Guys,
I’m sure that this topic has come up before but I need someone to point me in the right direction on what I can do and the techniques thereof to go from Picture 1 to Picture 2:
I have a number of engines that I would like to do this on. I model HO scale and I will be using DCC.
DCC buy decoders with 4 output functions.
Second you have to buy ditch light castings if the DCC . They are called I believe surface mount Details West makes them I believe drilled out already…
Third drills a hole with a small drill bit the size of two wires into each area your installing the ditch lights.
Follow directions on the casting package.
I use 1.5v 1.2mm lights not L.E.Ds I found that LEDS dont look all that realistic. I wire them up to a dropping resistor betwen 480ohm and 750ohm I found the lower number is better makes the bulbs burn brighter.
Anymore answers are welcomed due to I’m not sure if I covered all basis.
Milwhiawatha
Thank you for your input. I like it! I going to go to Details West website and see what they have.
Anyone else have some good ideas or pictures that can help?
Here’s what I did. I bought 2 Athearn genesis RTR AC4400 in the BNSF. They has Ditch lights like the engine on the right. I did this. I carefully broke off the Ditch Light Housings. If you grab them with a pair of needle nose pliers they will snap right off. They came off really easy. I then held them with a pair of needle nose pliers (carefully) and ran a small drill right through the housing. I then glued them back on after filing the back of them flat. After the glue dried I used the same drill to drill through the hole that was already there and through the front of the engine. I got 2 small micro bulbs and stuck them into the holes from the back. You have to take the body off. I stuck them through till they were flush then glued them from the back so they wouldn’t pull back out. I simply connected the wires to the circuit board that already had wires going to it for the other lights. It was actually pretty simple and looks great. If you need pics just email me.
Mike
This is the route that I’m planning to go…
http://www.accuratelighting.com/HOscale/Electrical/HoscaleElectrical_DitchLights.htm
The main reason I’m going to do it this way is that I model the CPR and ALL of their motive power has the ditch lights mounted on top of the pilot, so it just doesn’t look right having them below.
Mike