Lighting Trains

[gavino200]

12 minutes ago, chadbag said:

 

You don't need a template.  Just put a splotch on each pad (I used an old xacto blade).  As it heats it spreads a little and stays on the pad as the pad heats up.

 

 

That's good to know. But for a whole board a template with all the holes would make it possible to place all the little splotches precisely with one smear. Maybe a bit delux, but it wold be nice. I'm pretty sure that's what they do/did in industry.

[chadbag]

3 minutes ago, gavino200 said:

 

That's good to know. But for a whole board a template with all the holes would make it possible to place all the little splotches precisely with one smear. Maybe a bit delux, but it wold be nice. I'm pretty sure that's what they do/did in industry.

 

They may have, or they may have used a liquid/paste solder that only stuck to the metal.  You don't really want to smear on your template and waste the stuff.  It is not that cheap (like $10 a syringe on amazon).  You would use less just taking a small device and putting a splotch on each pad I think.

 

[chadbag]

The good thing is that we now have a weekend.  Once I fix one last bug for my day job I will start my train weekend.  I already warned the wife that if she needs me today or tomorrow, I am in the basement working on the train stuff.  (I work remotely for the day job, so my day job work station is right next to my private workstation, is right next to my train workstation, and the layout is behind me -- so once I am done I can swivel my chair and start working on the train stuff -- I sometimes find myself cheating during the workday if something is terrible slow building and doing bits and pieces on a DCC conversion or something).

 

I think I have enough parts to try some DIY 12V lights so will try some similar to what @gavino200 has been doing.  Need to figure out what train to work on first...

 

Also need to finish my Tomix EF210 conversion -- almost done but have something shorting out and I want to add red tail lights (which were not on my loco but the light pipes were preinstalled to support them)

[gavino200]

First experiment with the unmodified Dani method. The "keep alive" method isn't ready for prime-time yet, and I have a growing backlog of trains that have never touched a rail. Also, I'm curious to see how good the Tomix "all wheel pickup" is. 

 

 

This tomix shinkansen has what seem to be steel picup bars rather than copper strips. I wasn't able to solder to them using my usual flux paste. I tried some liquid flux that I picked up a long time ago and that worked. First time the liquid flux has been useful.

 

My main criticism is with the LED strips. Not being able to tailor them to the nearest LED is a problem. 6 LEDs is too short. It's quite apparent that there's a darker area at the end of the car. Otherwise the method is sound.

 

This is a link to Dani's method as originally described by himself on his website. http://www.clubncaldes.com/2017/03/tomix-shinkansen-500-eva-digitalization.html

 

 

Bars and liquid flux. 

 

 

I used red/black wires the first time before I realized it wasn't necessary. After this I switched to grey.

 

 

The result. It's much less bright to the eye than it is to the cell phone camera. It's actually very subtle. It seems that 2.2k Ohms is indeed the perfect resistance.

 

 

 

Edited March 3, 2019 by gavino200

[gavino200]

On 2/8/2019 at 5:54 PM, chadbag said:

@gavino200  Here is what the 861803 looks like inside.  With the lengthwise steel piece on each side, I think you are supposed to only put the wipes on one side of the truck so that you get one rod for each leg of your track power.

 

I am thinking about maybe drilling out the center and not using the long steell, but getting two squares of thing steel and placing them over where the trucks are and drilling it and putting a plug in the hole of the truck and drilling that out and then just using a screw and washer to hold the truck in.  Not sure of the details yet but that would allow the use of standard wipes and also make it easy to attach wire to the center screw and run it underneath the seating to one end and run your wire up one end out of the way as much as possible.  Put a simple pin connector on there and put your lights in the shell and connect it to the wires.

 

I could even stick a decoder underneath the seating piece.  There should be enough room if you remove some of the rib material.

 

 

 

When you took this apart, did you by any chance have trouble with the tiny coupler spring wires? If so did you come up with a good method for replacing them, and keeping everything together while you got the shell back on?

