The Night Scene

[mikelhh]

That's a great effect, Mike. Well worth the effort!

Mike

[mlehman]

The Wilde Mine added its own arc light.

An overview of Silverton, with one new lamp at the end of the platform. More will be installed soon.

The new lights at the enginehouse are appreciated by everyone.

Tefft has a new light, too.

Rockwood has even more modern lights, which I will show how they're made here soon.

[mlehman]

This time around some brief notes on making an old-fashioned arclight. I used LEDs salvaged from this item, available through Hobby Lobby. It's branded as the "Rice Light" LED battery operated light set. Cost is $8 for 20 LEDs on a 6.5 foot string. Since it's got a powerpack built-in, it's like a built-in tester. These are not SMDs but simply a very small version of the standard LED form-factor, so they are still very versatile. Here's some pics.

The package and battery case and controller

 

The lights look like this once cut from the string. Each is encased in a resin or epoxy and is clipped for use. This one fit inside a Tomar drumhead kit for the narrowgauge San Juan one on the rear of my Durango parlor car.

 

Here, I use beads which I cut and file, then carefully drill to make room for the LED. The leads will act to hold the light up.

 

A close-up of the arclight assembley. I used thick CA on the wires where they exit the top of the "reflector" to hold it together.

 

 

Here it is installed, string between two post across an intersection.

 

I installed a few more around the layout, mostly using these outriggers that I soldered up from brass stock, then drilled and CAed together with the wooden pole. The leads from the lamprun back to the pole, then are CAed down it.

 

I made this install on the National Belle hoist house.

 

And here it is, along with the lit-up freight platform at Red Mountain.

 

Another view.

 

More coming soon.

[mlehman]

Now I'm going to tell you how to dim your BLI California Zephyr...Say what? You wanna dim out a shiny bright train?

Once you've brought on the Night Scene, yes, the CZ is like a rolling tanning salon. What to do?

It turns out it's pretty easy to fix this problem -- if you think it's a problem like I do -- because BLI made it easy. Carefully open the car with the BLI-supplied tool, being care fo the uncoupling gear at each end. You'll either see, in the flat top cars, or can find underneath the dome seating, in the dome cars, a resistor pack that controls the lighting. It has tiny 1/8 watt 330 ohm resistors. I replaced with some 1,000 and 1,500 ohm 1/4 watt resistors I had on hand.

Bend the new resistors over to clear the roof of dome seating, being careful not to short anything in the tight clearances.

To cut the flicker, pull up the interior gently, where you'll find a voltage regulated bridge rectifier next to a well in the chassis that will hold a big ol' capacitor, with conveninet holes to solder in a cap to match the polarity of the board's output. I've tried everything from 10 uF to 470 uF caps and they all work. 47 uF seems about right, as you still get a little fade with the 10 uF caps every once in awhile.

I'll note the resistor in the positive lead of the cap in the above pic is not needed if you use a cap rated at 25 volts or higher. I removed it on the other installs and just direct wired the cap to the bridge rectifier.

After dimming the interior, I brightened the rear lighting but subbing in a brighter, red LED.

Now my CZ matches the more realistic lighting levels of my other passenger stock and it doesn't flicker.

I did a more detailed writeup of these mods at:

http://atlasrescueforum.proboards.com/thread/2266/dimming-constant-lighting-california-zephyr

This mod works for DCC, but hasn't been tested on DC (I think it will work, there, though, YMMV). I'd be happy to answer any questions or post more pics if needed.

[mlehman]

I worked adjusting the light levels in a number of cars this week. Toning them down is more realistic, but also helsp hide the fact that there aren't any passengers in board. Here's an example of the difference that I posted in WPF.

Here the local is on the bridge over the Rio de las Animas.

A couple of views of Silverton at night.

Entering Durango.

Here's the circuit I use to take pwoer from the tracks and convert it to DC.

This is the bridge rectifier and capacitor I usually use.

[mlehman]

Mike,

Thanks! And yes, I think you did mention you liked the bigger pics. I appreciate you nudging me to do something about that, too, as it was one of those things that was bothering me but hadn't risen to the top of the priority list enough yet. Knowing folks cared was the extra incentive I needed to get it done.

[middleman]

Those coaches look great,Mike!

Have I mentioned that I like the larger photo's?

