I recently purchased a Genesis SD70M and was trying to install the factory ditch lights. I ended up breaking both bulbs and went to an aftermarket ditch light which had the micro bulbs already embeded in the ditch light stand. Rather than run microbulbs to the front of the engine, I thought it might be simpler to to use fiber optics.
Has anyone had any experience using fiber optics for engine lighting (front, rear, ditch lights, etc.)?
Sean
Installing ditchlights in a Genesis SD70M is a bad job, I know.
The use of fibre optics will work !
Use two pieces of fibre optic and form this between ditchlights and the bulbs in the nose.
I had to replace the ditch light bulbs in my Genesis SD70s when I installed decoders because the decoder manufacturer had not provided the correct resistor value and the bulbs burned out. Replacing the bulbs with fiber optics is fine as long as you are going to run the engine only on DC. If you install DCC, you can make the ditch lights flash. You won’t be able to do this with fiber optics. The biggest challenge is finding 12 volt bulbs small enough to fit in the SD70. Athearn bulbs are only 1.5 volt and are extremely small. The smallest 12 volt bulb available is larger than the Athearn bulb.
Disassembling the cab to get to the bulbs is also difficult. Athearn must have changed something because my SD70 ditch lights were already installed and fully operational. Are you sure you have the Genesis SD70M and not the regular Athearn? I also have a regular Athearn SD70, and the ditch lights had to be assembled and installed separately, which was not easy.
This was an original kit that I bought off of e-bay. When Athearn started producing the Genesis SD70 and SD75 about 5 years ago, there was a lot of assembly.
Sean
brothaslide is right !!!
Since last year Genesis models are ready to run ! handrails and all that little things that brings you to a mental home are installed - so also the ditch lights.
I have twentytwo (22) SD70M (11 UP included), SD75M and SD75I, only my Conrail SD70 with spartan cab and my Heritage II SD75 are complete RTR.
Recomend you read Mark Fernald article “LED Headlights” (MR 12/04 pg.94). No need to “polish” the end of the fiber, I use a match to round the head to fit the lense opening, the thinner the fiber the easer the bends, drawback less light. 1.5v bulb start with 460 ohm resistor. Hope this helps