Caboose marker lamps
Posted by Riley B on Sunday, December 22, 2019 6:14 PM
Is there a way to turn off caboose marker lamps when entering the caboose track and then turn them on again when needed to return to service ? I was thinking of reed switches but I am not certain this would work.
I got the idea from Overmod to give Riley B. a boost.
I use latching reed switches in all of my old timer coaches for the interior lighting as well as my cabooses and yes that includes the marker lights. The latching reed switches can be tough to find but they work better than great!!!
I also use battery powered lighting in them too. A LIR2032 rechargeable coin cell has 40ma capacity so depending on the LED current they can easily last an hour without track power.
I made a simple track power trickle charger for the coin cells that keeps the battery topped off when running them. A simple DB107 full wave chip with a 470Ω resistor in series with the LIR2032 works great. The manufacturer specs say 20ma max charge and the 470Ω resistor keeps the current under 20ma at max tack voltage.
A lights-only decoder could also work. This would let you control the lights anywhere on the layout without a magnetic magic wand. It might be more pricey than a latching relay, though, and requires power trucks so the decoder is seen by the rails.
Being as the op ask about magnet controlled reed switches I just figured he is operating on a DC layout. I agree with you on using single or four function decoders for controlling lighting.
I have several Digitrax TL-1s and TL-4s for remotely controlling goodies on my rolling stock.
I still use the latching reed switches in parallel with the decoder because I operate in Dual Mode, DC or DCC. When running in DC mode I use the magnetic wand to turn on and off the goodies. I run logging trains quite often and when I’m in the old timer mode I run old timer passenger trains with shorty coaches and mag-switches for lighting, all powered by a rechargeable coin cell.
My prize caboose is a Drovers with a conductor hanging off the front step with his lantern.
The micro LED is still too bright at 60 microamps. The Drovers caboose has a TL-4 decoder so that I can independently control the markers, interior lighting an
Like Mel,I use the latching switches. Easy to install,and they work flawlessly.I’m in On3,so I use a regular 9 volt battery. No recharging system,but I built the cabooses so that the bodies are easy to remove - in case I live long enough that a battery needs replacing.
Hard to tell in this picture,but the rear lenses are red,and the side and front lenses are amber.
Mike
Edit: I was typing during Mel’s last post - Beautiful job on that conductor,Mel!
