Kato lighting kit v2 and Operation North Pole

[MK]

Anyone out there has added v2 (11-212) lighting to there ONP coach cars?  I have two questions.  I'll be running it first on DC until I get a decoder for DCC.

Does the outside painting of the windows have any effect on the brightness and/or color?  I've read a few comments that the LEDs are too bright and to use the orange "lenses" to tone down the brightness and warm up the color.  But this is for normal coaches.  I'm wondering if the outside painting effectively does this without the need to install the orange lenses.

For the cab coaches, I'm assuming the plastic light disbursement bar is too long and a section will have to be snapped off for fitment due the red/white running lights taking up space?

I have not ordered the kit yet but will soon.

[peteski]

I don't have that set but that doesn't stop me from throwing in my unsolicited 5 cents of peteski logic. 

The decoration appears to be printed over the windows using an ink jet printer. Sp, depending on the ink color in the specific area the decoration will allow different amounts of light to shine through. Also the light will be tinted by the ink color. You will end up with backbit image that is printed over the window (like a stained glass windows in a church).

The windows on prototype cars use an opaque wrap (sticker) which has mesh like holes.  That sticker passes the light evenly and un-tinted.  So on the prototype at night the windows would not have a stained glass window look. They would pass the interior light in its natural color.

The light from those illuminating kits is quite bright (in DCC) and harsh bluish white.  To be honest, most N scale illuminating kits produce light that is way too bright to be realistic. After all, how often can you notice lit interiors during daytime operations on 1:1 trains?  But that high-brightness  is a bit of a trade off, since those kits are designed to be bright and easily visible with lots of ambient light so one could brag that your passenger cars have lights in them.   

More realistic lighting can be achieved with multi-LED kits like the Rapido easy-peasy lights, but even those would need to be dimmed to look realistic (during nighttime operation).  But even with those I don't think that lit-up  Operation North Pole train will look realistic for the reasons I mentioned earlier.  However, that is just my opinion. 

[davefoxx]

The light from those illuminating kits is quite bright (in DCC) and harsh bluish white.  To be honest, most N scale illuminating kits produce light that is way too bright to be realistic. After all, how often can you notice lit interiors during daytime operations on 1:1 trains?  But that high-brightness  is a bit of a trade off, since those kits are designed to be bright and easily visible with lots of ambient light so one could brag that your passenger cars have lights in them.   

Which is why I couldn't answer the OP's original question.  I agree with @peteski's assessment of most lighting kits for model passenger cars.  For this reason, I only put the decoder in for the headlights/markers on the cab car and left the interior lights out.

DFF

[Mr Z]

I've installed the Kato lighting kits a number of cars now including the Bilevels used in the ONP sets.

First, if I remember right you do not need to trim the light bar to fit it in the cab coach. The light bar fits in the are between the upper and lower levels. I think it works well in the regular Metro cars which have a heavy green tint to the windows. To me commuter cars are usually very heavily lit anyway.

As to the OP set, I tried it in the first set issued. It does work kind of like a lit stained glass affect but it also emphasizes any place where the printing was a little thin like window edges, etc. I did not like the effect so I didn't keep them in the ONP set.

I do like these sets with the dcc boards from TCS in the engine and the Kato board in the cab car. As to the interior lights I just let them stay on all the time.

Martin Z

[MK]

Thanks for the data points Peteski, DFF and especially Martin as you have tried it on the 2015 set.  You are correct in that the diffuser is "sandwiched" between the upper and lower decks.  Just wasn't sure if it would clear the cab's operating lights.

Now to figure out if I would like the effects without buying a set of 6 and then not using them. 

[peteski]

Isn't that lighting kit also sold in singles?  Or if you have the older lighting kit, try it in your Operation North Pole cars.

[OldEastRR]

The old KATO lightboards don't fit in the Oly Hi cars because of an interior re-design, so maybe the same thing happens for this set.

