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Working Deck Mounted Ditch Lights

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  • Member since
    March 2004
  • From: San Diego
  • 954 posts
Posted by stokesda on Tuesday, September 2, 2014 11:43 AM

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

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!

Dan Stokes

My other car is a tunnel motor

  • Member since
    July 2006
  • From: Bradford, Ontario
  • 15,797 posts
Posted by hon30critter on Sunday, August 31, 2014 11:17 PM

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

I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!

  • Member since
    January 2005
  • From: Kansas City Area
  • 1,161 posts
Posted by gmcrail on Sunday, August 31, 2014 11:09 PM

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.

---

Gary M. Collins gmcrailgNOSPAM@gmail.com

===================================

"Common Sense, Ain't!" -- G. M. Collins

===================================

http://fhn.site90.net

  • Member since
    August 2008
  • From: Southeast Kansas
  • 1,329 posts
Working Deck Mounted Ditch Lights
Posted by wholeman on Sunday, August 31, 2014 10:30 PM

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

Will

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