I've started the process of lighting my cabeese. I guess cabeese is plural for caboose. 8) 8) 8)
Tomar Industries now offers LEDs instead of the old 1.5 v mini lamp. Kadee also has a set of trucks with axle pick ups.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-200316161637.jpeg)
Here is what comes with the Tomar lighting kit. You get two marker lights with nano LEDs, wire, two resistors and a bridge rectifier. A bridge rectifier acts as a constant lighting unit.
NOTE: If you are using DCC, don't use the bridge rectifier. The track power on a DCC system is AC power and a non DCC, or DC layout is DC power. I just put the rectifier in the electronics part bin.
The wire is to stiff so I put the wire in file 13.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-200316161649.jpeg)
Continued in a few.
The Kadee trucks are prewired for the lighting. There is a red dot on each to let you know which side is the electrical pick up side.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-200316161703.jpeg)
I installed the trucks on the bottom of my brass caboose.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-200316161733.jpeg)
If you want to install an interior light, here is what I used. A 12v lamp and 150 Ohm resistor. You can use a 100 Ohm resistor as well. The resistor makes the lamp look a little less bright.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-200316161719.jpeg)
Continued in a few.
Tom,
Kewl idear... I wish they had this when I was doing some back in the future. Here's what I did so solve my cabeese challenges. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kEZq-gNoJb4 Thanx Thom...
I drilled a #42 hole in the side of the brass caboose. The little notch you see next to the hole is where I removed the brass marker light.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-200316161751.jpeg)
I had to drill a little to the right for the Tomar marker to clear the end wall. Don't worry as the lip on the Tomar marker will cover the notch.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-200316161805.jpeg)
Continued in a few.
Quote from: tct855 on March 20, 2016, 04:42:52 PM
Tom,
Kewl idear... I wish they had this when I was doing some back in the future. Here's what I did so solve my cabeese challenges. Thanx Thom...
Thom,
The caboose lighting is really nice. As you say, "Kewl" video.
Tom ;D
If you are lighting the caboose using DC, then wire it per the instructions.
If you are wiring it for use on a DCC layout, wire it as per my instructions below.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-200316161817.jpeg)
The marker light LEDs come with a blue and red wire. I used the blue wires to wire the resistors.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-200316161847.jpeg)
The red wire is used on the other truck and the other interior lamp wire.
Continued in a few.
In the photo below, I have the interior light wired to the 150 Ohm resistor. The other two resistors are wired one each to the blue wire.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-200316161859.jpeg)
Bundle the three wires and solder them to the wire from the left truck.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-200316161912.jpeg)
As I mentioned, wire the other interior light wire and the two red wires to the wire on the right truck.
Continued in a few.
Easy Peazy!
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-200316161925.jpeg)
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-200316161937.jpeg)
So easy, it's amazing.
Jim
Quote from: jimmillho on March 20, 2016, 05:29:05 PM
So easy, it's amazing.
Jim
Jim,
Thanks for stopping by and yes, it is easy. Truly amazing how it changes the look of the trains when the loco and caboose are animated with lights.
Tom
Very nice - thanks for sharing. I don't think you can ever run out of projects on a model railroad.
Partly because I need cabooses which activate my signals, I have the same parts you show sitting on my bench. The way you did this hints that Kadee's truck frames and bolsters don't conduct electricity. Do they insulate? I could check resistance, but I wouldn't be completely confident in the result because it might be some coating that would wear through in the middle of an op session...
Quote from: S&S RR on March 20, 2016, 06:29:57 PM
Very nice - thanks for sharing. I don't think you can ever run out of projects on a model railroad.
John,
Thanks for stopping by. I agree, there is something that can be done at all times.
Tom ;D
Quote from: jbvb on March 20, 2016, 08:26:20 PM
Partly because I need cabooses which activate my signals, I have the same parts you show sitting on my bench. The way you did this hints that Kadee's truck frames and bolsters don't conduct electricity. Do they insulate? I could check resistance, but I wouldn't be completely confident in the result because it might be some coating that would wear through in the middle of an op session...
James,
The Kadee trucks are Delrin/hard plastic. The wire is soldered directly to the brass contacts on the truck and it appears the contacts are super glued to the truck. The contacts only touch the axles for electrical pickup. The wire goes up through the bottom of the car to the lights. The trucks don't conduct electricity.
Hope this helps.
Tom ;D
Not sure what resistance you may get but it may be worth a try.
Nice Tom!
-slim
Quote from: Slim Jerkins on March 21, 2016, 10:18:51 AM
Nice Tom!
-slim
Bill,
Thank you! And to think I didn't burn the caboose.
Tom ;D
I hope this doesn't hijack the thread.
