Working Deck Mounted Ditch Lights

[wholeman]

Hello all,

I haven't posted on here in a while. 

Here's my dilemma.  I have a couple of HO Athearn C44-9Ws that I want to add working deck mounted ditch lights to just like the prototype. 

Here is a link:

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1055236

My question is how do I route the wires so that aren't noticeable so much on the outside of the pilot? I plean to surface mount LEDs in Details West Castings.

Thanks

[gmcrail]

Will, I'd use 28-gauge magnet wire (lacquered insulation) straight down through the deck, flush with the back of the housings. Bend them flush again with the underside of the deck and straight back through the pilot to your power source.

The magnet wire avoids the bulk of the normal insulation.  The heat of a soldering iron will burn away the lacquer when soldering the cponnections.

[hon30critter]

I agree with Gary. Magnet wire is easily hidden. You can go even finer than 28 ga. and it will work just as well. I can't remember if Details West castings are metal or plastic. If they are metal then just put a coating of nail polish over the wires to insulate them.

Dave

[stokesda]

As it turns out, I happen to be working on this very thing right now.

Check out this post from my blog from the MRH website for details on how I did it.

I haven't posted any updates on this project in quite a while, but the ditch lights are installed, wired, and painted. They do work, although I'm still working on wiring the decoder and some last minute details.

Edit: I just noticed the date on that blog post was LAST JULY!!! Time for me to wrap this baby up and get 'er on the rails!