Mike

[mlehman]

Radio Shack restocked a few votal parts, so I converted two of my Model Railroad General Store coaches to electric lighting. I equipped these with brass trucks that were hand me downs from brass passenger stock I conerted to Blackstone trucks, so it was easy to tack some wipers on the bolster to tap into track power. I used 10k ohms of resistance this time and the look/intensity of the lighting came out just about right when used with the RS LED strip units.

I really like the light reflecting off the rippling water here.

A close-up of a pair of the MRGS coaches with lighting.

[mlehman]

Curt,

Thanks, I appreciate the comment. I'm not sure a night ops session is in the works here, but I enjoy operating after dark. It is a bit hard to see, so you have to know the line pretty well. But it's been well worth the work put into it -- and it always impresses the heck out of my non-rail friends.

[Curt Webb]

Excellent modeling Mike. I have been enjoying your postings in WPF. Running trains at "night" is something that I like a lot.

[mlehman]

Just added some outdoor lighting to my engine service area. I used the SMD LEDs available from Ulrich Models and a couple of lampshades from leftover projects to put them up on poles.

I've been using some LED strip lighting from Radio Shack in my passenger car installs. You can get it cheaper by mail if you look around, but RS is widely available and still a good value once you cut up that 1 meter section into 20 3-LED units. These suckers are bright if you feed them 12 volts, but stepping them down works well.

If you put a bunch of ohms in line with them, things get even more interesting. Each of the 3 LEDs in a unit actually consists of 3 LEDs embedded behind a translucent fixture that is about 1 HO scale foot in diameter. These look very much like the overhead light  fixture in some homes -- with three bulbs glowing inside.

[mlehman]

Thought I'd update this thread with some info on passenger car lighting. It's one of the great luxuries of night scene modeling -- and is often priced that way. However, the DIY route works well. There's some tips on that and some sources of useful cheap LEDS in this thread: http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/744/t/227137.aspx

Here's a pic of the results.

[mlehman]

I'll keep that tip in mind. Right now I'm pretty much point and shoot, but have plans to get back some of my old SLR/manual exposure chops again with some practice.

[DigiMike]

If you shoot in RAW and take the photo into Lightroom, you will see in real time any color, density, and any other changes you make in real time. You will then be able to learn as you make the changes.

[mlehman]

richhotrain

Mike,

The more I say, the worse I say it. 

So, let me say it this way.  I love the blue.     

Rich

Whew! Glad you're happy

But since I want every reader to be as completely satisfied as possible, I went back for more pics.

...and my lights just aren't as well set up with blue. Interesting though.

What I've been doing is using the fluorescent lights on the lower deack at Dove Creek on the other side of the aisle for the "sun." In fact, to be correct on the layout, it should be teh setting sun from the west. But on the layout Durango station is backwards due to...well, it's a long story, one of those track planning decisions I might do differently now, but seemed to make sense when I was cutting plywood. So to make it a convincing Durango dawn shot, I've been jiggering with the lighting directions.

[richhotrain]

mlehman

Rich,

Some folks dig the blues and some just tap their feet to the beat. Whatever works for you, I always say.

Mike,

The more I say, the worse I say it. 

So, let me say it this way.  I love the blue.     

Rich

[mlehman]

Rich,

Some folks dig the blues and some just tap their feet to the beat. Whatever works for you, I always say.

Southgate,

The Webber Wholesale complex is bashed from a Walthers 933-3760 Grocery Dist. I scratched up a refrigerated addition from styrene brick sheeting (JTT) and used some other recycled parts for the condenser, etc. It's named in honor of Bob Webber, who helped found the Rio Grande Modeling and Historical Society.

[mlehman]

Peter,

Thanks for you comments.

I use several power supplies, because the lighting is scattered around on a fair size layout. Pretty much all 22 gauge, though, because that's plenty adequate for the number of LEDs driven. Basically, I tend to recycle wire I've set aside from or up-graded to a larger gauge on other projects. The wire goes as far as just below the surface of the structure. Each structure is usually wired so that the wires are fed from one source. I use regular ol' household wiring wire nuts for most of my wiring, so just twist and untwist as needed to move lighted structures. It runs in a "tree" format from the power supply.

For the outside lamps, I used the cast plastic, non-working lamps that come with the Walthers billboard kits. I carefully drill the shade, then run the LED leads through it and use canopy glue to keep all in proper place. I buy the Richmond Controls SMD LEDs prewired from Ulrich Models. I have friends who solder them on, but that's just crazy small in my book. Way cheaper to do that, if you learn how.

