So I just purchased my second NS GP38-2 and I am very happy with the first one. I have the 5350 and the 5356 so far and hope on getting all of the 4 units plus some Conrail to make NS! Now the only things that Atlas didn’t include on the locomotives were Yellow handrails and Ditch lights. The handrails are no problem to paint however I would like to know more about the ditch lights. I would like to know what product I should use in the installation (Details West, ect), what sort of LED’s would be optimal and where to attach the wires. I believe I can install the lights myself (Tanex 7R all the way!) and the wiring is no problem. I current do NOT use a DCC system so I’m not worried about all that flashing light business and such but it may be a future option. I would like to know where to connect wires and such but I believe these Trainman units have “accessory” inputs for things like this. Thank you for reading this and for any help! Also many thanks to Atlas for another Superb model! Charles
Chuck,
For NS GP38-2 ditch lights, you’ll want the following Details West part:
#DL-229 - Ditch Lights W/Lenses - Pilot-End Mount “GE”, “EMD”
And the ditch light housings will go on the underside of the platform.
If you might eventually want the Mars light effect, I would stick with incandescents for the ditch lights. Incandescents can dim down to nothing. (Something LEDs don’t do very well at.) For the headlight though I’d use an LED.
Chuck, sorry I can’t help you with wiring the Atlas Geeps. I have two of the Proto 2000 NS GP38-2s and wiring those for ditch lighting is not a small feat. (I’ve started it but have yet to complete it.) I’m pretty sure that what I’ll eventually need to do is to mill out a channel in the nose of the frame to run the wires.
I hope that your Atlas Geeps are easier for you than the Proto 2000s. Please keep us posted how it turns out.
Tom
One of the nice things about P2Ks is their pulling power due to the size of the weights. One of the bad things about P2Ks is the size of the weight leavs little room inside for anything. I may be cutting down my first weight this weekend to put a larger speaker in a P2K SD60.
Ditch lights are either on or off. Some roads have flashing ditch lights, usually when the bell is ringing, or the horn is blown. I don’t think the existing board in the Trainman engine has spaces to add ditch lights. Might have to mill away some of the frame/weight casting to run the wires.
If you get a NCE DA-SR decoder (other mfg. make similar decoders), it will drop in, after removing the stock board, snapping into the motor mounts like the stock board. It also has extra outputs, to run ditch lights, etc. The newer runs have resistors built into the decoder, so LEDs can be used without trying to find a place to put resistors. They can also be programmed to start flashing when the horn is blown (usually F2). The TCS A6X decoder has a regulator on it, so 1.5v bulbs can be used, without extra resistors.