Ho vehicles with lights

[Anonymous]

Does any one know anything about these cars on e bay? http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=180164121247&ssPageName=STRK:MESE:IT&ih=008 

 And has anyone got any of them? Would like to know how to do my own. Thanks

[UP2CSX]

I don't have that particular truck but I have a police car and fire truck, both with flashing lights, made by the same person. Trust me, this guy does good work and his prices aren't much more than you would pay for the vehicle and all the parts. If you want to do your own, buy one and reverse engineer it. He uses some pretty ingenious techniques to come up with his vehicles.

[Anonymous]

I plan to do that when I get time. It shouldn't be too difficult to drill out the headlights, or taillights, and put some small bulbs, or LEDs in a vehicle.

[Anonymous]

  I haven't found any led's that were small enough to do my HO cars, I did try some Model Power bulbs, but when I drilled the holes the bit slipped on the metal and they weren't right where they should have been, I have seen the police cars and fire engines on Walthers catalogue, but they are 30 bucks each.

[Anonymous]

here is an ambulance, and police car,

http://walthers.com/exec/productinfo/189-5622

http://walthers.com/exec/productinfo/189-5624

[MisterBeasley]

Sounds like a good application for fiber optics.  One LED could drive all the lights on an auto.

[loathar]

I'd like to see how this guy is doing this and still selling the cars so cheap.

[Gary UK]

Heres some realy small leds!!

http://www.ngineering.com/lightng.htm

 

[Anonymous]

I think even those are to big, theres no room in the chamber to fit them. I took a car apart, broke it and theres  only enough room to fit an small ho crate in

[UP2CSX]

Like I said, buy one and reverse engineer it and see if you can do the same things he does. I don't intend to undercut his business by going into the way he did the two I have but I know it's a job I not only couldn't do, I wouldn't want to even if I could. This is an avocation for him and he seems to be happy to make a couple of bucks for each piece he sells. I'd much rather buy from him so he might still be around if I wanted to buy some other lighted vehicles than spend the amount of time and money I'd need to replicate his work.

[UP2CSX]

here is an ambulance, and police car,

http://walthers.com/exec/productinfo/189-5622

http://walthers.com/exec/productinfo/189-5622

 

Those links both lead to the same ambulance, which is sold out and costs $33. I've seen one of these in person and it's not what it looks like in the picture. The light bar is grossly oversized and the lights are just barely bright enough to see in a lighted room. I'd never spend the money to buy one.

[mikesmowers]

   I for one would like to have some cars on the layout with lights. I have a Highway Patrol car that is chasing a black Trans Am (Smokie And The Bandit) that would be cool if it had a flashing red light. I am not going to give $30.00 for one but the $3.50 for the one in the original post would be great. Maybe someday we can get the things we need/want at a reasonable price.    Mike

[river_eagle]

ready to install kits for police fire and other emergency/maintence vehicles

plus other cool lighting stuff

http://www.ironpeng.com/ipe/

[Blaine's Trains]

Hello Folks,

After reading this forum for over 9 months, I've finally got something to say.

I have purchased dozens of these HO scale vehicles, with operating headlights, from 'Kimthehairdresser'. I have come to know this couple to the point where we email each other regularly. What they want is to have something that keeps them busy, hopefully get paid enough to cover the costs of materials (including  the vehicle), and put something back into model railroading.

I guarantee, you could not duplicate these vehicles for the same price they sell them for. Instead of trying to copy their engineering, why don't you just buy the cars they put up for sale, realize the savings you just made over doing it yourself, and enjoy the sight when dusk comes to your layout, and all the drivers turn on their headlights.

And there has to be a market for these vehicles, otherwise, why would so many people be interested in this thread. But last night, 9 of their vehicles didn't sell. That conveys that most prices have yet to go higher than the asking price. Using the 'I've got mine, you get yours' thought line, get onto eBay and buy these vehicles!! Support people who just want to give back to this hobby.

The photos displayed in this thread are from Busch. The flashing lights are too big for the vehicle, it is plastic, not die-cast, and the price for what you get is ridiculous.

Whether you buy a vehicle with just headlights, or with headlights and taillights, or emergency vehicles with flashing LED's, this couple has no competition in this hobby.

I have no monetary interest in their business, but my belief is that you will always get a very good deal from this couple.

Blaine

[UP2CSX]

ready to install kits for police fire and other emergency/maintence vehicles

plus other cool lighting stuff

http://www.ironpeng.com/ipe/

Holy cow! $25 for two flashing blue LED's, a circuit board, and 12" of wire? That's it, you still have buy the police car, take it apart, ream out the light bar, install the lights, stuff the circuit board in somewhere, and then put things back together without breaking anything? I think I'll pass on this one.   

[UP2CSX]

Blaine,

I couldn't agree more. The first police car I got died after five minutes of being wired up. I e-mailed Kim and her husband thought he knew what the problem was from my description of the failure. I send back the bad unit and received a working unit in four days with them paying the shipping both ways. He has been lamenting the fact that so few modelers seem to want his stuff compared to the people he sees posting about how to do what he knows how to do so well. If he was trying to sell these vehicles for fifty bucks, then I'd say forget it. He's selling them for hardly more than the cost of the vehicle and parts. If we don't support people like him, we'll all have to learn how to do things that most of us aren't capable of if we want lighted vehicles.

