Hey everyone I am upgrading the lighting on a Atlas GP40. I am planing on putting in a roof top beacon, brighter headlights, Ditchlights, and Maybe Class Lights. I want them all to be functional, and I want QSI Sound. What do you guys think I should use as materials in this project? Thanks, Mike
Thanks for the great reply! What decoder do you guys recommend? Thanks, Mike
NSlover92 Thanks for the great reply! What decoder do you guys recommend? Thanks, Mike
Any four function decoder should work for you. I have been using TCS decoders for about a year now with no problems.
Will
For sound a QSI Revolution-A . They are made for Atlas type locomotives. Your biggest challenge will be finding room for the speaker in a GP-40.
Engineer Jeff NS Nut Visit my layout at: http://www.thebinks.com/trains/
For the beacon I would skip all the fiber optics, they're not nessesary and alot of extra work. Just use smt (surface mount technology) LEDs. I get mine from http://www.richmondcontrols.com/ , they come with wires already installed (makes life much easier).
Details West makes a variety of beacon and strobes. Glue the smt directly to the bottom of the strobe/beacon "glass". Drill clearance holes in the strobe/beacon base and the cab roof. Paint everything first and then glue the base and strobe/beacon in place. Be sure to hook a 1 or 2k ohm resister in line with the smt.
Here's one I did:
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You can use the same method on the ditch lights. Detail Associares has the lenses that'll fit the ditchlights. Fothe headlights/numberboaeds, I shorten the light pipe and glue a 3 or 5 mm LED to it, after filing the front of the LED flat.
Jay
C-415 Build: https://imageshack.com/a/tShC/1
Other builds: https://imageshack.com/my/albums
Don;t forget to rough the top and sides of the piece of fiber optic, otherwise the light will shoot straight up to the sky and not look a lot like a rotary beacon. Also, those concave-end LEDs are available in small enough sizes that they could be used as-is for a beacon in HO. The shoot most of the light out the sides in all direction.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.