What is the best recomended practice on installing LED ditchlights on locomotives? Where on the web can I find a good illustrative tutorial on how to do this? I have a Bachmann Acela HHP-8, Acela trainset locomotives, NJT F40PH, Proto 2000 RDC, E7A and an IHC GG-1 what size LEDs will I need for the headlights and tail lights for these models. I will be purchasing the LED lights from Richmond controls. Now the challenge is how the hell am I going to mount the light LEDs on to the shell or chasis. Am I supposed to use glue tape etc... what?
I only have one loco with ditch lights. I used 3 mm sunny white LEDs mounted through the pilot and wired into an NCE 4 function decoder with 1K resistors. Running the wires was the hard part. This is the only modern loco I have. I got it because I like the paint scheme.
Pete
I pray every day I break even, Cause I can really use the money!
I started with nothing and still have most of it left!
I have installed ditch lights with LEDs on 5 locos. The first two were really easy, they were Amtrak P42s.
The other three were an Athearn RTR Dash 9 and two Genesis SD70MACs. The P42s just required a 3mm sunny white LED behind each ditch light lens. The other three used miniature surface mount LEDs in a ditch light casting.
http://www.ulrichmodels.biz/servlet/the-350/Minature-Surface-Mount-LEDs/Detail
The link I provided is where I order the miniature surface mount LEDs. They can be a pain to work with, but do look good. I have used a 4.7K ohm resistor with them.
Will
Like I said. I only have the one loco I added ditch lights to. I used 3 mm bright white and drilled a 1/8 inch hole on each side of the pilot. I covered the sides of the LEDs with black heat shrink tubing and carefully forced then in the holes without tearing the heat shrink. All this was after it was wired and tested. I used an NCE decoder and put 1K 1/4 watt resistors near the decoder. I reamed the holes for the LEDs until they fit snugly and routed the wires between the frame and shell in slots I cut with my dremel. The excess wire is held to the shell with cloth covered elastic thread to take up the excess so it would not get fouled in the truck swing.
Each loco will be different and you will have to use some imagination and ingenuity when modifying lighting.
wholemanThe link I provided is where I order the miniature surface mount LEDs. They can be a pain to work with, but do look good. I have used a 4.7K ohm resistor with them.
The link to Ulrich models is a smart way to do this ...Richmond Controls in Houston has some great stuff but he's hard to buy from because he doesn't accept credit cards so it a pain to get stuff.
Besides, Ulrich gets theirs supplied from Richmond Controls -it's right on their website.
Rick