[Southgate]

Nice work so far Mike, thanks for sharing your progressive experience. One question: I really like that Webber Wholesale building. Is that a kit or scratchbuilt? Dan

 

[richhotrain]

Heck, they still look awesome, too blue or not.

Rich

[HO-Velo]

Mike,  

Thanks for the thread, great info and photos and for me timely.  What size buss wire do you use to power your structure lighting?  Also, I really like the way you use the surface mount LED for the outdoor shaded lamp, seems that making up those tiny leads would take a lot of soldering skill.

regards,  Peter

[mlehman]

Rich,

Most likely it's my lack of the artistic gene

I do have a formula to turn them more B&W, but I'm lazy

Newer versions of Photoshop have some magic B&W button, but I'm still stuck in CS2.

I did play with the B/R color balance on this one, but not sure how much that alone helps.

To my eye, it helps the "dawn light" to look better, but everything else is still kinda blue.

[richhotrain]

Mike, those are beautiful night photos but too blue for my liking.  Could you put some type of filter over the lens to tone down the blue?   Or, perhaps, maybe you prefer it as is which would be fine as well.

Rich

[mlehman]

I took some pics worth sharing.

Near dawn, a long MAIN train from Ft. Bliss enroute to Oakland sits mostly blacked-out on the siding at Durango behind FTs.

Freight train passing MAIN on the siding.

With the standard gauge rails quiet, here's #101 leading a night extra into Durango just as the sun is peeking over the mountains to the east.

The eastbound San Juan sits behind #28.

Another view from the coaling tower.

#101 spots its train on  arrival track in Durango Yard.

[mlehman]

Wilton,

Thanks, I really enjoyed the whole process of working with the lighting, so was glad to share what I found out. LEDs are finally comparable to incandescent in performance, something that saves power, cuts heat and make for a better operations experience.

The dual-gauge track is all ME code 70. The turnouts are all Shinohara. Mostly used as is, I hacked a few of the turnouts to get a better flow of track. Right in front of the C-19 you can see where I took a HOn3 turnout and hacked it into dual gauge track. This allows for a single HOn3 track to diverge from the dual-gauge.

The one thing to be certain of when doing dual-gauge with off-the-shelf components is to make sure all your turnouts have the common rail on the correct side at each location when ordering.

[oregon shay]

Mike,

Thanks for taking the time to share these great ideas!  And the dual gauge track work is very impressive, as well.

Wilton.

[mlehman]

Figured this deserved a Friday night bump if I added another pic.

[mlehman]

Some recent night scene pics down by the yards in Durango...

A pair of narrowgauge Consolidations, the only C-25 and a C-19, wait with their trains for orders. Flooding down the line has the gangs out checking a bridge that might have an abutment undermined by the waters.

Looks like a long night is starting to turn into a long morning.

After getting some sleep and a late lunch, here we see the evening light on another train entering Durango past the Oriental Oil Refinery.

Keep having fun!

[mlehman]

Randy,

Thanks for your comments. I the long run, doubling up the light strips is what I'll probably do. Right now I'm kust working the budget for the first pass with my wife by remining her of all the money this will save. The effect is pretty darn good.

Here's a pic with both the LEDs on acting a fill lighting with the mian overhead lights on.

[rrinker]

 Picture 2 appears slightly less bright, but the shadows are less harsh. Maybe an overcast day? I'm thinking the ideal level would be 2 strips of the white, plus a blue and a red, or actually since they have the RGB strips, a white stripe, an RGB strip, and a blue strip. That would give you night into dawn by dimming the blue and adjusthing the RGB, and bringing up the white, and as the say went on, the RGB would be cycled to white, so you'd end up with full daylight with effectively 2 strips of white. Then as evening comes in, the blue comes up, the RGB goes to blue, and the white dims.

 Of course that's a lot more electronics than just plugging in strips of LEDs, but with the right controllers it could tie in with a fast clock, if you use one for operating, thus automatically simulating the day. That's my goal for me 'ultimate' layout - got a few years before I'd be able to start on that, so the LED strips should be quite inexpensive by then. Definitely the choice for lighting for starting these days - no running 120VAC wiring all over for light fixtures, no heat, and ultra low profile - as you said, perfect for multiple deck layouts.

                      --Randy