[fcnrwy23]

This may help explain the lightboards....   I will be posting this on the Original Oly Hi, thread as well....

Mr. Kato and entourage, were at Trainfest this afternoon.. (He was here with another group of youngsters, from Japan).
Talking with them about the HI, it was mentioned that CARE should be taken, when disassembling the Full Dome.  Because of it's different construction, this was done to facilitate the assembly of the model...

It was referred as ... "A Box over a Box" and that some "Pins" might be broken, if care was not taken...

There are "Pins" in the car's interior sides, that need to be handled with care...

.

The Roof/Glazing and Side Glazing of the car is ONE PIECE!, (Glazing/Framework). The Glazing extends down the side of the entire car..

I checked this just a few minutes ago...

The "Pins" are how the SIDES of the car, are attached...


(Opps, guess that means I cant sell this set...)

The "Red interior" is the CORE of the carbody.
The Glazing slips down, OVER the Core. "Box Over Box"
The Ends of the car, clip onto the CORE.  Forming the completed Carbody...

Interesting...

Jerry G.

[peteski]

Wow! Leave it to Kato's engineers to come up with a design like that. Amazingly clever!  This way the dome windows are flush with the roof/sides.  I can't help but gush over Kato's ingenuity.  Sorry, can't help myself.

[OldEastRR]

Peteski, where's the review?

[nkalanaga]

The original Kato-ConCor smoothside cars from the late 60s also had flush windows in the dome, with the roof and windows cast as one piece, as did the Rivarossi cars made for Atlas.  But they didn't have flush side windows, as the "glass" had to be able to slide into the body.  The Kato cars did have flush END windows, though, which helped hold the roof on.

I agree, a very clever design, especially for dome cars.  Separate window pieces are probably easier, and cheaper, for flat-top cars, but domes have always been the weak point in streamlined cars.

Now, with separate sides, if they ever do the Santa Fe full domes, there's no excuse not to do the GN version as well.  All it would need is new sides, and possibly a new interior.

[MK]

Thanks for the disassembly Jerry.  Fascinating!  A true work of art!

The old light kits won't work with the newer cars, which includes the ONP set.  The installation is completely different.  All coaches going forward will be manufactured this way, so only v2 lights.

I'm going to take apart one coach and use a bright LED flashlight to get a rough estimate of what it will look like.  Now I'm more concerned about the light leakage in the thin paint areas or gaps around the window as someone mentioned above.

[fcnrwy23]

UPDATE!!!

Disregard  the previous mention of a ONE PIECE ROOF (Glazing/Framework)...   
I did a further inspection of the ROOF Section...

THE Roof Glazing IS Separate for the Roof Framework.  BUT, the Side glaze panels are ONE PIECE with the main "Dome" glaze panels.   And the Front and Rear sections of glazing ARE separate from the main "Dome" panels.

See Photo =



I discovered these NEW Facts, as I removed the Roof.  As I did so, the side glazing flexed inward.  I first thought that I broke them, but as I push on them, the glazing "Popped - Out" from the Roof Framework..
The Cars "Ends" are also removable.  With the Standard Kato Diaphragms used.
The Car Sides are attached with Seven (7) "Pins".

Christ!  I Hope I can reassemble this thing?  .


Jerry G.

[peteski]

That is still pretty clever piece of engineering from Kato.  And now there is no worry about light shining through the black-painted clear roof. Well, Assuming someone will put lights on the top level.

[fcnrwy23]

That is still pretty clever piece of engineering from Kato.  And now there is no worry about light shining through the black-painted clear roof. Well, Assuming someone will put lights on the top level.

From the "Printed" Instructions on the Set's box.  The Light board is installed, "Light Side" Up.   And that the light shines, "UP" through the Sixteen (16) holes located down the center of the Dome Level flooring, (between the seats).  The instructions refer to the positioning of a "Printed Side",  this "Side" is opposite of the Light Element Side...

Jerry G.