Guys,
I’m trying to add Ditch lights to my Coaster F-40PH and the ones that they use are a little different than the normal ditch lights on the F-40s. Does anyone have any tips that can help me with this project? Plus what material to use and from what manufactures too. Also I want to put the tail lights on too, help with them as well. I want all of them too work off of a decoder–help there too.
You could try some tiny grain-of -wheat lights in the 12 to 15 v range , or use the newer clear-white LED’s, but you would have to use dropping resistors on them. You should be able to run them off the same circuit now in use for the other lights.
If you’re in HO Detail Associates has a similar light casting. You’ll probably have to make the box things they’re mounted on. I’d just shape them out of styrene.
For the actual lights I like the Miniatronics 1.5v bulbs. They’re small enough to fit in the light castings, look great, and don’t make a lot of heat so they won’t melt anything. I usually use one 750 ohm resistor per bulb. The engine in my sig was done this way.
Yes, I do model HO scale and what you mention is what I was thinking. But what about the red lights when the engine is in push mode? Does anyone know what the best way to model those and what is the best light to use?
You can buy some really small LEDs that are all red. Then when you have them put in you would need to program your DCC chip to run the lights so that when your going backwards they light up red. The Leds come with resistors and if they don’t it should say on the package what kind you would need. LEDs are called “light admitting diodes” so they never get hot and are very bright also.
James