Ive just paid for 2 of these wih sound in CP (Beaver) paint ( a new year offer from my local hobby store i couldnt refuse!) and given that they cost a fair bit isnt the lack of ditch lights abit sloppy? Anyways, ive only just noticed the lack of them[:I]
Has anyone fitted them to these models? Could you tell me what parts you used please?
The first thing you need to ask is if you decoder supports it. In your case, I doubt it. You have a V7 board, and as I recall, no ditchlights are available.
David B
You know what, David, i wondered if that would be the case[:(] Thanks for that info anyway. Would save me the trouble of taking off the shell only to find that theres no place to add them and/or messing up the board trying! Pluss at that money, the QSI board will stay where it is…
Apart from a lack of ditch lights, i think that the QSI is a great decoder.
I don’t know if i’d say its sloppy, but i would think that things like ditch lights are usually added afterward, and aren’t standard equipment on all GP40-2s, so they don’t go throught he trouble adding them at the factory.
That is weird though, why wouldn’t there be more function out puts on a sound decoder in an RTR model? that doesn’t make any sense, especially considering most decoders have a load of functions.
In any event, you can still add them externally if you want it to be accurate. I’m sure there is a function out put or two on their somwhere. I’d check.
Gary,
Try http://www.accuratelighting.com/HOscale/Electrical/HoscaleElectrical_DitchLights.htm
Should be what you want.
Otherwise, there’s an article in Spring 2007’s Modern Railway Modelling magazine, where the author used Details West DL-228 and DL-243 ditch light housings (albeit on a GP38-2), with sunny white LEDs from Express Models in Loughborough. M G Sharp in Sheffield is the best place I’ve found in the UK for Details West stuff.
Regards
Ian
Accurate Lighting also sells ditch light setups that I don’t think require using the decoder. Maybe something in their Genesis line might work for you.
Thanks for your help as always guys!
I’ve added ditch lights to a lot of GP (whatevers) using the 1.5 volt grain of rice bulbs from miniatronics, details west ditch lights, and some .020 styrene. They can look good if you take your time and a lot of modifications to the shell and motor housing will be needed.
I drill a 45º angle in the shell to accept the bulbs, drill out the detail west ditch lights to also accept the bulbs, glue them in place, and if any of the wiring shows, i’ll cover it around the ditch lights with small pieces of styrene plastic to cover it before painting.
There is a way to power the ditch lights to a decoder with minimum function capability but they won’t have full functions but will only glow on or will go off. All you have to do is wire the lights into the white wire and the blue wire of the decoder. (these wires are the hot and common for the front head lights of the locomotive.) Or you can wire the lights into the rail pickups (the black and the red wire of the decoder) but if you do that, they will always be on whether the train runs forward or backwards.
Be sure you also check the voltage to the lights, if it’s a 12 volt source then you’ll have to put in about a 600-800 ohm resistor on one lead of the bulbs. If the voltage is stepped down to 1.5 volts, than a resistor isn’t required. Check it with a multimeter so you can determine the proper voltage because a 1.5 volt bulb connected to a 12 volt source…well you can imagine what will happen…Here’s pictures of a C30-8 I put ditch lights on using the above mentioned components.
Thanks for the helpfull lowdown Chuck. I managed to find the MR issue i had where an SD60 was done. Ive got the general jist now, but i still gota find out for sure if these QSI boards will take them.
