I recently converted a HO doodlebug to DCC with sound. I'd like to add a rear headlight, LED with lens. I have no idea what parts to use for the lamp housing and lens. Can you suggest specific parts to use? The light could be from a 3mm or smaller SMD type. Is there a way to snake the wires so they are unseen, or should / need they be exposed? Thanks for any pointers.
Paul
Modeling HO with a transition era UP bent
No idea about a lens but #44 magnet wire from an old coil I have used for something like this. LED's require 20 ma max and usually 10ma is sufficent.
Rich
If you ever fall over in public, pick yourself up and say “sorry it’s been a while since I inhabited a body.” And just walk away.
Found this in a search.
http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/88/t/217394.aspx
Paul,
Ulrich Models has the Richmond Controls SMD LED with attached 6" leads of very fine magnet wire. You can get them with the leads either straight to the back or at 90 degrees/one end (like for ditchlights or similar installs). That's enough to snake those wire invisibly through the passenger compartment up to where your motor and decoder likely are.
As for lamp assemblies, look at PSC and the other brass detail vendors. They often offer plastic version of the brass items, which makes insulation of the LED a none issue, but the SMD LED is so small it can easily be insulated in a brass lamp. You may have to drill a small hole for the leads to get out.Use canopy glue to attach and insulate it at the back of the lamp assembly interior.
Add a MV Products lens (more canopy glue) after painting for final assembly, but use a small file to take the middle part of the silvering off to let the light shine through. Makes a very realistic light.
This is the result of using those methods on a Sunset C-25.
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL
Search PSC and Walther's. PSC has their HO catalog online with nice photos. I just looked. PDF you can download.
I don't know how much room you have in the roof area of your doodlebug. I added an rear headlight to my Walthers SW1 switcher, which came with the lens but no headlight. Here's the link to the how-to for that:
Creating a light tube for a rear headlight
Sorry I can't help you with the lens part.
Tom
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
Thanks for the info, everyone. The light will be atop the roof, much like a steamer headlight or tender bacup light.
If you want to see how the prototype did it, the Santa Fe had at least one doodlebug with a rear headlight, M-131. While it is difficult to find a pic of the real M-131 showing the tail end, Key had a nice brass model, and you can find quite easily pics of this model showing the rear headlight set-up, e.g. at www.brasstrains.com.
Hope this helps...
JW