[chadbag]

2 hours ago, gavino200 said:

 

 

When you took this apart, did you by any chance have trouble with the tiny coupler spring wires? If so did you come up with a good method for replacing them, and keeping everything together while you got the shell back on?

 

Not that I remember (meaning have issues).  IIRC (it has been a week or two weren't the springs beneath that triangular plate or something?  I don't really remember but I don't remember any problems or issues.

[gavino200]

5 minutes ago, chadbag said:

 

Not that I remember (meaning have issues).  IIRC (it has been a week or two weren't the springs beneath that triangular plate or something?  I don't really remember but I don't remember any problems or issues.

 

Yes. The "springs" are beneath the triangular plates. I'm guessing they did't become dislodged. If you had to fiddle with them I'd bet you'd remember it. 

[gavino200]

Possibly a method that could work to light Graham Farish coaches.

 

 

[gavino200]

I've never seen this before. It seems kato makes or made a special light diffusion adapter.

 

https://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10507901

[JR 500系]

Apologizes for the long wait @gavino200, but I guess late is better than not?  🙂

 

Sharing some pictures of the New Popondetta lights... Overall, I love it! But it's pretty expensive though... the multiple LEDs are really nice and bright, and there are actually 2 modes of Low and High, although I cant really tell the difference between the light intensity... I do really like the capacitors though and they work REALLY good! The lights stay now even after power is off for a split second, and you can still see the light in the LEDs (though very dim) even after switching it off for sometime... I'm guessing it would be able to ensure non-flicker lighting even in the dirtiest of tracks perhaps? 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[chadbag]

@JR 500系  what is the spacing between LEDs and what is the overall length of the lighting module?

[JR 500系]

8 minutes ago, chadbag said:

@JR 500系  what is the spacing between LEDs and what is the overall length of the lighting module?

 

Erm… need to find a time to take out the tubes from the train and measure them ~ I will revert with the required information in a while ~ 😛

[gavino200]

3 hours ago, chadbag said:

@JR 500系  what is the spacing between LEDs and what is the overall length of the lighting module?

 

We should be able to use the length of the pick-up strips to scale the picture.

[chadbag]

I know the magnetic coupler thread got moved off, but I am still going to try the axle wiper approach on my euro wagons when the time comes.   Axle wipes probably have less friction in them and seem to be a common US way to get track power into cars.  I am betting that modern materials and design can make them work.

[cteno4]

Actually was in the pcb thread it was moved from. Moved here

 

 

jeff

[changkh]

can i use Tomix lights on KATO tracks? more specifically, 0733 lights on 22-018 power pack.

[katoftw]

Yes

[Yavianice]

4 hours ago, changkh said:

can i use Tomix lights on KATO tracks? more specifically, 0733 lights on 22-018 power pack.

 

Only bulb interior lighting no matter from which brand are not recommended using CL or DX power packs. LED's are fine.

[changkh]

On 5/25/2019 at 4:06 AM, Yavianice said:

 

Only bulb interior lighting no matter from which brand are not recommended using CL or DX power packs. LED's are fine.

 

hmmm... i am not so familiar with lights actually, having only used KATO LED ones.. so the one I mentioned from TOMIX is fine since it is LED I suppose?

[Yavianice]

2 hours ago, changkh said:

hmmm... i am not so familiar with lights actually, having only used KATO LED ones.. so the one I mentioned from TOMIX is fine since it is LED I suppose?

If on the package it says CL, then it's fine. Tomix does sell some interior lighting based on bulbs (for some strange, unknown reason), though it's fortunately getting harder to find now.

[katoftw]

I didnt know Tomix still sold blub lighting. I assumed rhe would have stopped yoinks ago like all the others.

 

Is it just old stock that no one wants to buy?

[Yavianice]

2 hours ago, katoftw said:

I didnt know Tomix still sold blub lighting. I assumed rhe would have stopped yoinks ago like all the others.

 

Is it just old stock that no one wants to buy?

Probably. Last year I got some from hobbysearch and accidentally bought the bulb ones. This was before I knew the difference. They are definitely still around. 