50 years ago +/-, Uncle Sam tried to teach me electricity as part of becoming an Anti-Submarine Warfare Officer (that was before "Naval Intelligence training). I have two dated books in the collection about model railroad electric "stuff", prior to the advent of DCC, and read Bob Parish's excellent online primer about all things electrical, most of which I promptly forgot. Does anyone have suggestions on good electrical education books, websites, etc. that I can dig into? I'll be shocked if there isn't some good knowledge amongst the posters here.
Quote from: BandOGuy on March 21, 2016, 12:15:44 PM
I hope this doesn't hijack the thread.
50 years ago +/-, Uncle Sam tried to teach me electricity as part of becoming an Anti-Submarine Warfare Officer (that was before "Naval Intelligence training). I have two dated books in the collection about model railroad electric "stuff", prior to the advent of DCC, and read Bob Parish's excellent online primer about all things electrical, most of which I promptly forgot. Does anyone have suggestions on good electrical education books, websites, etc. that I can dig into? I'll be shocked if there isn't some good knowledge amongst the posters here.
Easy, this book, "The Art of Electronics" by Horowitz & Hill, http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0521809266 This was written by a pair of MIT professors to give 'lab rats' enough electronics knowledge to build stuff. It's now in its 3rd edition, they have kept it up to date with the changes in technology. The only problem with this is its "academic press" price. But you could go for a used earlier edition to save money.
dave
Send me your email address on the side and I'll send it to you ...
It's not a big file.
The problem with most texts is that they want to make you some sort of an engineer. They are not good at practical stuff.
When I taught this stuff in high school I had to write my own curriculum as there was nothing out there for that reason. I later forged a dual enrollment agreement for 11 credits to Boise State University for my graduating seniors. You know... BSU... the blue turf place that kicked Nebraska's butt a few years ago.
I cleaned it up from what went up on the web site and took out the conversational stuff that went on at the time.
I can send it to anyone else as well.
Also Dave.......... I can answer any questions you might have.
If I can't give you good sound reasons, I'll give you reasons that sound good........
see ya
Bob
The lighted cabeese look really great.......good work Tom. 8)
Quote from: GPdemayo on March 22, 2016, 08:55:56 AM
The lighted cabeese look really great.......good work Tom. 8)
Greg,
Thanks, much appreciated.
Tom ;D
Tom,
You do realize that once you poked holes in those "cabeese" for those geegaws you reduced the value by 30%. But, on the other hand you increased your enjoyment by 100%. I guess there is a trade off? All in all they do look good!
Bob
Quote from: RWL on March 22, 2016, 01:40:03 PM
Tom,
You do realize that once you poked holes in those "cabeese" for those geegaws you reduced the value by 30%. But, on the other hand you increased your enjoyment by 100%. I guess there is a trade off? All in all they do look good!
Bob
Bob,
Thanks for stopping by. Only 30%? I figured at least half but then like Howard Zane said about brass, "If you have brass as an investment, never paint it and certainly never removed it from the box."
As you said, "100% enjoyment"!
My brass is to be enjoyed. When the time comes, the value is some else's problem! ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
Tom ;D
Factory-painted brass loses value when weathered, undecorated brass loses value when painted, either loses value when run. None of which is my concern; inspired by Tom I'll be taking a drill to an old Alco caboose this week or next. Dave, if I go back to the 1980 edition I can get The Art of Electronics for $12 or so, otherwise it would be the 2nd most expensive book I've ever bought, after Connelly's "Machine Tool Reconditioning."
James, guess you haven't had opportunity to buy college textbooks lately. The prices they charge are obscene (particularly in this era of cheap print-on-demand.)
I think the most I paid for a book was a used copy of Cafky's book on the Colorado Midland. I don't regret it, that's a great book.
dave
Tom,
Something about this has bothered me for a Week. LED's do not work on AC, they only work on DC and are Polarity sensitive. The Bridge rectifier is used to change AC to DC and maintain the correct Polarity. The resistors are to cut the voltage down to 3 volts. Tomar's website does say that the #807 L is a pair of 3 volt LED's. You have to have some DC on your track and if you turn the caboose around the lights should not work. (I think)
Jim
Actually, LEDs do work on alternating current, as long as their reverse voltage rating isn't exceeded. Just not as bright, and more complicated to compute an exact resistor value.
LED's will operate on A.C. However with A.C. of equal voltage the value of the current limiting resistor will have to be adjusted to achieve the same brightness. This is because with A.C. the led will only be lit when the current flow is in the proper direction. When the current flow reverses the led blocks current flow and remains unlit. Thus A.C. applied to an led will cause it to blink on and off even though at high enough frequencies it will appear to be lit continuously. To make a blinking led appear as bright as constantly lit led the current limiting resistor's value is lowered to allow more current flow causing the led to be brighter when lit. This causes a greater average light output and thus a brighter appearing led. This trick of the eye is a phenomenon known as persistence of vision. This is also the reason the led appears to be continuously lit when it is actually blinking.
Jim