Lighting a caboose, brass or plastic.

[ACL1504]

Nice Tom!


-slim

Bill,

Thank you! And to think I didn't burn the caboose.

Tom

[BandOGuy]

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.

[deemery]

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

[bparrish]

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

[GPdemayo]

The lighted cabeese look really great.......good work Tom. 

[ACL1504]

The lighted cabeese look really great.......good work Tom. 

Greg,

Thanks, much appreciated.

Tom

[RWL]

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

[ACL1504]

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!


Tom

[jbvb]

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."

[deemery]

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

[jimmillho]

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

[jbvb]

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.

[jimmillho]

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