[changkh]

i bought the tomix lc lighting. it came with a small stripe of white sticker to paste over the led. is that necessary? i 

[katoftw]

Just dulls down the brightness. Trial with and without to see your liking.

[Onizukachan]

On 2/20/2019 at 9:48 PM, Sheffie said:

An LED is first and foremost a diode. It wants to conduct in one direction and not in the other. As to whether the latter shortens its lifespan... perhaps, if the voltage is high enough. I think that operating temperature is going to have a much bigger effect than reverse voltage (+10 C => half lifespan, as I understand it). But I don't think reverse voltage will actually generate heat, because the diode isn't usually conducting. Now, will putting it in an enclosed space with other electronic components (that are generating their own heat) affect its lifespan? Again, possibly. There could be quite a few factors affecting this equation.

 

I'm following this thread because I'm considering lighting some carriages, btw. I don't think I could ever handle DCC work, but lighted carriages would be nice

 

On this topic I will share this. I have a 3mm led as a power indicator on my programming track that is directly connected to the track with a 1k 1/4w resistor on one leg. It has been running nonstop for almost 1 full year at this point. (Except when I short the track and the DCC resets, lol) 

Until joining this forum I had never heard of this urban myth about LEDs being half brightness on DCC, or burning out etc. 

It simply isn’t true. If you stop to think about it you will realize why. 

 

On to Kato lighting kits! 

I run the 11-214s in the Coast Daylight (right color for late 30s to early 60s fluorescents)  and I I see many of the same tricks I learned doing those 18 cars already mentioned. 

1: Bend the legs on the diffuser out/up to get better contact on the tabs. 

2: Alignment and having the diffuser right against the light bar is 100% critical on the v2... Scotch tape was a great idea mentioned by someone but I’ll add something better: 506 canopy glue.  Use it on either side of the LED (not in front unless you want the incandescent effect)  wait till it tacks up to attach the diffuser, and then a dab also on the diffuser support posts when installing. 

3: put a slight bend in the longer inserted part of the power tabs so it stays under tension, and thus makes better contact. Make another bend at the L to open it up and get better contact on the light bar legs which are near close to falling off the tabs anyway.. You can also solder the Legs to the tabs easily. I did when I started pulling more power with decoders and extra LEDs like explained below. 

4: you can take power off the Kato board post-rectifier as well if you are handy with a soldering iron (good old weller and a steady hand is all you need) I did so to add a 3mm color changer LED to simulate the color changing bar lighting. 

 

 

Diffusion, light tinting, etc: 

 

one of the tricks ive learned is to use 506 canopy glue over a raw smd as a diffuser in interior lighting.

You can also use it as a dimmer with a slight amount of paint or by building it up in layers. 

And when I did the cab light in my GS4, I tinted the 506 with just a hint of cheap 99 cent craft acrylic khaki color.

Dimmed & diffused 1930s incandescent light! 

 

Also, paint your interiors! Even if it is just adding dullkote, it helps. Better still if you paint the interiors in matte colors, flooring, seats, walls etc. left is unpainted, right painted. Same everything else. 

 

if you have a bathroom with frosted glass, add NO DETAIL and paint the room flat white... walls and floors.

When assembled your brain will tell you it It is frosted glass! (See above) 

 

Cheap lighting decoders: 

NCE light it, I think the last 6 pack I got was around $20, so about $3 a pop. 

3 outputs (one has built in LED)  and though the instructions say only connect 1 LED per connection, I can run 2-3 402s off each one easily. They dim VERY nicely via DCC. I have one in a caboose  just waiting for the day I can find n scale caboose lanterns I can light up! (Or the day someone 3D prints some in clear plastic) 

 

 

 

and someone mentioned Kato Observation cars and how the last 6 seats are dark because of the huge light guide and black shroud... 

i solved that one by adding a hand turned table lamp made from left over clear parts sprue. The lamp shade is painted white with a painted “base”  and it has a 402 under the floor lighting it from below a la fiber optic effect. No more dark end on my Observation car! 

 

 

Edited August 16, 2019 by Onizukachan