How can I make or find a vendor that makes LED's for HO scale that resemble fluorescent lighting like the one in this photograph? I will need rectangular LED tubes or how can I make them? Then I will simply wire them into a pre made DCC controlled flicker free interior lighting system like the one from DCC Concepts.
I'm not aware of a vendor, but having not had the need I have never looked.
Having said that, the cooler white LED's do emit a light which I think is close to fluorescent in terms of color, the warm whites have a bit too much yellow and look more like incandescents. I wonder if you could get creative and take some clear plastic rectangular tube stock, and use it as a light tube with LED's at each end?
Simon Modelling CB&Q and Wabash See my slowly evolving layout on my picturetrail site http://www.picturetrail.com/simontrains and our videos at http://www.youtube.com/user/MrCrispybake?feature=mhum
MoreLEDs.com sells several types specifically for model railroad uses -- check their web site.
http://www.moreleds.com
LION does not know about special LEDs, but him is thinking of using some of this stuff to fabricate florescent looking fixtures in cars and stations. It would not be rectangular, but it should work fine. I would get 1/8" stock and place a white LED at each end of it.
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Fluorescent LED?? dont know.
Mini Fluorescent Lamps, er, yes, had something stuck under my nose by my elecrtonics mate that he was working on for a cliant late last summer, I thought RDC straightaway. It was a test sample he'd been sent to work on, but are very simular to these, which are already wired for 12vots by an inverter. http://www.e-clec-tech.com/miflla.html
His were just the tubes wired he'd somehow, these look the same, to see the lamps in the cars you'd need your chin on the ballast. Hope it sheads some light.
Be in touch.
pick.
Miller Engineering offers some nifty fluorescent lamps; from 2 - 8" in length, including drivers. They also have mounting kits (#719) for easier installation of the lamps.
Tom
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
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I would suggest custom made light pipe out of some acrylic square or tube or the side glow fiber cable in the linky above.
I soon am going to be doing a very similar thing for my HO scale passenger cars and will be prolly using a reflected light system with normal LEDs. nothing fancy just some lights bouncing off a white piece of plastic to disperse the light.
Massey
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Massey's idea would be the way I'd go. In fact I thought a few years ago someone on here actually did make flourescent light fixtures in that way to hang inside a structure. Drill a hole and put a regular white LED (or a pair, one at each end) in each 'tube'. If not directly visible inside the car, you could just run a single acrylic tube the length fo the car and paint the 'between' spaces flat black so no light comes out, the uinpainted clear parts would become the flourescent tubes.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
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I thank you all for your informative efforts. There are vendors that sell allot of LED light strips nowadays. Very Interesting
SMasseya reflected light system with normal LEDs. nothing fancy just some lights bouncing off a white piece of plastic to disperse the light.
I'm with Randy that this sounds liek a good idea. get some of the white styrene tubing Evergreen sells and stick a tiny LED at each end. The length may need adjustment to get the right look to it, as well as perhaps adjusting the LED brightness with more resistance.
Another possibility is Electroluminescent wire.
http://www.adafruit.com/products/410
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL
That was over 2 years ago, now you have all that LED strip lighting, just use some of that, in the cool white color, and add a diffuser of some sort down the length of the car so you don't have point sources fo light.