A new light on N Scale

[ram53]

Quite literally in fact, this is a new light effect that I haven't yet seen done in N scale.   It is a working DPU marker light on an FVM GEVO I'm currently working on.  Notwithstanding the added complexity that this engine has an SDN144K1E sound decoder and what is my best (and likely last) sound install in an N scale engine,  I thought it would be cool to try to have a working red marker lamp which in the proto engine is set atop the left ditch light housing.  There is a lot of added detail to this as yet unfinished project, like changing the 6 step front end to 5 steps, a new anticlimber, new stanchions and handrails, individually controlled ditchlights, new cut levers, plow, etc. etc.  The ditchlights are Kaslo Shops resin parts left over from cab and shell kits, fitted with 0402 SM LEDs.  The DPU lamp is basically an 0603 LED, red, in which the whole LED is the part.  I took a rectangular piece of brass with a hole etched into it from a left-over BLMA remote antenna stand fret, painted it and glued it to the face of the LED, then carefully painted around the edges and back to block out light leakage.  It was then glued to the top of the ditchlight, with the wiring from both the ditchlight and DPU light going down a #80 hole in the pilot deck and back into the engine.  I wired it so the red light would come on when the engine is in reverse, as I still can't figure how to separate the sound and light functions which are controlled from the same function key on Digitrax's sound decoders.   

I'm not sure why digital cameras don't capture the red very well, but the intensity of the light probably overwhelms the sensor. I reduced the exposure to bring out the colour which is why the photos look grainy.  In real life it a very nice red lamp which my CN engineer/HO modeller friend thought was quite impressive when watching this unit as a rear pusher today.  The HO'ers can't quite believe their eyes when they see something this small with all these details and features, and he had his cellphone camera clicking away madly. I had to hide my somewhat smug grin.   When you plunk down the $$ for an HO IMRC GEVO, I believe you get the red lights built-in, no effort required. 

Lights off:



Front lights on:



DPU lamp on:




I know I've said this before (on another forum), but it's my belief that N scale has come a long way recently with wheels, body-mounted couplers (even though oversized and not that realistic looking) and details, almost to the point of competing part to part with their HO counterparts, ie BLMA and Exactrail TRINCOOL reefers and other recent releases.  but in the diesel engine area, there is a long way to go, our stuff is still pretty basic and simple with features and details,  even though mechanical performance is just as good if not better in some cases.  There's something in the way of a "quantum jump" or "paradigm shift" kind of thing that has to happen, maybe current manufacturing technology just doesn't allow a finer grain of detail in N scale sized models.

Anyway, I like running this unit as a rear helper/pusher, it just looks cool!

Richard.

[central.vermont]

That's pretty cool stuff Richard!!!!! I don't model this era but like seeing things like this done to push the
envelope in N scale.
One thing I was wondering is what are the two holes. One on each side of the CN herald?

Jon

[craigolio1]

Looks awesome Richard! 

The holes are for handrails.

Craig

[Philip H]

That is outstanding.  SOmething for me to consider for my GEVO at some point.

[ram53]

Oh, yeah, the handrails aren't on (yet), I'll probably make them out of .008 wire, when they're painted white, even wire gets thicker.  I put a dab of glue on the end so they fit snugly into the holes.

 When you buy a Kaslo cab kit or one of their SD50/60F kits, you get a bunch of ditch lights, more than just a pair, so I've got probably a dozen or so.  They are nice, clean castings that are easy to drill out, unlike the MBE (Miniatures by Eric) brass ones that are solid brass and not as clean or detailed.  I think someone here on RW makes their own castings starting from one or the other of these as a master, that's something I haven't even considered doing.   John Whitmore of Kaslo Shops could probably sell a fair number of them as separate parts, although they are basically Canadian style ditchlights. I see he's selling off a bunch of mostly HO kits on eBay now, haven't otherwise heard anything from or about him for awhile.

And...to keep shopping Canadian, I got my LEDs from Railflyer Model Prototypes, admittedly after a bit of a wait.  I really wish them well, although their reach may have exceed their grasp,  in a business sense.

[peteski]

Very nice! I have also been playing with SMD LEDs in N scale models for few years.  They make it possible to create lighting effects not easily achieved any other ways.

EDIT:  here are some examples.


I used 0603 white LEDs mounted directly behind ditch light openings (tinted with transparent amber paint to make them look like incandescent lamps).   Since the ditch lights are inside the loco body (not free-standing), there was not need to use 0402 LEDs.  There is no headlight because that is where I mounted a camera unit.


SMD LEDs enabled me to realistically model ceiling lamps inside N scale building. This provides a much more realistic lighting than simply a single bulb (or larger LED) installed in the center of the ceiling.



SMD LEDs also enabled me to make N scale streetlamps which are closer to true scale size than any commercially available streetlamps and also to illuminate a realistically-thin sign on the building.

[Zox]

I'm not sure why digital cameras don't capture the red very well, but the intensity of the light probably overwhelms the sensor.

Based on experiments I've seen and done, I believe that's the case--LEDs put out so much light, from such a small area, that they "burn in" on the sensor. This would be especially true with SMDs, but I've seen the same effect from "mini" Christmas lights.

[Ian MacMillan]

Very nice! I've been working with some smds in sunny white to represent the "power to box" aspect on the side of relay cases.

[wmcbride]

Peteski,

That is some truly incredible modeling!

Bill McBride

[Scottl]

Excellent work, very timely as I recently acquired one of the FV GEVO units in CN and will be installing DCC over the holidays.  I have some of those Kaslo parts in my box too!

Beautiful work with the model!

[Scottl]

Something I have wondered about.  How do you manage the wire on the inside so that the shell is still removable?  I have been trying to figure that out to use SMD for headlights in my fleet of CN locos.

[mcjaco]

Very cool.  Nothing like watching a DPU unit roll by on the end of a train.  I did this for a friend in HO, in the early days of DCC, and it had people mesmorized. 

[strummer]

That's pretty cool stuff Richard!!!!! I don't model this era but like seeing things like this done to push the
envelope in N scale.
Jon

My thoughts exactly.

Mark in Oregon

[Nato]

       Yes Richard that is pretty cool ,makes me want to switch eras. Petesski,wonderful building interrior.Now I will have to finish installing lighting in my buildings and adding interriors. Nate Goodman (Nato).

[ednadolski]

Richard, awesome work amigo!

Ed