Working Ditch Lights for Kato Dash9

Model Railroader Electronics and DCC
1

I picked up a Kato Dash9 unit recently. I want to know if there is infomation on how to install/convert working ditch lights on this unit. This Kato unit uses LEDS with fiber optics to project light both to the headlights and ditch lights.

2

  1. If you are ok with the factory brightness of the ditchlights, just cut the light pipes short and heat shrink 2 3mm LEDs on the ends of them.

  2. If you are NOT ok with the factory brightness, then you will have to fabricate your own ditch lights using 1.5v bulbs or surface mount LEDs. Either way you will have to do the same to the headlights as well.

I am assuming HO here…but if you are in N scale, it is a much more difficult proposition. You would have to work with very small grain of sand SMT LEDs and wire them in.

David B

3

Thanks Dave. It’s HO. I ordered a decoder board with sound for this unit and assume that the board has connections for adding ditch lights.

4

Which sound decoder did you order?

5

It’s very wrong to assume that every sound decoder supports ditch lights. Which decoder did you order? If MRC, then you’re likely to be very sadly disappointed.

6

I’ve used option 1 with both a QSI U and a Digitrax DH165K0 & Soundbug combination.