Working Ditch Lights

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

Hi,

I was wondering if any one makes a super detailing kit for a Atlas GE DASH 8-40C. If not what manufacturs make good detail parts. A website would be helpful.

Thanks in Advance,

dekruif

2

Using photos for your prototype for reference

I would start with Details West http://www.walthers.com/exec/search?category=&scale=H&manu=235&item=&keywords=GE&instock=Q&split=300&Submit=Search

Then see what Utah Pacific (their handrail stanchions are beautiful) http://www.walthers.com/exec/search?category=&scale=H&manu=755&item=&keywords=GE&instock=Q&split=30&Submit=Search

And Hi Tech Details makes some GE parts http://www.walthers.com/exec/search?category=&scale=H&manu=331&item=&keywords=GE&instock=Q&split=30&Submit=Search

Good luck

3

Hi,

I was wondering how hard it would be to install working ditch lights on a GE DASH 8-40C, and where I could get them. Manufacturers adn website would be helpful.

Thanks again,
dekruif

4

anyone??

5

Details West and Detail Associates both make several styles of ditch light housings. The first step is to figure out which ones are correct for the prototype locomotive you’re modeling. As far as making them work, I usually use Miniatronics 1.5v bulbs inserted directly into drilled-out ditch light housings. If the ditch lights are mounted on the pilot it’s usually pretty easy to conceal the wires. If they’re mounted above the deck it’s harder, but it can be done. Some of the Details West ditch lights come with bulbs, but I haven’t tried to use those (yet). I think they’re also 1.5v. I’m on DCC so I use 750 ohm resistors to connect the lights to decoder outputs. For DC you’d have to connect them to something else, but the principle is the same.

6

I am also installing ditch lights in a couple of Dash-8’s, one BNSF and one UP. The first thing I did was looked up photos of the prototype on railpictures.net to see what kind of ditch lights they use. In my case, both roads used the following type:

http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/235-229

I actually just bought two sets of these from my LHS for my two locos. The housings are cast white metal (not sure what type - some kind of zinc, I guess), and they come with clear plastic lenses. None of the Details West parts I saw in the store came with any bulbs, by the way. I think maybe they used to, but not anymore, even though some parts listings on some websites and catalogs may seem to indicate that they do come with light bulbs.

As Dacort mentioned, the way to do this is mount them to the front of the pilot, then drill out the holes in the ditch light housing and pilot so you can run tiny light bulbs in there. If you do this, you won’t end up using the lenses, by the way.

For this particular type of ditch light (mounted on front of pilot), it’s easy, because you just have to drill a hole straight through and pass the light bulb from the back side. It gets tricky if you’re using the lights mounted on top of the pilot deck, because the housings are so small, and you have to mount the bulbs horizontally, then do the 90-degree turn with the wiring to go down through the pilot deck.

As for the ditch light parts themselves, you can get them from any well-stocked LHS, or online at a variety of places, including Walthers, discounttrainsonline, etc.

7

Could I hook up the 750 ohm resistors to a D14SR decoder? Where do you connect the lights to the decoder outputs?

8

You’ll have to consult your decoder’s instruction/installation manual on that one… For more generic information on how to hook up lights to a decoder, I highly suggest reading the following:

http://www.tonystrainexchange.com/technews/install-lamps-decoders.htm

The resistor and light will be connected in series, so you can either connect one leg of the resistor directly to the decoder, or you can run a wire from the resistor to the decoder.

For operating ditch lights, you’ll need to have each light wired to a separate output because they flash independently. That means in addition to the usual two outputs for headlight & backup light, you’ll need two extra outputs available to have operating ditch lights, for a minimum of 4 total. I took the liberty of looking up the D14SR manual on the NCE website, and at first glance, it looks like you have plenty of functions available to do this (like 6 total, I think). From the instruction manual, it looks like the actual attachment points are the five blobs of solder on the one edge. The function common (traditionally blue wire) is the larger one on the end. The headlight and backup light outputs are wired directly into the socket pins.

(Note: I assumed your D14SR was an NCE decoder because they have that model number, but when I compared your picture above to the picture in the instruction manual, they don’t match?)

9

[oops]

wrong picutre