Do the new model diesels feature the alternating ditch lights or are they just solid light? If not, is there a “radio shack” fix to make it look realistic? I’m thinking of purchasing a few CW40’s.
Thanks.
Normally, only those with a DCC sound decoder are going to have flashing ditch lights because the lights flash for a certain duration when the horn is sounded for a grade crossing. The engineeer can turn off the flashing.
Kato locomotives (at least the older ones) cannot have flashing ditch lights without major surgery because they use a plastic light guide from the headlight down to the ditch lights, and in order to have flashing ditch lights they must be individual bulbs or LEDs.
There are non-sound DCC decoders with ditch lights functions if the individual model they are being installed into have separate bulbs for the ditch lights, such as in some Athearn Genesis locomotives that don’t already have the MRC sound decoder in them.
Good explanation, except you could really leave out all references to “sound”. Good-quality, non-sound decoders have had lighting effects, including ditch lights, for years, and I’ve seen ditch lights implemented (in HO scale) back when sound was still a pipe dream…
Steve
If you are using DCC, ditch lights are a snap assuming you can install the individual ditch light bulbs or LEDs easily. If you are using DC then you will need some kind of circuit to flash the lights. Some are available but it is much more awkward than it would be with DCC.