lot of questions there, let's start with the tunnel...I assume your 4x8 sheet foam board is for making your tunnel, and it's NOT your platform.  If so, I'd start with a corner of your layout, cut a piece of the foam board in the rough shape of the "mountain" you want, then cut out the area that your track(s) will pass through it.  Then I'd cut another piece, slightly smaller, on top of that, and do the same with the track area, and repeat this until you can place a piece on the top that's tall enough for the trains to run under without hitting...now you have the base of your mountain and your tunnel going through, and now you can build the rest or "top" of your mountain out of whatever you want--a crumpled-newspaper shape covered in more strips of newspaper or paper towels soaked in a water/drywall spackle mix, or Woodland Scenics mountain paper (convenient but expensive,) or the old-school chicken-wire and plaster method. 

 

As for wiring your lights--you need to determine if they're AC or DC, that will determine if you use an HO transformer (DC) or wire them into your 80W O gauge transformer.  Personally, I use a mixture of AC lights (like most of the older Lionel accessories) and DC (newer LED lights for campfires and house lighting) on my layout.

[phillyreading]

Most of the older lights it don't make any differance in using A.C. or D.C. voltage. Only the newer LED's may need a special voltage or a diode to help block or filter the A.C. current.

May personal recommendation is to stay away from having 120 volt light systems on the layout(the train area), even with lighting. Go with lower voltage lighting, 28 volts or less.

I use GE Mazda lights(old fashioned Christmas lights) and power them from a Lionel KW transformer's accessory output. They are wired in a parallel circuit to keep the voltage at a higher level then a series circuit will allow, also I know which light burnt out.

Lee F.