Plus, Kim is really funny.  

[mikesmowers]

   If it not to blunt of a question, How do we get a hold of this couple if we were wanting to purchas some of his cars? How much are his cars?  If This response is to close to advertising, let me know and I will say no more.    Mike  

[Anonymous]

   She's offering a Busch police car wiith all kinds of flashing lights, it says both lights on top red and blue and says it has flashing head lights and tail lights too, no one has bid and its only nine bucks, I think I'm going to give it a try, let you know how it works. it doesn't have big light bars like the ambulance. she has a police tow truck too. Thanks Blaine's Trains fot the info.

[UP2CSX]

Mike,

Just look up the seller "kimthehairdresser" on e-bay and go ahead and bid on what interests you. He makes different items at different times depending on what vehicles and parts are available and what challenge he wants to try. You'd be violating e-bay rules by doing an end run around e-bay and buying something direct from the seller and I'm sure they don't need grief from e-bay. Bid the price you want to pay and sit back and watch. If someone else wants it for more, it costs you nothing. If you've bid the right price, you get a nice lighted vehicle.

[mikesmowers]

  Thanks UP.. I will do just that. I didn't realize that he was selling on e-bay.  I will look him up and do some bidding.           Mike

[river_eagle]

ready to install kits for police fire and other emergency/maintence vehicles

plus other cool lighting stuff

http://www.ironpeng.com/ipe/

Holy cow! $25 for two flashing blue LED's, a circuit board, and 12" of wire? That's it, you still have buy the police car, take it apart, ream out the light bar, install the lights, stuff the circuit board in somewhere, and then put things back together without breaking anything? I think I'll pass on this one.   

they are ment to be the focus of the scene, they don't just blink on and off like most, they have a computer chip to simulate the pattern and cycle of the real thing, even the bubble gum type ramp up to a strobe  then fade, it actually looks like it's turning

[UP2CSX]

Don't get me wrong, I'm sure it looks great but there's only so far I'm willing to go in terms of time and money for a great looking scene. If someone wants to spend the money and do the work, more power to them. I just don't think this is the answer for the rest of the unwashed masses.

[rbettig]

Could not find any LED or bulbs that would fit in an HO car, so I used Fiber Optic. it looks good work well, but once installed you can't move the vehicule, since the Fiber will be lit by a LED under the layout.  Onr LED can be used for light up about 8 cars using Fiber.

Richard

 

 

[Anonymous]

don't know if this works but will attempt to post picture

http://s229.photobucket.com/albums/ee233/lostrailroader/?action=view&current=Picture194.jpg

[Anonymous]

does anyone know how to put the picture in so you don't have to cut and paste? thanks

[UP2CSX]

You do it like this:

Just copy the last tag at Photobucket called the IMG tag. Copy and paste that tag here and the picture will sho instead of the link.

[jktrains]

Depending on the vehicle, puting in headlights is not that difficult.  This is a Model Power Mercedes Benz with 1.5 grain of rice bulbs added to it.  It might be possible to use smd LEDs, but it would depend on the space available in side.

Simply take the car apart, remove the headlight lens and drill the appropriate sized hole. Reinstall the lens and run the wires out the pre-existing hole in the floor.

Taillights are a different story.  More difficult to do because most of the cars manufactured simply paint the tailights on the body and don't use a plastic lens.  The other difficulty has to do with the shape of most taillights - they're not round.  Because of this you can't simply drill a hole, install a red bulb and be done.  If you can find a car with round taillights (think corvette) then it makes it much easier.  Otherwise I would guess you're into trying to file the openning to shape, using Krystal Klear or something to make a lens and then installing the red light behind it

The van uses 2 minature red LEDs for taillights.  Yes, the cast in ones were round so it was a much easier job.

You could try fiber optics, the down side is that it can be difficult to get a good beam of light to come out of the headlight.  Also, the thicker the fiber optic strand the more difficult it is to get it bend to come out the bottom of the car.

I will echo what others have said, that Kim's price (as currently shown) hardly covers the cost of the vehicle and 2 GOR bulbs.  Even with the shipping its a good deal.  Looking over his listings you'll notice most cars have round headlights and no mention of working taillights.

[Anonymous]

Nice lookin layout JK

heres another one and its made by Busch

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=200155869490&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=010

[UP2CSX]

Nice lookin layout JK

heres another one and its made by Busch

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=200155869490&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=010

Notice the link is now clickable? Just hit the spacebar after you copy and paste and you'll make it a lot easier for everyone.

I've never seen that Busch model before and it looks like old stock. I notice the seller does not show the front or rear of the vehicle. I'll bet there's a reason.

[UP2CSX]

JK, you've done a great job with lights all over you layout, including the signs. As I remember, you were going to give us the lowdown on how you did that lit gas station sign....hint...hint.