Marker Lights

[C&O Fan]

Several people have ask how I do marker lights for Cabooses and Observation cars

 

So here's a how to and a parts list

Several parts are involved all of my stuff comes from Litchfield Station

Wheel wipers>

These are made by Locsound

Current Collector (wheel wipers) - #397-50707 × 1

$9.59

Surface mount LEDs

 0402 SMD

Can also be found on Ebay

Both Red (marker lights) and White (Used in the cab)

I also sometimes install a back up light using a white LED

See the first photo

LED SMD Red Pre-Wired with 6" Wires and Resistor for 12V - #LED-SMD0402R-6× 4

$11.96

https://www.litchfieldstation.com/product/led-surface-mount-golden-white-single/

 I bought the resistors off Ebay

A TCS 6 function decoder with built in Keep alive

1463 6 function, harnassed decoder with built in KA1 Keep-Alive - #TCS-KAT16× 1

$39.96

 

 https://www.litchfieldstation.com/product/1463-6-function-harnassed-decoder-with-built-in-ka1-keep-alive/ 

 

 

 Some clear orange paint

I use it to tint the white capola light to give it the look of a incandescent bulb         

   

 I first mount the wipers on the trucks  with the red to the right side as viewed from the rear of the caboose with the rear being the end wiith the smoke stack on the outside of the body of the caboose

 

I then combine the wires from both trucks red to red

I ran out of black wire so I used purple/blue wire

 These will be used to supply track power to the decoder

I then combine the LED wires And attach a resister to the long bare side of the LED wire

 

These Surface mount LEDs all have a long bare side (stripped) and a short bare side

I usually include a White interior light for the capola

 

And gang wire all the long bare sides together that will run off the blue common

But keep the Red Marker and capola white LEDs  Short bare wire sides seperate to use as function lights

I generally use the white wire from the decoder to power the rear red marker lights  so i can light them by pressing O

and use the green wire for the capola and I can light it separately by pressing 1

The decoder makes it expensive but the keepalive keeps the lights from flickering

and the power stays on for 30-40 seconds which is way more than enough to cover dead spots on the track

Have Fun ~!